There are those who say that the classics are not played. Singer Aline Happ, known for her work as the lead singer of the symphonic metal band Lyria, dares to bring a mystical reinterpretation of “Stairway to Heaven”, by Led Zeppelin. The most popular song by the British band, this new version gains synths, harp, celtic percussion and ethereal elements, in addition to female vocals. The initiative was the result of a request from a fan, during the crowdfunding campaign for the album “Branching Out”, the artist’s solo career debut, which will be released on May 31st.
“In crowdfunding there was a reward which was to choose a song for me to cover and he chose ‘Stairway To Heaven’. Because it’s a great classic and already has folk and rock elements, something I’ve done a lot in my versions, I kept the structure of the original song, but I gave my personal touch to the new version, with a softer and more delicate outfit to bring an atmosphere of magic and mystique. I invited Rod Wolf to play the guitar, Led Zeppelin is one of his favorite bands and making this homage to Led Zeppelin is something very touching!”, evaluates Aline Happ.
The song marked and continues to mark generations, with dozens of interpretations, always being referenced and revered for its complexity. With lyrics that can bring different meanings, Stairway to Heaven tells the story of a woman who seeks wealth and power, but ends up getting lost in her own ambition to buy a staircase to Paradise.
“It would be a criticism of the materialism and selfishness of society, which believes that it can buy happiness and salvation. The lyrics can also be a metaphor for the journey of meaning in life and connection with the divine. The woman in the song represents this quest, which involves different stages and challenges. She starts with a materialistic and limited view of reality, but little by little she opens up to other dimensions and possibilities, realizing that there are more things between heaven and earth than her vain philosophy dreams of.”, defines Aline.
Like the woman of music, it was by listening to her intuition that Aline Happ followed her heart and, even during the pandemic, she became aware of her role in the universe: making music. During this trajectory of self-discovery, Aline recognizes her roots, which is where her appreciation for music and her musical influences come from, such as Led Zeppelin.
“Through this release, I demonstrate my admiration and respect for Led Zeppelin, one of the most important and influential bands in rock and metal. It was quite challenging to do the instrumental, mixing and mastering of such a large and complex song, including that it was the last one to be recorded and finished for my album. I hope this version pleases and surprises my fans and supporters and Led Zeppelin fans alike”, ends Aline.
Aline Happ’s debut solo album, Branching Out, is a work that marks the artist’s independence. With Lyria, the artist was already the composer of all the songs and participated in the other stages of the album, in addition to having done the art for the most recent album “Immersion”; In her solo project, Aline is responsible for the production from start to finish: songwriting, recordings, arrangements, vocals, instrumentals, cover art, and is responsible for mixing and mastering. Lyria guitarist Rod Wolf brings his powerful guitar solos to this version of Stairway to Heaven. The clip was directed by Aline Happ in partnership with Patrick Happ, who acted as a cameraman.
Known worldwide for her work as leader, vocalist and composer of Lyria, Aline Happ is today one of the most famous voices in Brazilian metal. In her solo project, the artist promotes Folk/Celtic reinterpretations of rock, metal and world pop songs that are available on her YouTube channel. Thanks to the fans’ support, the singer raised more than 200% of the crowdfunding goal for her debut solo album, “Branching Out”, which will be released on May 31, 2023. Lyria was founded in 2012 and since then, the group has released two albums with crowdfunding support, Catharsis (2014) and Immersion (2018). The group has also played in several cities and has been a pioneer in Brazil in the transmission of online shows with worldwide ticket sales.