Who is Sandrine?
I am French, passionate, I'm not afraid to speak my mind and love to experience for things.
You moved from France to the UK. to become a designer but became singer, both are creative and creating jobs, what does creativity and being able to create things mean to you?
Being creative means a lot to me.
I've always wanted to be a fashion designer since I had my first Barbie doll, I was making her some wicked outfits and that gave me the envy to become a fashion designer.
Creating is therapeutic and rewarding, it makes you feel good about yourself and it inspires you to do more.
What did you have to do to become a singer, did you take singing lessons and so on?
I've always loved to sing along to my mother's records, it was when I heard that classic Disco track 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor that I knew I had to carry on singing.
I never took singing lessons, I wished I had. I learnt the techniques by watching others, I was copying their months movements.
I used to sing along anything I would hear, even Opera! I love Opera, at some point I was so obsess by it that I wanted to become a Soprano, but my parents were not too keen on the idea and put me to boarding school to learn fashion. They though that being an artist is not a proper job.
So my passion for singing grew more and more each year and soon took over my passion for fashion.
Once I knew which singers I could easily sing along to, I carried practising my vocals ranges to their songs until I got my own band together.
Seize released in 2003, the other side of your mind” album on Alfa Matrix, did many shows but after that it became silent until the release of “Constant Fight” in 2009. Why did it take this long to come up with a new album?
We lost 8 of our songs against a computer virus. We then lost faith in the band's future, we also had some personal problems. We toured with Steve Strange the whole 2005. We did lots of European gigs so all these led us to frustration, and delaying the recording of the new album.
Working on a new album for so long, were there any moments you felt like quitting or being frustrated?
Of course! Some songs are so old that I'm sick of hearing them! I never thought about quitting SEIZE, but putting it on hold for my side projects yes.
How do you deal with those feelings?
Any frustrations we had, became my source of inspiration for the next songs.
When you started with the writing process of “Constant Fight” did you have a certain sound in mind of how it should be like and does the actual album come near the original thoughts?
Yes, Steven and I wanted to target the UK market, because we live here and wanted to attract more crownd. We wanted to be more musical and less electronica / euro/Pop, an album with real bass sounds and electric guitars riffs. Our influenced had changed, we became more focus on our sounds and the direction we wanted to take.
Who are the current members of Seize?
Michel our drummer, is from Belgium, he joined the band last year. He replaced Sean. He brings the balls in SEIZE music and also looks after booking the rehearsal rooms.
Paul is based in London, he is English, a Northerner like Steven! ;o) He joined the band a couple of month ago.
He replaced Ellie who was our temporary guitarist.
Paul's been working in the music industry for more than 10 years, for several major labels, so he know his shit.
He is a talented guitarist, he can also sing and play keyboards. He is looking after SEIZE management and promo side of things.
Where did you find the new members?
Michel replied to an add we posted.
I met Paul 14 years ago, he came up to see my first band performing live in Camden, we were called Picture Center.
He wanted to join SEIZE because we are different from his previous ones, so my friend Miles who used to play guitar in PC gave him a copy of our album and he contacted us, I met Paul, and liked him straight away and without an audition! I love his spirit!
When you compare “Constant Fight” to “The other side of your mind” what development do you hear yourself in it?
I feel that I can sing better, I now can vary my vocal ranges much better. Also musically, we are more mature. CF sounds like an album, not a collection of songs. We are proud of what we have achieved.
How are the comments on it so far?
AM only promoted the album in the Goth scene, so we got negative feedbacks, which is totally understanding!
We dont belong there! We are a Electronica/Breakbeat act.
But somehow, Seba and his team keeps promoting us in the wrong places, although I have given them the right tools.
Anyway, they wont get SEIZE 4th album! ;o)
Wait until the album gets promoted in the underground Dance scene. We should get the critics we deserve!
You already played some liveshows since the release of “Constant Fight” how did the shows go and did the audience react well to the newer songs?
Great reaction! We are now very selective who is promoting our gigs, we are making sure that the crowd is at least into our music!
You recently changed your stagename to iSandi, why did you do this and does it have a special meaning?
I chose iSandi cos I'm a Apple user, iPhone, iMac, ipod etc...
I needed a stage name for my side projects in which I collaborate with international producers and artists, a stage name which represents me, my friends told me that one of my best features is my eyes, my ex colleagues call me Sandi, I also wanted something that can be catchy and easy to market, so I thought of iSandi [eye-sandi] I'm currently doing a photo-shoot to illustrate my music project so it will all make sense soon.
The album also has a iSandi remix of the track “tomorrow never comes” why did you remix this track yourself?
'If Tomorrow Never Comes' is one of my favourite tracks of the album.
I'm currently studying how to become a music producer, I started last October, so as a part of the homework I had to do, I started to remix my own tracks since we needed some, for the remix album, this one was done on time but 'Fight For Your Constant Sun' never made it, although it's now finished.
I also wanted to show my band mates my iSandi style and that I can remix on my own! :o)
The album has several tracks that could reach a wider audience, what do you prefer, a smaller but solid fanbase or having one huge hitsingle?
After 12 years in the music, I'd love to have a hit single, that it is with SEIZE or with one of my side projects, I dont care. I quit my day job to look after my music career.
I write songs for myself 1st. songs that I am proud of singing. if people like them it's great, if they dont I dont care, SEIZE is an underground experimental band, not in the industrial speaking way, but in the true sense of the word experimenting with sounds and ideas. We never had a huge fanbase, we do have a handful of people who has been following us for years and we are grateful they exists, but we want the best for SEIZE. I'm sure if they bought CF and they still like us, they will be happy to hear that our album is in the top charts!
If we get approach by a major label and they can guarantee us without compromising too much of SEIZE sound, we would be stupid to refuse it!
I'm not scared of making lots of money out of my music, in the contrary, this is great! They are lots of underground artists who became huge here and they are still true to themselves! Like The Prodigy, Pendulum, Chemical Brothers, Gossip, CSS, MGNT, Editors, Bloc Party etc... The rule is to be true to yourself, if the fans are choosing you as the next best thing, what a great news!
What are your lyrics about and how are they created?
My lyrics are all about love. Any experience or story I had and heard, I will make a note of it and later use them for my lyrics.
I have a lyrics book in my studio, it contains ideas that I've been collecting for the past years, I must have hundreds of them. Once I have a music in needs, I go through them and see which ones fit better. Sometimes, it's real, sometimes it's fiction. Once I've incorporated them in my music, I will live them when I sing the song.
Besides Seize there’s also the side project O.V.N.I., what is the current status of that band?
On hold for now, I told Steven that I dont have time to co-write with him for OVNI, so he's currently working on the 2nd album besides SEIZE.
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Seize also is the live band of Visage, what is it like to work with an icon like Steve Strange and what are wise lessons he has taught you?
Working with Steve Strange can be sometimes frustrating, but it's full of experience and fun. I'm always working with him. We do lots of shows together.
Everybody has an addiction, what is yours?
Food, fashion and iTunes
You like to cook, what do you prefer to cook, how would your favorite meal look like?
I love cooking traditional French and Italian dishes for my boyfriend. But he's a better cook than me!
My favourite dish would be a mixture of French and Italian ingredients. Lots of flavours, I love inventing new recipes.
What will be next for Seize?
Lots of gigs, new band pictures, new album and stay focus.
Any last words for the readers?
Thanks for reading the interview, hope you will like the new album, if you do, spread the good word and come to see our shows! ;o) Thanks for your support!
www.myspace.com/seize