Who is Liebchen, how would you describe yourself?
Liebchen is a vocalist first and foremost and has been classically trained for nine years. Liebchen loves djaying for industrial clubs and dancing, but, more importantly, she loves music in all forms. Liebchen has found strength in creating lyrics, vocal and synth melodies for XUBERX and has no plans of stopping.
Did music play a big role in your childhood?
Yes. I’ve been singing since I was very little…I knew I wanted to be a singer by the time I was six. My mother and father both sang and played guitar and they taught me quite a bit. I always sang in elementary school as well. I moved on to formal vocal training at age sixteen and went to university for classical music training (and some jazz training early on).
Who are rolemodels for you?
I don’t really have any one person that I look up to. There are several people that I respect as musicians…I would have to say that I look up to PJ Harvey the most. She is so captivating both live and on recordings. To me, she is a very powerful performer. I also love Tori Amos’ performances and music.
Why the nickname Liebchen?
Several years ago, when I was choosing my DJ name, I asked a friend for ideas. He pointed out that it should be his nickname for me, which was liebchen.
You are doing keyboards and vocals for XuberX, can you give a brief introduction to the band?
We formed in early 2007 in Washington, DC. We consist of Cheetahdave (guitar and programming), Zomboy (vocals, lyrics), and myself, Liebchen (lyrics, synths). Cheetahdave brings his punk and early synthpop styles to the table and Zomboy brings some of his metal style. We released our “Rogue State” EP in August of 2007 and we currently have a new album out, “Intelligent Demise.” We’ve played with bands like Angels On Acid, Hanzel Und Gretyl, Accessory and The Dark Clan. Two members of XuberX are DJs in the goth/industrial scene. XuberX creates music that can hopefully transcend genres and speak to many different people.
In XuberX you handle the vocals together with Zomboy, how do you decide who sings what part and how is it to sing with a singer whose voice really deviates from your own?
I really love what Zomboy brings to the band. If you listen to our first EP, “Rogue State,” I’m not “singing” on any of the tracks. When I first joined, I only wanted to play synths. After Dave started to compose heavily, I realized that I wanted to lend my vocals more and more for backup. For the most part, I envision Zomboy’s vocals when I am writing lyrics. “Solution” and “Within Silence,” however, really stuck out to me as tracks that I knew I wanted to sing.
You are a trained singer, now pursuing your degree as a performing arts major in Opera. Is it something you use besides XuberX or in the band as well, all skills and techniques you learn?
Well, I have now obtained both my Bachelor and Masters degrees in Vocal Performance. I have quite a lot of theory and vocal technique under my belt now. The operatic training I have received – and still continue to receive – really helps in protecting my voice from fatigue and misuse. With that said, however, I definitely do not want to sing operatically in the band. I am always thinking of how to mix it up. For some of the songs – like “Within Silence” – I wanted to show a more powerful side of my voice. For tracks like “Blackened” and “Forgive, Forget,” a lighter, airier tone seemed appropriate.
In what way does singing opera and industrial music differ?
I think especially singing in live shows differs because there is a lot more noise on stage with an industrial act, often you can hardly hear yourself sing and so on. Also the combination of keyboards and vocals can be hard I guess.
I don’t have a hard time singing and playing at the same time, but again, that comes from practice and experience. I’ve also done back up vocals live for Dan Clark’s band, The Dark Clan. Once again, it’s all about having a solid technique to prevent fatigue. The more endurance I feel, the better. It is definitely easier for me to sing in a band, because I don’t have to project as much when I am singing into a microphone – I’m not expected to sing loudly without amplification, which is expected almost all the time in opera. The one problem I do come across from time to time is not having my vocals in monitors where I can hear them. In that situation, I just try to stay as close in key with the backing tracks as possible; more often than not my muscle memory will kick in.
What are your goals in life?
I would love to continue singing in bands and to continue writing lyrics for XuberX. I am also pursuing a serious operatic stage career. I love making music and have made it a large part of my life.
Besides singing yourself you are also training other singers, why did you that, what is the fun of training other people?
Currently, I am only teaching rock vocals, but I am comfortable training high school age singers as well. I have a strong desire to share knowledge that I feel will be helpful to young singers. It can sometimes be very frustrating when someone is in the early stages of building a technique. The more tools you have in your arsenal, the easier it gets to consistently perform, and the more rewarding each performance becomes.
Most teachers try to give their students some wise advice, what advice do you always give?
Listen to your singing mechanism as well as your body. It will let you know what its limits are. Always sing with comfort, and always be proud of the music that comes from you.
How do you prepare for a concert?
Basically, I just try to get enough rest the night before. If I know I will not be getting enough sleep (especially if we are touring), I make sure to eat light and healthy. That usually will keep my body feeling alert and ready to perform. I rarely drink before the show; I normally save that for after I’ve sung.
Before XuberX you were a dj (you still are), why start a band as well, was there something you were in music when you were dj’ing?
I still love dj’ing, but I have always seen myself as a musician. I feel that clubs are very important for spreading great dance music and newer music among people. DJs have a responsibility to keep up with new music that they feel the crowds may enjoy. I love when clubs have band nights. I think it adds to the excitement that is already there for the club night.
With XuberX you just released your debut full length album, intelligent demise, how are the responses on it so far? What are you most proud of?
I am very proud of the entire cd. It was a completely collaborative effort between the three of us. Lyrically, I tried to create lyrics that told an underlying story from beginning to end. It was wonderfully produced and mastered by Dan Clark, whom we are very grateful to. It really rocks, and we have been getting some very positive responses so far. We still have more ears to reach though. You can also expect a complete remix album of “Intelligent Demise” in late January/early February of next year!
You write the lyrics for a big part, what inspires you, what do they deal with?
I wrote a large portion of the lyrics for “Intelligent Demise,” and I was present whenever Zomboy was writing lyrics as well, so all the lyrics for this album have a very nice flow from song to song. As I said earlier, I tried to create a story from beginning to end. This album deals with the idea of creating one’s own destiny through any means possible, and that theme continues from song to song.
What makes a track a great clubtrack in your mind?
I like my club music dance-y. Doesn’t matter if it’s pop or something darker. Bonus points if the lyrics really speak to me.
What is your current top 5 to spin?
Cylab – Heart Shaped Box (I tend to play this A LOT)
System Syn – Like Every Insect
Nurzery Rhymes – Circle of Pain
Reaper – She Is a Devil and a Whore
Ego Likeness – The Lowest Place On Earth
Everybody has an addiction, what is yours?
Knitting. I’m currently working on my first sweater. I’ve made hats, purses, scarves, wraps, gloves…even some XuberX wristbands.
Any last words for the readers?
Keep supporting the club and music scenes, and do what you love!
www.myspace.com/xuberxnoise
www.xuberx.com