This interview comes from a Polish multimedia website and therefore has been translated from Polish.

The popularity gained with the band wasn't enough for her, so she decided to start working by herself. Today she admits that she was afraid of the consequences of that decision, but she's happy she made it. In a few days her solo album will be available in Polish music stores.

Sandra Nasic got quite popular with the band Guano Apes. Fans of the band surely remember the hits like "Open Your Eyes" and "Lords Of The Boards". A few months ago 31-year-old Sandra had her solo debut in Germany with her album "The Signal". The album's quite successful, but still far away from being as successful as Guano Apes albums. Fans of this singer, who comes from Germany but has Croatian parents, shouldn't be disappointed though. Surely they'll be surprised - a few years ago, who would even suspect that this artist will try styles like dance or electro? On "The Signal" she did it quite a few times and it wasn't bad. Even so, Nasic is still mainly a rock vocalist, who can amazingly use her strong voice as well as sing subtle, lyrical songs - she proved it on her solo album. In Poland her album "The Signal" comes out on 18th of February. A few days before the Polish premiere we managed to talk with this very nice and cheerful artist. Some of the things Sandra talked about were working without help of guys from the band and why she loves the book "Perfume" by Patrick Süskind.

ONET.PL: Your first solo album was released in Germany in Autumn 2007, in Poland it will be in music stores in a few days. In your country you're a big rockstar thanks to the Guano Apes success. How did your fans in Germany respond to your solo album?

SANDRA NASIC: A rockstar? Don't exaggerate that much [laugh]. The opinions that I get to know come from my friends or forums for my fans. According to them, they like the album. It's nice for them to find on "The Signal" the sort of music they've already heard from me, rock and hard rock, but they also gladly listen to all that new electro stuff, which I put onto this album. Electro music also had an influence on me. Surely my solo album is very different to what I was doing before.

ONET.PL: I agree. In the title song ('The Signal') you sing "I gotta change", "I wanna fly and I'm waiting for the signal". These lyrics can be referring to your decision about becoming a solo artist, I think. I don't suppose you made that decision overnight. When exactly did you start seriously thinking about doing something only by yourself?

SANDRA NASIC: It's true, I thought that decision through very carefully. First of all, I needed to have some time for myself. With Guano Apes I spent almost all the time touring, sitting in the studio or writing songs with the guys. This went on for about three or four years. After that I decided that I need a break, at least one year. During that year I spent a lot of time traveling, I moved to Berlin, I bought a house and decorated it. Basically, I was enjoying my private life. After this there came a time when I had to find my music again. I really wanted to do it myself (alone) and that's why it took so long. Later I met a lot of people, musicians, with whom I wanted to work. Also, I wanted different producers to accompany me in studio. I had the freedom of creating and I was enjoying it. I was perfectly aware of the fact that my decision about working on my own account is a bit risky, but if I was to do it again, I would do the same. Working with the sounds I wanted to have on my album was a wonderful experience to me. I'm sure I've grown up as an artist.

ONET.PL: I know that when you were working on your songs you also had to play guitar and bass. How did you feel without the guys from the band to help you?

SANDRA NASIC: It was a completely different kind of work. I liked working with the guys from Guano Apes a lot. But this time I experienced something I would call falling in love with music again. I was discovering something that made me more and more happy. There wasn't anyone around with whom I could argue, go somewhere, go out. Only me and my music. I had a guitar, bass and a piano, which I used when writing songs. I liked that way of working.

ONET.PL: As a member of Guano Apes you were just partially responsible for what the band was doing. You could just hide behind the band’s name, if you know what I mean. Now there’s only your name on everything you create and if something goes wrong, you’re going to be the one who’ll be guilty of it, who’ll get blamed. Do you feel prepared for different scenarios? Are you able to withstand criticism?

SANDRA NASIC: [laugh] Guilt isn’t a correct word in that context, I think. You can’t blame an artist for something they’ve created. You could blame me if I caused a car accident [laugh]. Music is just a way for an artist to express everything that’s inside them. But I know what you mean. It’s true; it’s a much bigger responsibility for me now. And it’s something new for me. But I feel strong enough to be a solo artist now. I know what I want and I know how to get it. I’m also aware that I won’t be able to make everyone happy. Although if I did it would be great [laugh]. First I have to make myself happy, and after that the people around me. I know that there are people who like my album a lot, and that gives me much happiness, I can cope with this bigger responsibility much better. I work alone, but on the stage there are a few colleagues with me and we enjoy the music together. At the moment I can’t imagine anything better.

ONET.PL: Everything started with your decision of becoming a solo artist. After that you had to write songs, lyrics, and then find people to help you record your songs, and the producers of course and there were four of them. Why did you choose Steve Lironi, Pelle Gunnerfeldt, Christian Neander and Patrick Berger to be your producers?

SANDRA NASIC: I decided at the beginning that I want to work with various people from different countries. First of all I met many different producers to whom I sent my demos. But I had found musicians before that, to have jam sessions, during which we were working on my songs. Jam sessions are a perfect way of choosing the most suitable musicians. Then you feel who you work best with, who feels the same way you do. Of course it was important to me to try working with different musicians, because earlier, with Guano Apes, I was with the same guys all the time. I wanted to develop as a musician, and working with different people helps a lot.

ONET.PL: You worked on your album “The Signal” in London, Berlin and Stockholm. Did you ever have an opportunity to work on one record in three different countries before?

