Ole: Your current album is called Enter My Religion, your debut Deus Ex Machina. Should there be some kind of connection?
Liv: Interesting. I never asked that before. But no, there is no connection. It’s more a developement. With the first CD I was twenty-something. There were producers and writers, wanting to tell me, what to sing and how to sing it. Behind Enter My Religion I stand with all my personality.

Ole: Eight years are a long time, indeed. Why did silence so long as a solo-artist?
Liv: Unfortunately, I spent much too much time at court. There had to be things answered like who’s allowed to do what with my old material and so on.

Ole: Then, how did it come to the album’s titel?
Liv: Here, I understand „religion“ as everything I believe in. In first line the CD is a kind of invitation to take part at my dreams and hopes.

Ole: But you tend to focus mainly religious themes. Deus Ex Machina, Enter My Religion, My Revelation. What about your relation to church? Are you religious?
Liv: Of course I believe in something. But not that way, the church wants me to. Both, my husband and I withdrew from church a few years, ago. I don’t have to enter church in order to live belief. I’d rather step out into nature. I guess that’s typical Norwegian. Therefore, I receive power. That power is life in itself!

Ole: Did you get this conviction at the time you became mother?
Liv: Not directly. I already began to ask question, when I was a little child in elementary school. We were supposed to draw our imagination of God. But in my opinion this got nothing to do with an old man on a cloud (or something like that).

Ole: Compared to former material Enter My Religion apparently sounds more „pop-music“ and even less „dark“. Did you maybe worry not to bewilder your fans?
Liv: At this point of life I am free to do whatever I want. Fans and labels are not so important aspects when producing an album. Up to now, I found my way and Enter My Religion seems like an aim.

Ole: The first single is called Fake A Smile. You told about some details from the video’s set before. How are we supposed to imagine the content of the video? I just read that it was freezing cold...
Liv: Yes, it was deep November in Nuremberg and 10 degrees below zero and me in nothing but a thin gown. I really felt like an ice-queen!

Ole: Listening to this song I immediately had pictures of two different parallel speeds of action in my mind...
Liv: Yes, exactly! One line in it says „my world is turning too fast“ – So, we put to worlds together: One hectic and the other one, well, dreaming.

Ole: Let’s talk about Streets Of Philadelphia. What made you do this song?
Liv: I simply was fascinated of Bruce „The Boss“ singing this track. Often very unclear, with lots of „blue“ notes. That’s not according to the way you get singing-lessons. But that’s why it sounds so direct and emotional. At first hand, I had to get into that.

Ole: Do you like System Of A Down?
Liv: Well, that’s not that kind of music I would listen to while driving in my car...

Ole: I recently read an interview with Serj Tankian, the singer. He was a little bit nerved by people simply wanting to talk about politics. Therefore, they mainly talked about his sense of humor. Are there any questions you cannot stand to hear, again and again? Or are there things you would even more like to talk about?
Liv: When I was with Theatre of Tragedy, I often was asked, if I am really such a depressive kind of person. Things like: „Are you even able to laugh?“ Of course, I am! I mean, everyone lives through good and hard time. To be fired from ToT and the court thing had beed total shit, but - hey, now I finally found my way thanks to the music and my family.

So, I even would like to talk about how beautiful all this is.

Ole: Within a short time we seem to have a real boom of Scandinavian Bands: The Hives und Mando Diao, Nephew, Apoptygma Bezerk...
Liv: I would rather say: Put the blame on ABBA! (grinning) OK, they come from Sweden. The first singer from Norway must have been Wenke Myhre. To be honest: I am surprised myself about all these creative musicians from the north. I didn’t know.

Ole: Are there any norwegian musicians you would like to work with?
Liv: Morten Harket from A-Ha.

Ole: What about Kari Rueslatten?
Liv: Oh yeah, she’s great! I’m sure, that it would be fun to work with her.

Ole: Talking about Kari: I really do think, that The 3rd & The Mortal seemed to have kicked off a trend. I mean, metalbands with a female „heavenly voice“. Kari once said that they were mainly influenced by Anathema. Who impressed you and Theater Of Tragedy that much, that you had the idea to combine male death-metal-vocals with your voice?
Liv: Anathema, too. But also Black Sabbath and Paradise Lost.

Ole: Therefore the duets between you and Nick Holmes?
Liv: Yes, that was funny. We once did As I Die for Paradise Lost. Later on, when we were touring with Leaves Eyes and Paradise Lost, I often was asked; why we didn’t do this track live. Simple answer: We had no time to do rehearsal together. I we’d had, we surely would have done it.
(A telephone rings in the background)
Oh, that’s the next interview for sure.

Ole: Well, then I thank you for your time and wish you all the best for the CD!
Liv: Yes, thanks. Bye and take care.