| This interview is from this months Metal Hammer mag entitled, "My Life Story".
When And Where Were You Born?
"I was born Sharon Janny den Adel in Waddinxveen, South Holland on July 12, 1974. I have one brother, who's six years older than me. My parents obviously had him, and couldn't get it right a second time for ages after - ha ha!"
Do you come from a particularly musical family?
"Well, not in the sense that my parents were musically very talented. But they did love music, and played it all the time. If you'd been in my house, then what you'd have heard were artists like ELO, Chris Rea, Santana, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd...It meant that I got a very different musical education to other kids my age."
Did that mean making friends was difficult for you?
"Partly it was, yes. But there was another problem. Mostly it was because I lived outside of Holland until I was 10 years old. My father worked in the telecommunications industry, and we were always on the move. I lived in countries like Yemen and Indonesia, so I could never settle. I would start at a school, and before I could get to know the other kids my age, we would move on. So, by the time I came back to Holland, I did find it tough to make friends. It didn't help that I was so into what would now be called 'classic rock', when house music was all the rage. But I coped."
Tell us about your first music-related memory
"Cassettes, which don't really exist any more. As I said, my brother was six years older than me, and when he was 10 years old my parents decided that he could have pocket money. Now, I was four at the time, and wasn't happy about this. I kicked up such a fuss that eventually they agreed to give me some money every week as well. However, they put one condition on my money: I could only spend it on music. My brother could spend it on what he liked, but not me. Which I suppose was only fair, given how young I was. So, every week, my family woud go down to the local record shop, and I'd buy cassettes of anything I was recommended, so I'd get Jeff Wayne's 'War Of The Worlds', records from the Moody Blues and Boney M...I guess you could say that I had a pretty wide musical education."
How about female vocalists? Did any make an impact when you were young?
"I loved the soundtrack for Grease, with Olivia Newton John. She was a first inspiration for me. I'd sing her parts from the film over and over again. For years I loved her - and still do. I was also a huge fan of a 1980's British band called T'Pau. Their singer was called Carol Decker, and I loved her voice. In fact, it's indirectly because of her that I made my first public appearance as a singer."
What happened?
"It was at a karaoke session. I just got up and did T'Pau's biggest hit, 'China In Your Hand'. I really loved doing it, and was only 13 at the time, I think. You see, I just loved singing. I never really had lessons - it was something that came naturally to me. I really wanted to sing all the time, but I had problems getting into a band where I would be allowed to sing. You may not realise it now, but this was a real challenge for me."
What was your first experience in a band?
"It came when I was 14 - I did a lot of things very young, as you can see. The band were called Kashiro, and I was with them for about five years. It all came from a music workshop that I attended. The others there were all about five years older than me. And, for some reason I can't explain, at first I didn't want to tell anyone that I could sing, or that I wanted to sing. So instead, I opted to play keyboards in the band, and I was actually truly terrible. I had no idea what I was doing. In fact, it got so bad that, at one point, I was reduced to putting little notes on the keys as to which ones should be pressed, and in which order. I have no clue how I managed to stay in the band!"
So how did you become a singer?
"We were doing a lot of blues-rock, the likes of Van Halen and Stevie Ray Vaughan, whose music I didn't know. Well, I knew Van Halen's songs, but not Stevie Ray Vaughan's. It was a real eye-opener because I was being stretched and learning again about exciting music. We had a whole band together, but not a vocalist. Nobody else wanted to do it. So, eventually, I offered to 'sacrifice' myself and sing. You can't believe how over-joyed I was about being able to pick up the microphone! That's all I wanted to do. Right then, I'd begun to listen to what the late, great Janis Joplin was doing. I could never sound like her, though. My voice was lighter, and more like that of Tori Amos."
Had you discovered heavier music by that time?
"By the start of the 1990's, I'd been introduced to the music of Metallica, Death and Cathedral - and I loved that, as well as the music I'd grown up with. I was really fond of Metallica. It was around the time of 'The Black Album', and they were very melodic, whereas the others were gruffer and heavier. But I was starting to get very interested in that sort of music."