SANDRA NASIC: That’s a good question... At some point of my career with Guano Apes I was traveling almost all the time. The band was touring either in Europe or America, or some other places. Therefore moving from one place to another isn’t a new thing for me. With “The Signal” traveling was something like taking care of a new born baby [laugh]. I really wanted everything to be as good as possible, so I didn’t mind having to move between different countries from time to time. Also meeting all four of my producers was a very nice experience, too. I’ve learnt a lot from them.

ONET.PL: Your voice is what people recognize you by. With Guano Apes you were singing mainly heavy, rock songs, sometimes you were shouting the words out. There were some slower songs, but Sandra Nasic then was seen mainly as a hard rock singer. When did you get interested in dance and electro? I’m referring to songs like “Mecasanova” and “The Signal”.

SANDRA NASIC: Yeah, I have to agree with you about what I’m usually associated with, but I’ve always been listening to very different kinds of music. I never separated it into genres. It’s music that mattered, different sounds that had an effect on me. I never limited myself to listening only rock. I like any music that is good. It can be Gorillaz, punk, death metal. The style doesn’t matter. I’ve been interested Dance and electro for quite a while now. When I was 14 years-old, so before I fell in love with rock music, I was fascinated with hip-hop. For example, I loved Public Enemy. People know me mainly as a rock vocalist, because I sang with Guano Apes. On my solo album I wanted to show something I was never associated with before.

ONET.PL: From what you’re saying, I suppose it was you who came up with the idea of recording a cover of “Big In Japan” by Alphaville, back in the Guano Apes times?

SANDRA NASIC: [laugh] Indeed, it was me who chose the song, but we changed it and recorded it together. There’s a story to that song. We were asked to record something for a compilation which was being prepared by Herbert Grönenmeyer, who is a very famous artist in Germany. He had an idea of inviting different German bands to record songs from the 80s. But they had to be only songs by German artists. My problem was that I never wanted to sing in German. When we got the offer, I was like “Oh my God! What should I do?! [laugh] I don’t want to sing in German! Are there any German bands from the 80s that had songs in English?” I gotta say, there weren’t many artists like this, but fortunately I discovered that one of them was Alphaville [laugh]. From the very beginning I was being asked if I want to sing in German. I keep on being asked that question now as well. Now in Germany recording songs in this language is very popular. I always refuse, because I don’t feel well singing in German. Firstly, it’s quite difficult, and secondly it’s, like, not very romantic [laugh]. Almost every German band sounds the same to me. I don’t know, why. The only exception is Rammstein, I think.

ONET.PL: There are a few different editions of “The Signal”, and the number of songs goes up to 13. I’ve got a feeling though, that you wrote more songs that that. Am I right?

SANDRA NASIC: [laugh] I think you are. But there are 12 songs on the album, 13 on the limited edition, and that’s all for “The Signal”. I wrote some other songs as well, but they are going to be used on another album, which will be released by a DJ from Berlin, who creates punk and electro.

ONET.PL: Do you sing in German in those songs?

SANDRA NASIC: No way, English only! [laugh] Maybe someday I’ll sing something in French.

ONET.PL: That would be interesting. Do you have any particular song in mind, like “The Signal”, for instance, or are you just thinking out loud?

SANDRA NASIC: No, I’m just thinking [laugh]. But I did try to sing the song “The Signal” in French at first. I even recorded it, but the whole thing didn’t sound as good as I would like it to. Therefore I went back to singing in English, of course. At the moment except the promotion of “The Signal” I’m recording four new songs, which I may put on my next record.

ONET.PL: Sandra, on your album there is a song titled “Perfume”. Has it got anything to do with a book “Perfume” by Patrick Süskind or with the film based on it, directed by Tom Tykwer?

SANDRA NASIC: That’s right.

ONET.PL: I suppose you like that novel then?

SANDRA NASIC: A lot. I read it back when I was still at school. Of course I saw the film much later, about two years ago. I decided I could transfer the story from the book to the world of music.

ONET.PL: Did you ever have such an enormous obsession about something, like the main character of the novel?

SANDRA NASIC: God, no! In the novel it’s taken to the extremes. To me the most important message of that novel was the idea that sometimes you meet people who have some huge passion. I really like the way Süskind showed it in his book. Sometimes I feel like Grenouille, when I go for a journey to my world of music, when I start writing songs. Then my heart is beating like mad, it’s in my throat. That’s why I titled my album “The Signal”. When I feel something like my heart beating faster I know that I’m getting pulled into a world of sounds I love the most.

ONET.PL: So far there are two singles and two videoclips of the songs from “The Signal”. Any plans for what’s next?

SANDRA NASIC: Not yet, but surely I’ll think about that. Presently, as I’ve already said, I’m busy working on several songs, and perhaps the record company will decide to make one of them into a single.

ONET.PL: I know you don’t have any more time to continue our conversation, but please tell me, are you going for a concert tour anytime soon and can Polish fans expect you to visit our country, finally, after such a long break?

SANDRA NASIC: I’m working on it [laugh]. At the moment I’m rehearsing with musicians in a big studio and we’re trying different things. I want to add more piano sequences (not specified whether it’s piano or synthesizer.), because on the album there are quite a lot piano fragments. And after we’re finished I want to go on a tour and yes I do want to come to your country, so I’m waiting for promoter’s offers! [laugh] I haven’t been in Poland for a long, long while. I think it’s time to change it.

ONET.PL: I agree with you completely. It’s almost nine years now since your concert with Guano Apes in Poland. Thank you for the interview.