Vicky and Steve Johnson of
Winter in Eden

The driving forces behind Winter in Eden about the music, the drive, and the life!

You guys made the fantastic new album ‘Never Untold’! If you had to describe the album and the inspiration, what would that be?

Winter In Eden – still dramatic and symphonic, but heavier. That's the feedback we're getting, anyway. It wasn't forced; it just evolved that way during the writing process.

There wasn't one single source of inspiration. There are some major themes, however.

When Winter In Eden ended, we started a new project called Never Untold (not the album), and then Winter In Eden was relaunched with just the two of us and guest musicians. This obviously had an impact on us. We felt like, as songwriters, we had something to prove. Although it has been a natural progression, it has also been a big learning curve, with one household taking on the full weight of the band. The idea of a new chapter and moving forward features heavily on the album.

In addition, there is a strong theme of society today and the darker side of how technology has been irreversibly integrated into everyday life.

How does the musical writing process usually go for you guys? Do you have a home studio?

Yes, we have a studio, so we can capture moments of inspiration very quickly. We also have phones with no memory left, as they are filled with hummed ideas and piano chords. The music generally comes first, although Rise was a slight exception, as our eldest son, Oliver, had already written some lyrics, so we built the song around them.

Usually, Steve will come up with a musical idea – a riff, chord progression or rhythmic pattern – which creates a particular mood and sparks melodic ideas for Vicky. At other times, Vicky will have a riff or a melody, and from there we work together on the chords, arrangement and overall structure.

We're very much in sync creatively. If one of us has writer's block, the other will often have an idea that opens the song up again. That shared momentum is a big part of the Winter In Eden writing process.

We've even split solos between us, with one writing the opening section and the other taking it somewhere unexpected to finish it. In that sense, the songs become conversations between the two of us – each person adding something, challenging the first idea and helping it evolve.

Silence was a bit different, as Vicky wrote it entirely and Steve helped with the instrumentation.

Steve, your keyboards are essential to the Winter In Eden sound. What do you use, and why these instruments?

I use a combination of Korg synthesizers and orchestral software for most of the keyboard work. Using Korg instruments across the writing and recording process means I can usually recreate – or get very close to – the sounds on stage with the Korg M3 I use for live shows. That consistency is important: the arrangements can be ambitious in the studio, but they still need to translate convincingly to a live performance.

Orchestral software plays a major role in the Winter In Eden sound. This software has developed dramatically since we started, which means I have more control over the symphonic textures. It allows us to add depth, scale and cinematic colour to the songs. However, if a particular part needs a more organic character, we'll also use real instruments where appropriate.

One of the most creative – and enjoyable – parts of my role is recording unusual sounds and transforming them into soundscapes or musical textures. For example, the clock you can hear at the beginning and end of My Imagination was recorded during a ghost tour at Chillingham Castle, which is reputed to be one of Britain's most haunted castles.

It was around midnight, and I left the group to find a quiet spot beside a huge fireplace that was still glowing and crackling. I waited there on my own to capture a clean recording of the clock. It was a fascinating (and spooky) place; the atmosphere certainly added something to the sound. For me, it breathes a sort of ‘life’ into the song.

What is your absolute favorite instrument to play, and is there a special story behind it?

Vicky: I play piano and sing. I used to ‘play’ violin when I was younger, but that's probably stretching it a little. I am certainly not a violinist, but I love the sound of strings. I enjoy singing the most, but in all honesty, it's songwriting that is my greatest passion.

Steve: Obviously, keyboards are my number one. I do like to dabble with guitar for demos. This is the first time I've featured on a release playing bass. I'm definitely not confident enough to play bass through full songs live at a show!

Going back to the very beginning: what or who made you pick up an instrument or start to sing? Did you have any musical education?

Vicky: My mam wanted me to play the piano, so I started lessons when I was 5 and went all through my grades, stopping lessons in my mid teens. I didn't enjoy lessons or practicing and started making up my own songs and singing along to them. That's how I started singing.

Steve: Although I played trombone in primary school, it didn't really do anything for me. The ‘light bulb’ moment was a music lesson in secondary school. It was the first time we did a practical lesson with real synths (Roland D5, Yamaha SY55 and a little workhorse we called ‘the doodish’ – I think it was a PSS 570). It was the first time I had played with others in a group. Hearing a song come to life like this really inspired me to want to play in a band.

Many musicians combine their passion with other jobs or studies. What does your daily life look like when you are NOT working on music?

Aside from the day job, we have children and family who depend on us, so that takes up a huge amount of our time. Apart from being a taxi service for the kids, if we're doing activities, we try and do them as a family – we love games, especially an escape room!

Steve also has a real passion for science and astronomy, as well as a growing whisky collection, while Vicky is interested in psychology. Those interests sometimes find their way into the way we think about music, people and the stories we tell.

