1. First off thank you for taking the time to speak to the metal times. please tell us your name and what you do for a living. Thank you so much for having me! My name is Sirene. I am a musician and vocalist for the metal band CRYOSPHERE.
2. So obviously this is an interview regarding tattoos, let's talk about your art and why it is important to you. My tattoos are important to me since they all have special meaning to me. They are both a result of several spiritual journeys I have gone through, in my life, and a form of self expression through art.
3. What made you want to get a tattoo? And how many people told you not to do it? And did it make you think twice? I have always been drawn towards tattoos. I like to express myself and my thoughts through art, my music and lyrics, and I just think that tattoos are another outlet for me. A way to say something without the use of direct words. Primarily the elder generation warned me against getting them, but that didn’t really matter much to me. I was mostly worried about limiting myself jobwise, but I disregarded it in the end, since I concluded that jobs with visible tattoo restrictions, probably weren’t the right path for me anyway. I haven't had any problems after getting them, but Denmark is a very forward-thinking country in that sense, so I might have had issues, had I been living somewhere else, I can’t say.
*This is like the 10th tattoo interview and nobody has told me there is no #4 question?
wow!
5. What was your first piece? how did you pick it out and was it done professionally(where) or underground? (where)
My first piece was actually the big phoenix on my back. I’ve never really had much money, so when I decided to finally get my first tattoo, I wanted to go all in. I am very picky with the artists since my motives are very personal and meaningful to me, so I checked out a few shops before deciding on the artist. I wanted the design of it to be feminine but strong at the same time. I’ve had many struggles in the past with femininity since I never really gravitated towards interests that you would consider feminine. Most things, you would call feminine, are really such a hassle. Clothes are unnecessary tight and uncomfortable and makeup is time consuming and takes lots of practice to master. So I was struggling to find the right balance with the design, but as soon as I saw the sketch Manu Londono Diaz had made for me I fell in love. The piece took me years to finish, because of my financial situation, but Manu was very patient with me. I really lucked out, finding him in a random tattoo shop in Copenhagen. He’s now in his own shop @DarkCrowTattoo (https://www.facebook.com/darkcrowtattoo).
6.were you scared about the pain or the consequences more?
My pain threshold is very low, so every tattoo is extremely painful to me, but they are also a part of the journey I’m on, so getting through the pain, I find, is a very spiritual thing. It’s closure in some way, and I find the physical pain so much easier to get through than the psychological. I don’t care about the consequences anymore. If my surroundings won’t accept me as I am, we’re probably not meant to be in each other's worlds anyway.
7. How has your art hurt or helped your career or has it hindered anything that made you wish you didn’t have it?
I’ve been rejected a lot for modeling and acting because of my appearance, but I get it. Businesses for the masses are usually skin deep, so it makes sense for them not to use someone who looks like me. On the other hand, being in metal music, it’s kind of expected to look a certain way, and if you don’t, you just don’t get as much exposure. It’s certainly easier to gain exposure if you are a singer, and you look a certain way. Since I am not covered in tattoos, I’m kind of the oddball in the middle of both camps right now. I’m not the type to conform, but being honest, at some point I predict I will end up in the “stereotypical” metal singer camp, only because I love tattoos so much.
8. Are you about a story with your pieces or are you just into cool art? In other words, does your skin tell a story They all have personal meaning to me, which is also why they are so different from each other in styles. They are reminders of things I have gone through or things that I don’t want to forget. Especially the Filipino tribal tattoo that I have on my left arm, is something I look forward to continuing. Filipino tattoos are something that has almost disappeared over the years, due to the history of the country, but luckily a few artists have kept the tradition alive and nowadays there are more and more artists, who are trying to recover some of these old traditions. It’s really rather interesting to see all the small differences in the symbols that were used locally in each area of the Philippines. The thing, though, about true tribal tattoos is that they’re given to the bearer in a ritual, depending on their specific ancestry and their personality, so the way that mine is formed, is unique for me and my story. I find that so much more gratifying than getting something that hangs on the wall of some shop already, but it also means that it’s not for everybody. It is also the first hand tapped tattoo I’ve gotten. The whole experience was really special. The artist name is Lane Wilcken(https://www.lanewilcken.com/)
9. Is any of it about extremity pain/pleasure or is it more expression?
I don’t like the pain, but I do think that they mean more to me because of the pain that I have had to endure to get them. They are solely for myself and my self perception and self expression.
10. Is there an and game? When do you think you will be finished?
I do not think I will finish. I have many pieces, I have wanted for years, and when I have those, I will be a different place in my life and want something else done. As I evolve, my appearance evolves with me.
11. What is your number one favorite tattoo and why?
This is actually a very difficult question since they all have such deep meaning to me. But I‘d have to say the one on my left hand probably. It’s a design I made with the date of my wedding which forms a crucifix. I often take off my jewelry, and I wanted a symbol to still be visible even when I’m not wearing my rings.
12. How do you feel about getting a partner’s name or initials? Is the curse real?
I’m not really into getting names on my skin, but I like the idea of initials if they’re incorporated into something else. I like using symbols to represent the things I love. I don’t think there’s a curse built around it, but you know, love isn’t easy. Love through everything is a choice that you continue to make each day. Some days are easy and some days are hard as hell. And most people just want to be happy, I get it. Happiness, even for a moment, is worth the risk. No one says that it has to be forever, but if you feel like it’s forever, I don’t see a problem in acting like it is, as long as you are happy.
13. Do you have and if so are you willing to admit you have a barbed wire band tat?
I don’t have one, but I see the allure of it. I feel like it’s a very old school tattoo though. I don’t really see them around anymore.
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