Alissa White Gluz on Forming Blue Medusa, Leaving Arch Enemy, and Being Vegan

Alissa White-Gluz on Her Career and Blue Medusa

After roughly 13 years with Arch Enemy, Alissa White-Gluz says she’s proud of her work with the band but wanted to reconnect with music rather than feel caught up in the “industry” business.

Her career has spanned more than two decades. She jokes that her catalog could fill a 15-hour playlist and includes more than 60 music videos. Asked about her early ambitions, she lists astronaut, architect, marine biologist (“everybody wanted to be a marine biologist, obviously”), and professional baseball player.

Blue Medusa and Her Solo Work

Alissa says joining Blue Medusa wasn’t a rejection of her solo work. She enjoys collaborating in a band, while her solo project gives her room to explore a wider range of styles, from black metal to blues. She compares the distinction to Devin Townsend’s separate projects.

Blue Medusa’s guitarists, Alissa Day and Danny Sophy, came into her orbit through a Metal Allegiance show and Instagram. Writing together felt so natural that what began as one-off collaborations grew into plans for a band and an album.

An all-female band has been a long-held dream for Alissa. She wants the musicians to remain free to take other touring opportunities, even if that means occasional lineup substitutions. For her, Blue Medusa is a way to make the childhood dream happen now rather than let more years—and album cycles—slip by.

Writing and Releasing Music

Alissa’s earlier collaboration with Nita Strauss, “The Wolf You Feed,” led to connections with Blue Medusa producer Kyle Odell and video director Vicente Cordero. She appreciated that Odell recognized her voice sounded stronger in a higher key and adjusted the song accordingly. She compares the voice to an instrument whose strings can’t simply be changed.

“Checkmate,” Blue Medusa’s first single, was the first song Alissa wrote with the band. She chose it partly because it captures their range. Its chorus is relatively uplifting compared with the darker songs, and she jokes that she wants to “be a rainbow,” rather than paint with just one color.

Instead of rushing out an album and moving on, the band plans to release singles throughout the year so they can enjoy introducing the music.

Live Shows

Alissa is excited—and nervous—about Blue Medusa’s first festival appearances. She describes major festivals as a “trial by fire”: bands may have no soundcheck and might not see the stage until they walk out. Unpredictable details, such as rain or a sunset during a set, are part of what makes those shows memorable.

Veganism and Animal Ethics

Alissa was raised vegetarian and has been vegan since the 1990s. Her commitment is rooted in animal ethics, not a trend or solely health reasons. She says she wants to minimize harm and encourages people who can make only smaller changes to do what they can.

Her closing observation is blunt and wry: it’s strange that trying not to kill animals can make people hate you.

People Mentioned

• Personalities: Alissa White-Gluz and the interviewer
• Collaborators: Alissa Day, Danny Sophy, Nita Strauss, Kyle Odell, Vicente Cordero, and Devin Townsend