Ronny: Well, you have to start somewhere, right? We were a bunch of kids who started out playing cover songs from our favourite bands and artists and the ambition level was naturally a little bit lower than what the case is now. We eventually started writing our own material under the Natt name and as things progressed and got more serious we thought that a name change would be the most beneficiary for the future. The band got some new members and the music progressed, we were still trying to find our sound and so forth and when DSFA Records came with an offer to sign the band we also had to ask ourselves if it would be very wise to release albums worldwide under a Norwegian name.

After self-releasing your first two demos, you signed to DSFA Records. What was the biggest difference in recording and releasing your album after signing? What about after signing to Napalm Records?

A lot of bands tend to think that they are going to be rock stars the very minute they sign a contract and that the work is done. This is of course wrong, it is when you sign the first deal that the work really begins. It was nevertheless easier for us after getting signed; DSFA did a good job for the band, at least in the beginning and on the first album. It helps in the sense that they push you to the next level, they can do more than you would be able to yourself, you get to spread your music more, tour more plus that you don't need to think about covering everything out of your own pocket. It is a constant process the way that I see it, you always want to keep building things bigger and need new and improved partners as time goes by.

How did Trail of Tears come to sign with Napalm Records and do you think Napalm is the right label for your brand of gothic metal?

Napalm had been after the band ever since the demo days but we didn't get an offer from them until 1998. At that time we had already signed with DSFA for two releases and in retrospect I can't say that I regret that. DSFA brought the band on three European tours in support of the debut album as well as several festivals, including Dynamo Open Air in the summer of 1999. Looking back they did a fantastic job for the band, however they started getting problems just before the release of our second album, Profoundemonium in 2000. They could no longer give us the necessary guarantees and so we ended up licensing the album to Napalm Records for the worldwide marked except for the Benelux countries. The album did ok and Napalm offered us a further deal for three albums which we eventually accepted. This deal is now completed with Existentia and whether or not we will continue the co-operation remains to be seen. There are offers from other labels as well so whoever can present the best plan in order to take Trail of Tears the necessary steps further will be the one who gets our signatures. Napalm has done a lot of good for us even if we of course would have liked to see them do more (like all bands say about their labels and vice versa)!

In 2003, Kjetil Nordhus joined Trail of Tears. How did he come about joining the band and what do you think he brought to the overall sound of Trail of Tears?

Kjetil was an old friend of us who grew up in the same shitty village so we knew him from long before he joined the band. He didn't actually join the band permanently until 2005 even though he had contributed in small parts since the Profoundemonium album back in 2000. I think he has first and foremost added more variation and diversity to the songs, he was never involved in the songwriting but has a recognizable strong voice which allowed us to work with a more wide spectrum if you can put it like that.

Over the past couple of years, the band has went through some dramatic line up changes, most notably in late 2006 when Kjetil Nordhus, Runar Hansen, Kjell Rune Hagen and Jonathan Perez left. What affect did that have on you and what thoughts went through your mind when this happened? What was the cause of this mass departure?

It was a sad situation of course and a very surprising one. Anyway, I feel that all that can be said about this has already been said so I don't want to go into details yet again. I had to make a decision very early on what to do and the decision to carry on with the band was an easy one, I needed to look forward and put all negativity behind me, unless it would eat me up from the inside. This whole thing happened of course after the Mexican tour we did back in November 2006, I think the people who give a fuck knows the details as I have talked about this in over 200 interviews.

Speaking of line up changes, I read somewhere that former Trail of Tears vocalist Cathrine Paulsen has rejoined the band. What lead to her rejoining?

Yeah, Cathrine is back and I am very excited about that! It was basically in the aftermath of the other members` departure that I though that the time was right to contact Cathrine again, at least to talk about what happened regarding her departure and so on. Even if there were never any bad feelings between any of the members and her it was still kind of a weird break-up and I wanted to clear some things with her. It turned out that she was interested in co-operating again and it just felt like the most natural thing in the world. We have a shared vision now on what we want to do and accomplish with the band and it's been long since I have the spark inside that I feel now.

Your latest album Existentia is probably my favorite TOT release to date. How satisfied are you with the final product?

I am proud and truly satisfied with the end result! In fear of sounding like a cliché I firmly believe that this is (by far) the best album we have done to date. All aspects have improved songwriting, performance, production and so forth. We focused a lot on creating more identity this time, rather than simply a collection of good songs. The material is more melodic and symphonic with a production that really captures the atmosphere, drama and potential within the music and the album holds a very strong feeling of character and unity. I always set high standards to myself and others and this time I feel that we have finally managed to capture the true essence of what we wanted.

What kind of response have you received for Existentia?

The response and reactions have been overwhelming, be it from media, fans or whoever and it makes me extremely happy and relieved to see this. There was naturally a solid portion of questions running around in our heads after the other members left and acted in the way that they did and how they chose to handle the situation but it seems that most people seem to understand what happened and has put it all in the past. The album speaks for itself in my opinion and nothing makes me happier than to see others think the same way. There are more interest in the band now than ever, ironic maybe after what happened, but even more pleasant! We are in the process of lining up as many live dates as possible for the rest of the years, we will hit North America for the first time in October/November this year for a three week tour, support comes from Aesma Daeva. Lots of stuff is happening in Europe before that time, both tours and festivals. First show now will be the Sweden Rock Festival in the beginning of June and we aim to fill as much as possible after that.

If Existentia was the last mark Trail of Tears left on the gothic metal world, how happy would be?

I see where you are going but since this is not the case then I don't have to answer ha ha….no seriously I think you already got the impression that I am very proud and satisfied with the album but this will definitely NOT be the last album. I think when people see our touring schedule for the rest of the year then they will see that this is a band not ready to pack it up just yet.

Since 1994, if you've carrying through and fronting one of the best bands in the gothic metal genre. What has been crowning moment of your career?

I always find these questions impossible to answer because I don't know how my life would have looked like today without the band and what I have experienced. I have traveled around the world several times, released five albums, met all kinds of people and had the most unbelievable experiences. Of course you always have those special episodes, like holding the first albums in your hands for the first time, the first tour and so on but things have all the time grown bigger and all of this has of course shaped me into the person that I am today.

Thanks for taking the time to talk with me, Ronny. Are there any final thoughts or comments you'd like to leave us with?

Just want to send some huge thanks to all of you out there who have supported the band! Grab a copy of Existentia and hope to see you at a show in your neighborhood soon!