Evanescence are a Grammy Award winning alternative rock band from Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Early in their career, the rock band garnered local fame in Little Rock before releasing their debut album Fallen, an album which went on to sell over 14 million copies worldwide.
Evanescence was founded by singer, pianist and songwriter Amy Lee and former lead guitarist and songwriter Ben Moody. The two met at a youth camp in Arkansas, where Moody heard Lee playing "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meat Loaf on the piano.
The pair discovered they liked music and they began to write songs together (the first was "Solitude" by Amy Lee, followed by "Understanding" by Ben Moody, "Give Unto Me" by Amy Lee, and "My Immortal" by Ben Moody). The songs were altered lyrically and musically by them, which allowed both individuals to receive equal credit for their composition.
For some time the two were unable to recruit additional musicians and did not have sufficient funds for professional assistance. Thus, they were unable to play live shows. However, two songs, "Understanding" and "Give Unto Me", found their way onto local music charts, and demand for a live show increased. When the band finally made an appearance, they became one of the most popular acts in the area. They went through several names, including Childish Intentions and Stricken, before deciding on the name Evanescence (from the word "evanescent", meaning the act of vanishing, synonymous to disappearing). Lee said she loves the name because it puts a picture in your mind, one that relates to the band's sound, which is what she wanted to do.
Their first full length demo CD, Origin (released in 2000), is relatively unknown. The band also released two EPs. First, the self-titled Evanescence EP (1998) of which about 100 copies were made, and second the Sound Asleep EP, also known as the Whisper EP (1999), limited to 50 copies.
Origin and the EPs contain demo versions of some of the songs on their debut album Fallen. In fact, the recording of "My Immortal" found on Fallen can also be found on Origin, minus a handful of additional string accompaniments. Only 2500 copies of this record were ever made, limiting its availability to the handful lucky enough to obtain one in the early years, or to those who are willing to pay the hundreds of dollars the discs now fetch. In response, Lee and Moody encouraged fans to download the band's older songs from the Internet during an interview.
Originally considered by many to be part of the Christian rock scene—and for a short time promoted in Christian stores—eventually the band made it clear that they did not want to be considered a Christian rock band. Shortly thereafter, Christian stores removed Evanescence from their shelves. Some have criticized the group for making previous statements and actions to the contrary regarding the infusion of Christianity into their music. For instance, in a September 2000 interview with Stranger Things Magazine, Ben Moody said, "The message we as a band want to convey more than anything is simple—God is Love," and also, "We hope to express in our music that Christianity is not a rigid list of rules to follow only out of fear of an unseen deity who will strike you down at any given moment if you fail."
Lee has been quoted as saying that they are not a Christian band and would appreciate it if the rumor was terminated. David Hodges (ex-vocalist & keyboards) left the band over the Christianity topic. Members later stated that he had been pulling the band in more of a Christian direction than Lee and Moody were comfortable with. Ben Moody stated, "Amy and I are Christians, but we are not a Christian band. We write about a number of things, just things we experience in life. Because our spirituality is a big part of our lives, it comes through in our music. But our lives are our ministry. Our music is just a way for us to convey the message to those who listen that they are not alone."
Their first major album, Fallen, has been certified 6x Platinum, spent 43 weeks in the Billboard Top 10 and has sold over 14 million copies worldwide. As of April 2005 Fallen is one of only eight albums in the history of the chart to spend a full year (52 weeks) in the Billboard Top 50.
Evanescence's major label debut single "Bring Me to Life", which features guest vocals from Paul McCoy of 12 Stones, was a global hit for the band and reached #5 on the American Billboard Hot 100. It also provided Evanescence with their first (and so far only) UK #1, where it stayed for four weeks from June-July 2003. The equally popular "My Immortal" peaked at #7 in the U.S. and U.K. charts. "Bring Me to Life" garnered recognition for the band at the Grammy Awards of 2004, where the band was given the Best Hard Rock Performance award. At the same time, Evanescence was awarded Best New Artist.
On October 22, 2003, Moody left the band abruptly in the middle of a European tour. The reasons for his departure were reportedly "creative differences." In an interview several months later, Amy Lee said: "We'd gotten to a point that if something didn't change, we wouldn't have been able to make a second record."
Since then, Lee has said it was almost a relief that he left because of tensions created within the band. Terry Balsamo from Cold joined the band, replacing Moody. Recently, Moody confessed in an interview that not only does he suffer from bipolar disorder, but that he's kicked a drug and alcohol habit that he was entrenched in during the strife within Evanescence.
Evanescence's second album, titled The Open Door, released in Australia on September 30, 2006 features 13 tracks.
The album progressed slowly for a number of reasons, but perhaps chiefly because of Amy Lee's desire to allow the creative process to fully take its course and not rush production. Besides that, other distractions have included other band members' side projects, health problems concerning guitarist Terry Balsamo (who had a stroke) and the controversy revolving around the dismissal of their former manager. Lee stated on Evboard that Evanescence's new album would be wrapping up in March 2006. But the release was pushed to October 3rd, allegedly because "Wind-up Records [the band's current record label] wanted to make a few changes to the upcoming single "Call Me When You're Sober", which hit modern rock and alternative rock radio on 7 August. The music video for "Call Me When You're Sober" was shot in Los Angeles, and is based on the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood.