Former NIGHTWISH Singer ANETTE OLZON Working On New Solo Material

Former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon has posted the following message on her official blog:

"I just finished writing my new song that I've been working on for some weeks... This time I am doing the lyrics in Swedish and it was a bit hard but also challenging to do that, and now I've just sent it to my friend Fredrik Bergh to see how it will sound after the music is added. Since I don't play instruments so well, I always need help with recording. That, and Fredrik is fast and really good at what he does.

"The way we work is that I sing the song and record it directly in to Garage Band and set the tempo I want it to have. Then I write down the lyrics and also add little comments to Fredrik how I have thought the song should be 'built.' Then I send the song to iTunes and email lyrics and the song file to Fredrik and voila! — his magic can start working.

"I love the technology of today, making it so easy to create music, even when we live far apart in the country!"

Olzon last year released two demo tracks that she recorded in 2009 for what was supposed to become her debut solo album. She said at the time, "The songs are not mixed or produced, just recorded in the moment, and therefore are very rough songs. But I still want you to hear them since I am proud of them and I think they show another part of me than you hear in NIGHTWISH." She added, "The first song is called 'Floating' and I call it the 'circus' song. It gives me a happy feeling and the vibe in it is happy and joyful. The second song ['Invincible'] is a song I wrote for my son and therefore it's very special to me."

You can listen to the tracks below.

Olzon announced in April 2011 that she decided to push back the tentative release date of her debut solo album to after NIGHTWISH had completed touring in support of its then-yet-to-be-released new studio album, "Imaginarium".

Olzon worked on material for her solo CD in 2009 with Swedish producers Stefan Örn and Johan Glössner. The album was slated to be co-produced by Swedish producer/songwriter Anders Bagge, who has previously worked with MADONNA, CELINE DION, JANET JACKSON and JESSICA SIMPSON, among others. He was also one of judges on the Swedish TV talent competition "Idol" and a producer of the TV series "Made in Sweden".

Olzon in 2009 hired a personal manager — the Swedish management company Hagenburg Management, which also represents EUROPE and THE CARDIGANS.

Photo credit: Per Sjöborg