Life outside the band may be busy, but it gives us plenty of experiences and ideas to bring back into the creative process.

How do you find the balance between those side activities and the energy needed to make music?

With great difficulty!! Winter In Eden is a passion project, so it is our time to escape from ‘ordinary’ life.

Now that the album is out, what are the immediate plans? Can we expect a tour or special release shows?



We have an online listening party coming up on 3rd October, where everyone can get involved, as it will be very interactive, with some giveaways too. We are really looking forward to it, as we had a blast last time we did this.

After that, our priority is to bring the album to life on stage. We have some festivals coming up and are working on further dates to add to the calendar.

Otherwise, our focus will be on increasing our online content – acoustic or intimate versions of songs, old and new. We realise a lot of our fans are spread across the globe, so we want to reach everyone who has supported us all these years.

Where do you hope you and your music will be in five years? Are there specific venues, festivals, or countries where you dream of playing?

In five years, we'd like Winter In Eden to have reached more people in places we haven't yet visited. We'd love to play more major rock and metal festivals in the UK and abroad, but also smaller, atmospheric venues where the audience is close enough to feel every word.

Symphonic and progressive rock audiences are incredibly passionate about the genre, and we love building genuine connections rather than simply passing through. Ultimately, the dream is to make music that travels further than we can.

And we'd like to keep growing without losing our identity. Bigger stages would be great, but the real goal is to be able to release the music we believe in and still feel that every album represents where we are at that moment.

Which artist would you love to have a cup of tea with or dive into the studio with?

Vicky: There are so many. I would have loved to have had a conversation and worked with Marie Fredriksson. She was a huge inspiration for me growing up. Sadly, that can't happen now. However, I was lucky enough to meet the amazing Mark King and have a brief conversation. Now, if I could sing a song with him... that would be a dream for me.

Steve: I'd love to sit down with Bear McCreary over a drink – possibly a fine whisky – and talk about his work in film and television. He has an incredible ability to create atmosphere and emotion through music, and I'd be fascinated to hear how he approaches each project and brings a story to life.

We'd also love to talk with the members of Queen about how they wrote, recorded, produced and released music at the height of their success. The music was incredibly catchy but also adventurous. They could move between rock, opera, pop and theatrical music while still sounding unmistakably like Queen. It would undoubtedly be a long conversation – and would probably require more than one whisky.

What is the strangest or funniest thing you have ever experienced during a performance or in the studio?

Vicky: It was actually before a gig. We were playing at The Peel in London, supporting Pythia. I went into the changing rooms (toilets), and when I came back out, I noticed my corset outfit looked very similar to what some of the other ladies were wearing. What struck me as odd was how many women were suddenly around.

Then I looked over and saw a stage where the dress code was, shall we say, considerably more minimalist. When I tried to go back the way I'd come in, the door had been locked. It turned out that I'd wandered into the strip club attached to the venue, which had opened while I was getting ready.

After what seemed like an eternity, I managed to get the attention of a member of the bar staff, but they wouldn't open the side door for me, so I had to go outside in full costume, trying not to draw too much attention to myself as I tried to figure out how to get back to the venue. I think I just made it in time for the start of the set!

Steve: We did a show in the North East with Lahannya, and as far as I knew, everything was going perfectly. We got to a keyboard solo – probably the best bit of the set in my humble opinion – and I completely committed to it: head-banging, rocking out, the full dramatic package.

The only problem was, I was using in-ear monitors, so I had no idea the venue's sound system had cut out for the whole solo. So while I thought I was absolutely smashing it, everyone else was apparently watching what looked like a silent disco fronted by a very enthusiastic keyboard player, with only our drummer still making any noise.

It was probably for the best that I didn't find out until the end of the show.

Which hidden gem (a relatively unknown band, film or book) do you think my readers really need to discover?

Vicky: I have had the privilege of working with Johanne James from Threshold on his own project with a band called Kyrbgrinder. I sang on a couple of songs for their last album. I think they are amazing and deserve huge recognition.

I am sure your readers will be familiar with HeKz, but we have performed with them a few times over the years, and they blew me away when I saw them last year. I also recently heard a snippet of a song Lucia has written, and it is right up my street. Think Lindsey Stirling! They are all phenomenal musicians.

Last but certainly not least, OwenAlec and Arun Kamath are guest musicians on the Never Untold album and perform live with us. They have their own band called Beyond Salvation and have just released their debut album. Although thrash metal is not my thing, credit where it is due. Huge talent!

Steve: My interest in astronomy caused me to stumble upon (or maybe the algorithms decided for me) Dr Becky Smethurst's YouTube science channel. I'd say her book A Brief History of Black Holes is my hidden gem. It's really accessible, interesting, and explains the science of them without making it feel too complicated.

If you are interested in astronomy, whether you've studied it or not, it's well worth a read.