Tarja couldn’t be happier with solo career

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Exclusive: Former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen says her solo career gives her the freedom to choose her own path

Tarja Turunen
Tarja Turunen (Image credit: Tim Tronckoe)

Former Nightwish singer Tarja Turunen says she couldn’t be happier with the way her solo career has turned out.

She was sacked from the symphonic metal outfit in 2005 and has gone on to release six albums – with her most recent work The Shadow Self set to launch on August 4.

And despite the shock of her exit from Nightwish a decade ago, Turunen says everything has worked out for the best.

She tells Metal Hammer: “Everything is different nowadays. I have a career, I have my audience, and a life as an artist. I can also be free. It’s unbelievable to be able to choose things, or choose how to do things, and with whom to work. That freedom is something I would never give away.”

She admits she’s not in contact with any of her former Nightwish bandmates, but says her and the group’s current vocalist Floor Jansen are “long-term” friends. The pair performed a duet of Gary Moore classic Over The Hills And Far Away at Belgium’s Metal Female Voices Festival in 2013 – and they’ve been close ever since.

Turunen reflects: “I asked her to sing with me. I knew she was at the festival with her then-band ReVamp and we had a really great time.

“I’ve always kept in touch with Floor – in fact, we emailed each other just a few days ago.”

The full interview can be read in issue 285 of Metal Hammer magazine, which is out now and also available via TeamRock+.

Earlier this month, Tarja shared a track-by-track video series which breaks down her latest album, The Brightest Void – which was written as a prequel to The Shadow Self.

Tarja Turunen The Shadow Self tracklist

  1. Innocence
  2. Demons In You
  3. No Bitter End
  4. Love To Hate
  5. Supremacy
  6. The Living End
  7. Diva
  8. Eagle Eye
  9. Undertaker
  10. Calling From The Wild
  11. Too Many

Tarja tour dates 2016

Jul 16: Kostryn Nad Odra Woodstock Festival, Poland
Jul 25: Taipei Att Showbox, Taiwan
Jul 28: Shinjuku Reny, Japan
Jul 16: Przystanek Woodstock Festival, Poland
Jul 17: Zlin Masters Of Rock Cafe, Czech Republic
Jul 21: Nordholz Deichbrand, Germany
Aug 07: Saint Maurice De Gourdans Sylak Open Air, France
Oct 08: Hamburg Docks, Germany
Oct 10: Berlin Huxleys Neue Welt, Germany
Oct 11: Cologne Live Music Hall, Germany

10 years after Nightwish, Tarja Turunen is stronger than ever

Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.