MIRP: I am here with the beautiful Emily Lazar of September Mourning. Welcome to Portland, Oregon. How are you enjoying our city?
Emily: It’s gorgeous!
MIRP: You were here recently. Are there things in Portland that you like to do?
Emily: We don’t get much of a chance to do things on tour because our production demands a lot in terms of time, but I always make a trip to Voodoo Donuts!
MIRP: You are touring on Volume II via Sumerian Records and The Murder Reapers and The Hand of Fate Comic series. How has reception been for the album? How has it been for the comics?
Emily: Amazing on both ends! The comic book is being handled by top cow/image comics and will be officially in stores in June! The album has had a very positive following and we are excited to bring the story alive through both platforms of media.
MIRP: September Mourning is a transmedia band. For those who haven’t seen September Mourning before, please describe what this means.
Emily: the whole project is wrapped around the story of September Mourning who is a reaper/human hybrid who swaps souls of the living and the dead, giving souls a second chance at live.
MIRP: Tell me who your vocal inspirations are.
Emily: I love Annie Lennox. My mom was a big fan. Same with Siouxsie Sioux. Both women have incredible voices that are unique and don’t sound like anyone else.
MIRP: Who do you listen to in your off hours?
Emily: Bring me the Horizon, Asking Alexandria, PVRIS, Beyonce, and Hopsin. I tend to listen to all types of music.
MIRP: When this tour ends with Dope and Combichrist, you will begin work on Volume III, which you hope to have out in the middle of the year. Have you already created the storyline in your head? Can you share anything with us?
Emily: I have. I will continue the storyline…. No spoilers!!
MIRP: Your music is the soundtrack to the story. How important is it that fans also check out the comics? Can the music stand alone? What about the comics?
Emily: Yes, both can but it’s more impactful together.
MIRP: You surround yourself with great musicians. How did the current lineup come to be?
Emily: I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time and meet good people. The other Reapers are great people as well as talented musicians.
MIRP: What advice would you give to September in life?
Emily: I don’t know if there is any advice I could give her since when she absorbs souls she learns everything they’ve ever learned in life.
MIRP: What advice do you think September would give you?
Emily: There are Septemberisms that we post on occasion with photographs of her and in them are phrases of advice that she gives about life and love and all the things she’s learned. A lot of it comes from my personal experience and some are reminders to myself.
MIRP: How much of you is Emily vs. September?
Emily: We are very much the same person. She just has certain qualities magnified to the extreme, but a lot of her beliefs resonate from within me.
MIRP: Here is a three-part question: Which takes more of your time, writing music or co-writing the comics? Is one more profitable than the other? Is one more satisfying than the other?
Emily: They both take the same amount of time. Time will tell on the profit margin, and both are equally satisfying because they allow me to express myself in different ways.
MIRP: Your fans, as you call them “Children of Fate” – do you find that they are more male or female?
Emily: They are a nice split down the middle.
MIRP: Your costumes are complex and beautiful. You work with a costume designer in a very hand on way. What do your costumes portray for September? Is it her beauty? Strength? Goodness?
Emily: All of those things. She’s a Valkyrie, she fights for humanity, there is beauty and strength there.
MIRP: Your ideas for September Morning came to fruition when you contacted Marc Silvestri of Image and Top Cow Comics. I want to ask you about how your felt personally before you made that introduction on Myspace. Were you nervous? Were you confident?
Emily: I was confident and excited. I had a good creative idea and I knew he was the man to bring it all together.
MIRP: I think September Mourning is a great vehicle to empower girls, and humans in general to go for what they want. How important is it that that message gets communicated?
Emily: Very Important. Art in my opinion, when done correctly pushes humanity to think, elevate the collective. That is our goal.
MIRP: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Enjoy the rest of the tour.
Emily: Thank you.