Is this when you met Robert Westerholt, your long-time musical and personal partner?
Not long before. Robert and I met at college; at first it was a personal thing. We began to go out together. He always said that he loved my voice, but...well, you know. I didn't entirely believe him. At the time he was in a band called The Circle with some friends. They were doing pretty much what we've gone on to do in Within Temptation, but he fell out with them and they fired him, so he and I started our own band in 1996."
Obviously you've achieved a lot since then. What has been your greatest triumph to date?
"I was gonna come up with something bland, like, 'There's always a new triumph around the corner, and I'd like to think that my finest moment is yet to come'. But...well, I have to mention our fourth ever gig in 1997. It was at the famous Dynamo Festival in Eindhoven, Holland. Now, at it's peak, this was the biggest metal festival in Europe, and there must have been about 10,000 fans out front when we played. It was a frightening experience. To be honest with you, I don't think we were that good on the day. But the performance went down well, and it gave us a boost. To know that we could go out and face all those people...well, it's great for your confidence."
How about your most embarassing moment?
"How long have you got? I don't want to pinpoint one particular moment, but I've had a few of them. Usually they revolve around one of two things: either my dress come loose onstage, or I have to dash off to the toilet. With the former, my dress has never slipped so far down that I'm in danger of exposing myself, but it does mean someone rushing on and fixing things while I carry on. As for the toilet break, I've ben caught a little short onstage, raced to relieve myself in the hope of timing it perfectly during an instrumental break, and got it horribly wrong. Those sort of things are accidents that stalk me, but I can live with them."
Are you fiercely nationalistic when on tour?
"You mean, in being openly proud of Holland? That's not the Dutch, actually. We aren't that sort of race. In fact, we're encouraged not to be. Do you know it's illegal to drape yourself or your home in the Dutch flag? Unless it's something like the Queen's birthday. We're very Calvinist like that. As a band, we always try to encourage young Dutch talent, and have had local bands open up for us. But we've also had a lot from other countries as well. It's talent that should matter, not nationality. Actually, I have to admit that there's only one occasion that can unite the whole country - and that's our football team! When they compete, we're all openly proud. I may not wear orange all the time, but during a tournament, I'm totally behind our soccer team. I am orange on the inside!"
Does your family support what you do for a living?
"Nowadays, yes, they do. But it did take them a while to get used to it, and there were definitely some difficulties along the way. Basically, they had different plans for me, and they weren't best pleased when I went in this particular direction. These days, though, they have accepted it, and I think they are proud of me and what Within Temptation have achieved. They come along to our gigs as well."
Do you shudder when people compare you to Tarja Turunen or Cristina Scabbia?
"Look, I'm used to it these days. Although it still smacks of laziness. What have Within Temptation, Nightwish and Lacuna Coil all got in common? Not a lot. Apart from having female vocalists. I'd say that if HIM and Linkin Park had girls singing, they'd be classed in with us as well. It's narrow-minded. I met Cristina not so long ago; she seems like a nice person. I don't think there's an air of competitiveness between any of us, just because we're female. The three of us are simply getting on with life, in our separate ways."
Do you think motherhood changed you as a person and as a musician?
"It's made me a little softer. The arrival of my daughter - Eva Luna - two years ago inevitably changed my priorities, but I don't think it's altered the music that we do."
So, do you have any plans to sire the new Von Trapp family (Of Sound Of Music Fame)?
"You mean, as in having lots of children who can sing? Ha ha ha! No, I am too old for that. Eva Luna was a planned arrival, and I am delighted to have her, but I can't see myself having loads of kids. How many would I like? I really don't know. But even four seems too many."
Do you have amibitions outside of Within Temptation?
"Not really, no. I do have an interest in fashion, and I used to work in the industry. Maybe one day, I would like to get a bit more involved there. But I do have an outlet for that side of my creativity even now, with the stage costumes the band wear, and also with the design of our merchandise. I'm happy with my life."
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