You’ve been releasing music on your Patreon for the past couple of years. Was it always the plan after leaving Delain to continue as a solo artist?
“When I started releasing music on Patreon, there was no talk of the band breaking up yet [in 2021, Delain’s lineup dissolved, leaving only keyboardist Martijn Westerholt]. I had these songs that were so different from Delain, and I wanted to have a place for them. If I hadn’t already had that platform when the band broke up, I wouldn’t have gotten it together that fast. I probably would have gone into a black hole because it wasn’t the greatest time. I was glad I could just say, ‘OK, this will become my full focus.’ It was really a safety net.”
You recently announced your band for your first live show as a solo artist. How’s that going?