Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Chilean death metal band Decessus‘ vocalist Ignacia Fernández appeared on Chaoszine’s My Story As Metal Frontwoman video series during Nummirock on June 19th. During the interview, Fernández reflected on her journey to becoming a metal vocalist, her first experiments with harsh vocals, and how seeing Angela Gossow perform with Arch Enemy completely changed her perception of what a female singer could achieve in metal.
Fernández says her interest in music began at a very young age. Growing up, she was exposed to a wide variety of music at home, but over time she found herself searching for increasingly heavier bands.
“I first discovered Guns N’ Roses and later System Of A Down. After that, I just wanted to hear heavier and heavier music.”
Her first introduction to death metal vocals came through Epica, but the defining moment arrived when she watched Arch Enemy perform in Japan.
“It was the first time I’d ever seen a woman singing death metal. I remember thinking immediately: that’s exactly what I want to do.”
Learning harsh vocals, however, didn’t happen overnight. Fernández explains that she taught herself largely through online resources and countless hours of practice.
“I tried pretty much everything. I searched for information, watched videos and practiced almost every day. If my voice started to hurt, I stopped and continued the next day. It was a long process.”
Today, Decessus have already toured across Europe, but Fernández admits her first live performances were anything but easy.
“At my very first show, I was so nervous that I seriously considered going home just before we were supposed to play. I went to a nearby park with a bottle of water and started thinking, ‘What if I just don’t go on stage?'”
In the end, a friend arriving at the venue gave her the confidence she needed.
“I remember shaking so much that I held the microphone with both hands so nobody would notice.”
Although Fernández now feels much more confident on stage, she still follows a strict pre-show routine. Before every concert, she spends around 20 minutes warming up her voice, makes sure she’s properly hydrated and also pays close attention to her diet.
One of the biggest milestones in her career was opening for Epica as well as Decessus’ first European tour, which the band organized almost entirely by themselves.
“I handled pretty much everything myself: booking the shows, flights, accommodation, schedules, rental cars… When I got back home, that was the first time I thought, ‘We actually did this.'”
She also looks back especially fondly on the band’s visit to Finland.
“We sold out all of our merchandise on the very first day. I even had to give away my own shirt because there weren’t any left. Finnish fans gave us such a warm welcome.”
At the end of the interview, Fernández offers a piece of advice to aspiring metal vocalists.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. This style of singing takes time to learn, and there’s no point trying to rush it. Take care of your voice, enjoy the learning process and give yourself time to grow.”
You can watch Ignacia Fernández’s full video interview below.
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