Mother

Mother

The intertwining concepts of motherhood and Mother Earth are just two of the reasons LA alt-metal stars In This Moment decided to title their seventh album Mother. “My own mother is so sacred to me, and mothers in general are powerful things,” vocalist Maria Brink tells Apple Music. “And my fans started calling me Mother Maria, so in a way they kind of named it, too.” In addition to the album’s nine original songs and two interludes, Mother includes an almost accidental cover of the Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like an Eagle,” a haunting version of Mazzy Star’s “Into Dust,” and a rousing rendition of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” the latter of which features guest shots from Lzzy Hale of Halestorm and Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless. Brink explains all below. The Beginning (Interlude) “I love movies and soundtracks, so we just wanted to create that kind of feeling for the intro. I think there’s something special about the art of listening to something from the beginning to the end, and I think the interludes take you on a journey in and out of the songs.” Fly Like an Eagle “I love this song—obviously, it’s such an amazing song—but it wasn’t even meant to be covered. We actually wrote all the music that you’re hearing to that song without singing on it at all. So it was completely separate. We were trying some things, but it wasn’t quite there yet. And I don’t know if we heard the song that day or how it came up, but we just heard the melody and started singing over it. It was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ So we mixed our music with their [vocal] melody and it was so beautiful. It just felt very empowering and uplifting.” The Red Crusade (Interlude) “This basically has the same idea behind it as the other interlude. It helps you get into the zone and go on the experience. But it’s really just the intro to the next song.” The In-Between “I’m always about balance, and that’s what ‘The In-Between’ is about. We all have to find a healthy balance and learn how to understand that the things that are maybe part of your darker side—or darker things we’ve been through or are drawn to—they’re blessings and they make you stronger. It’s okay to embrace those things.” Legacy “My grandfather was a World War II hero, and he played the role of my father in my life because my mother was a single mother. And then my son didn't have a father either, so he really played the role to my son as well. He passed with his entire family around him—all of us holding his hand and singing to him. It was so sacred and so special. And right around the same time, Chris [Howorth], our guitar player—his father passed away. And then our other guitar player’s father passed. So there was this feeling that we needed to honor them. The album is called Mother, but I thought we should reflect on that beautiful father love as well.” We Will Rock You (feat. Lzzy Hale and Taylor Momsen) “It's one of the best songs ever. It's the all-empowering anthem. And I wanted to really see if we could pull together these powerful voices and these beautiful women that represent our community. They're so different and unique in their own ways, but they all have this power, and I thought it would be really cool for us to all just come together and spread that kind of energy. It was a real big honor to work with both of them. I have a lot of respect for them and they’re both so very, very talented.” Mother “I’m not someone who always writes super literally, but this song is about my mother. My grandfather, who I just talked about, was my mother’s world. She took care of him. She was holding his hand as he passed. So this song is me letting her know that I’ll be there for her and always take care of her. And actually, I have two mothers—I’m double gifted. My mother has been with her wife for a really long time, and she’s been a big part of raising me. They’re beautiful singers, so they’re both singing on this song with me, doing the backup vocals and harmonies.” As Above, So Below “This is another song about balance. This album has a lot of that kind of back-and-forth play and embracing the organic wild side. The song is also about not selling your soul for something you don’t believe in. Whatever you’re passionate about, it can’t be about money or fame or whatever. People should hold on to their souls.” Born in Flames “This song is for my son. He was struggling with just being. I saw him growing into something and kind of having to go through a little bit of a hard time. And then I saw him power through and become who he is, which is just so beautiful and bright and strong. So it’s about how I watched him go through a kind of struggle and heartache before blossoming and becoming who he is. And I’m just so proud of him.” God Is She “This song is about how I think everything is connected in this beautiful feminine energy, which is mother and god and deity. To me, God isn’t just a he or she—it’s an energy. But I see it in this song in a very feminine way. It’s also tied to Mother Earth and my hippie ways. We’ve got to take care of the Earth or she will attack back.” Holy Man “I wrote this song when I was going through a hard time and I was just needing to feel some sort of sacred something. I was needing a sign. It was just a vulnerable moment for me, and I was saying, ‘Show me a sign of kindness and love and understanding.’ It’s ‘Holy Man’ because the album is not just about women—I believe in holiness and godliness within everything—men, women, animals—equally.” Hunting Grounds (feat. Joe Cotela of DED) “This is about when you’re magnetically drawn to something—no matter how hard you fight it, it’s going to happen regardless. So it’s kind of this fight and this hunting and this awakening, but something inevitable is going to happen. I wanted Joe on this because I love his voice so much. He has a new album coming out that shows this whole other side of his voice that people haven’t really heard tons of yet, and I wanted him to use that type of voice on this song. It sounds perfect, and it was an honor to have him on here.” Lay Me Down “This song is about how you just can’t let other people’s perceptions or energy put your fire out or stop you. I had an experience where somebody tried to hurt me really badly, and that tended to hold me down. But you have to learn that your power comes from within yourself. You have to just worry about yourself and not other people’s ideas about you or who they think you are. So this is about not giving them that power and not being held back.” Into Dust “I love Mazzy Star, and this particular song has been my song for so many years. If I’m sad or I have to go into my deeper self or when I paint, I put on this song. I paint to that song on repeat sometimes for a few hours. I zone out on that song. There’s something about it. So I figured I’d just do my interpretation of it because it’s meant so much to me for so long. And it felt like a nice way to end the album.”

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