In a new interview with Blabbermouth, Alissa White-Gluz offered an in-depth look at the mindset behind her latest creative chapter, shedding light on the philosophy driving her new project, BLUE MEDUSA, and the personal realization that pushed her to take full ownership of her artistry.
“I’m kind of a workaholic. I’ve always been trying to fill time. Not that there’s a lot of spare time: there’s almost none,” Alissa White-Gluz explained. “I’ve been doing so many collaborations and guest appearances, all over, everywhere, for everyone else’s albums. A friend of mine put together a playlist for me of every release that I’ve done, and I don’t think it’s complete. I think we missed a few things, but it came to 15 hours of music.”
She continued, describing the turning point that made her rethink everything: “Then I realized, ‘I don’t have any of it to my name.’ I was like, ‘Holy s**t! That’s 23 years of grinding myself into the ground.’ I’m super proud of everything I’ve made, but none of it is truly my own. I guess I was thinking about it for a while, but it wasn’t eating at me. It was, ‘That would be cool, that would be fun.’ With every collaboration, I would think, ‘Oh, it would be cool to bring them onto my stuff.’ It got to a point where it was, ‘Life’s short. I got to do it at some point.’”
This shift in perspective laid the foundation for BLUE MEDUSA, a project that allows White-Gluz to step outside the constraints of expectation and fully embrace artistic freedom. Inspired by boundary-pushing musicians like Devin Townsend, she’s intentionally avoiding rigid control in favor of collaboration and experimentation.
“No, I don’t feel the need to control every aspect. I fully want people — if someone is better than me at something, they should do it. I don’t need that,” she noted. “I have a great team, so I have delegated, so it’s not me controlling everything, but I think, in terms of expressing through music and art, it’s cool not to have to fit into a box in any way and not have to remain tethered to expectations. One of my favorite artists is Devin Townsend. I love how he kept reinventing himself and just doing whatever he wanted, basically, just creating a world where a lot of his albums sound very different. But I, personally, really like all of them because I think they are all super creative. I was always inspired by that.”
That same spirit extends to how the band itself operates. Rather than locking into a traditional lineup, White-Gluz is keeping things fluid, reflecting both her collaborative background and the realities of today’s music industry.
“I very much wanted to have a band, but I also wanted to keep it relaxed. If someone is in it for one song, then they want to take off because they got a better gig, do it,” she stated bluntly. “I want you to feel good; I want you to succeed. If you can do this tour, but you have a family and can’t do the next one, it’s cool, the door is always open. I have tons of friends who are amazing guitar players, drummers and bassists; my door is open to them. I have done so many collaborations that I want to pay it forward.”
While fans may be eager for a full-length album, White-Gluz is taking a more strategic route, focusing on a steady rollout of singles and content before committing to a complete release.
“Everything leading up to the album, the prelude to the album, is really where the magic happens,” she said. “Once you release it, it’s pretty much dead in the water. I want to make sure I have enough time to release singles and create videos and content, so people can get to know the music before the album drops. Once the album is out, I’m going to tour and make appearances everywhere, but I think that, given my experience in this business, it would be unwise to throw an album out there cold. I think it’s a better idea to warm everyone up with singles.”
BLUE MEDUSA officially emerged earlier this month, debuting with the single “Checkmate” and featuring a lineup that includes Alyssa Day, Dani Sophia, and Alicia Vigil, with Delaney Jaster handling live drums. The project follows the release of White-Gluz’s solo track “The Room Where She Died,” which dropped just hours after a major turning point in her career.
That turning point came on November 23, 2025, when ARCH ENEMY announced that they had parted ways with White-Gluz, closing a significant chapter while simultaneously opening the door to what is now becoming one of the most intriguing new ventures in modern metal.
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