With her second full-length Moonstone released on January 23, 2026 via Subsound Records, Kæry Ann steps into a heavier, more collective dimension of her artistic journey. Suspended between exhaustion and excitement, she describes this moment as the calm before the storm — the intense, fragile space that precedes every release. Discover more about her brand-new release directly from her words.
Welcome to Kæry Ann
Hi Kæry Ann, welcome to Femme Metal Webzine! How are you doing, and how’s life treating you these days?
Hi! Thank you so much for having me. I’m living that feeling that comes before every release, suspended between tiredness and excitement. I know I’ll feel a sense of relief and peace once it will be out, and I hope the record will find its own path. Managing and organizing everything has been challenging, but it’s also rewarding to finally see the results of months of intense work.
The new album Moonstone
Your second album Moonstone is out since 23rd January 2026 via Subsound Records. What can you share about its album production? When did you start to collect your first ideas for this release?
The production of Moonstone started in our rehearsal room and later moved to the studio with the guys from Produzioni Rumorose. Most of the ideas emerged over the two years following my debut release, at first fragmented and spontaneous, then we shaped them into a more cohesive form. A couple of the tracks actually existed even earlier, and we had already performed them in many shows while promoting the first album.
Kæry Ann and Subsound Records
Your second album Moonstone also marks the beginning of your partnership with Italy’s Subsound Records. How this collaboration is treating you so far?
I reached out to Subsound Records because I felt aligned with some of the artists on their roster, it felt like the right home for my new album in terms of musical style. Davide as Subsound is very kind and passionate about music, and I really appreciate the care he puts into his work. He also gave me complete freedom on the album, and I’m very grateful for his support along the process.
A musical shift
Moonstone marks a move into heavier territory. What prompted this musical direction, and where did that urge to explore originate?
The shift towards heavier territory came naturally from both my own musical influences and those of the band. The songs usually take shape in solitude with just guitar and voice, and then we arrange them together in rehearsal. The process of transforming them with a more powerful attitude was really fun, I enjoy in particular the contrast between the delicacy of the vocals and the raw arrangements.
Kæry Ann: “This album is the result of a collective effort with the band”
Besides a brand-new musical direction, Moonstone feels like more than a choral album with your band. Which role played this extensive collaboration in the final sound of the album?
Unlike my first work, which was more intimate and personal, this album is the result of a collective effort with the band. Two of the tracks were written by Francesca, our bassist, and in general all the songs were refined together with her, Davide on guitar, and Fabio on drums. I like the idea that Kæry Ann has become a channel through which the different attitudes and inner worlds of everyone in the band could take shape, while still remaining aligned with the imagery I had in mind.
The literary influences of Kæry Ann
How did Cormac McCarthy’s oeuvre and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre shape Moonstone as literary influences?
About Cormac McCarthy, I drew inspiration from The Road for the writing of the track of the same name. The inspiration came from the idea of “carrying the fire” as keeping one’s integrity and inner purity alive in a world dominated by greed and violence, a concept I further explored in the track with the Latin lyrics, giving it a more sacred and spiritual dimension.
As for Jane Eyre, which inspired the lyrics for White Dress, I read this novel during my teenage years and the character of Bertha Mason left a deep impression on me. Although she is portrayed as a troubling figure, almost an antagonist, the idea of celebrating her and giving voice to her suffering and isolation felt for me like a form of redemption, connected to some personal life experiences related to my family.
Shooting the videos for Todeslied and Hero and Leander
Currently, Todeslied and Hero and Leander were released as single. Congratulations on both videos. The first one was shot by Davide Saleri while the second one was shot by Andrea Terreni. What can you share about both shooting experiences?
Thank you! We shot most of the scenes for both videos in close contact with nature. And this reflects the relationship I have always had with it in my life. In recent years I’ve rediscovered the beauty and quietness of the riverbanks in my area. I wanted them to become part of the project’s visual imagery, also for the symbolic meaning I associate with rivers: letting go of what we cannot hold or control.
Some other scenes for Todeslied (filmed by Andrea Terreni) were shot by the sea, others of Hero and Leander (filmed by Davide Saleri) in an abandoned quarry and in the attic of the house where my grandparents once lived. For Hero and Leander in particular the shoots were mostly improvised. We found old objects in the attic and filmed unplanned scenes with them, the fire scene in the quarry was also improvised. The whole process felt very intimate and emotionally involving for both videos.
Bathory’s cover Shores in Flames
I was positively impressed by Bathory’s cover Shores in Flames. What led to choose to cover this song?
Bathory’s Hammerheart is one of my favourite albums of all time. I love the combination of raw arrangements with the epic composition that makes it so majestic. Indeed, I fell in love with this record from the very first listen right because of Shores in Flames. I suggested to the band to include it in our live set long before writing the new songs.
Then, later we decided to record it and include it on the album. I also realized afterward, without having planned or even thought about it, that there are many metaphorical connections with the lyrics of the other songs.
Closing words for Kæry Ann
Thank you so much, Kæry Ann, for taking the time to chat with us! Do you have any final thoughts or messages you’d like to share with our readers and your fans?
Thank you for inviting me and for your interest! I don’t really have any big messages to share. Just take your time with the music, let it flow within you. We live in a world that pushes us to rush, to lose contact with what’s fragile and true. If our songs can become a space where someone can reconnect with themselves, that’s enough for me.