Rather than looking back on the Mutation Phase tour as a celebration of milestones, Lena Scissorhands viewed the final European club show in Helsinki as just another step in an incredibly demanding schedule. With only a festival appearance in Norway separating the band from an immediate return to the United States, there was little time to celebrate. For Infected Rain, touring has become a continuous cycle of traveling, performing and preparing for whatever comes next. The real reward of this particular run wasn’t a specific concert or milestone, but the people they shared it with. Reflecting on the weeks spent alongside Butcher Babies and Black Spikes, Lena explained that the bands had become genuine friends and that saying goodbye after the final show would be the hardest part.

“We gained new friends. This is our last show together and all the bands on this tour are super, super nice musicians and super nice people. We’re going to miss everybody.”

Although the tour carries the name Mutation Phase, Lena explained that the mutation isn’t about dramatic reinvention. Instead, it represents the transition between albums—the period where new music slowly emerges while the previous record is still being celebrated on stage. With two new songs already making their live debut, including the recently released ‘Stranger’, fans are already witnessing the beginning of Infected Rain‘s next chapter, even if the new album itself is still some way off.

That naturally led the conversation towards ‘Stranger’. While it could easily be interpreted as a song about life on the road, Lena revealed that its meaning is far more universal. To her, it is about the subtle ways people slowly reshape themselves to satisfy everyone around them—family, colleagues, society or partners—until they eventually stop recognizing the person staring back from the mirror.

“We often subconsciously and consciously try to please people around us… It’s very important that even after so much time has passed, you look in the mirror and you can still recognize yourself. You can still see that little boy or little girl in the sparkle of your eyes.”

She admitted that this struggle is deeply personal. Calling herself a natural people-pleaser, she explained that constantly trying to meet expectations can become exhausting, particularly when it comes at the expense of your own well-being. Growing up in Eastern Europe during the final years of the Soviet era also shaped that perspective, making it far more difficult to discover her own voice and become comfortable expressing it. For Lena, the message behind ‘Stranger’ ultimately comes down to a simple reminder:

“Try your best not to become strangers to yourself.”

Perhaps the most surprising revelation came when discussing touring itself. While many people assume life on the road forces musicians to hide behind a stage persona, Lena experiences the exact opposite. Because every lyric she performs comes directly from her own experiences and emotions, stepping on stage is actually when she feels closest to her authentic self.

“Being on tour is the closest to being myself. On stage is the real me—more real than even in my everyday life.”

Ironically, it is after the show that she often has to perform the biggest balancing act. Meeting fans night after night after an intense performance requires patience, energy and emotional availability, even when exhaustion has completely set in. Most fans are respectful, but she admitted that there are moments when people forget musicians are human beings with physical and emotional boundaries. Rather than pretending to be endlessly accommodating, Lena has learned to become more direct when necessary.

“If you don’t like the real me, then you don’t like me really. You like the image of me that you created.”

She also reflected on the growing sense of entitlement that sometimes accompanies modern fan culture. Support is something she deeply appreciates, but she doesn’t believe admiration creates obligations in either direction. Artists do not owe unlimited access to their lives, just as fans are never obligated to support a band beyond what they genuinely can. That same desire to move beyond labels resurfaced when discussing the recurring “female-fronted metal” description that still follows many bands. Lena made it clear that she has little interest in defining Infected Rain through gender. For her, the music should always remain the focus.

“I want to be known for my songs. I want to be known as a musician and as a decent human being.”

As the conversation drew to a close, Lena looked ahead to what comes next. The band already has a wealth of new material waiting, but there is no intention to rush the next album. Instead, the current period of transition is something they are actively embracing. The Mutation Phase is exactly what its name suggests: not a destination, but the process of becoming whatever Infected Rain evolves into next.

The interview ended on a warm note as Lena thanked everyone who has supported the band throughout the tour, while expressing a special affection for Finnish audiences. Even after weeks on the road, Helsinki still felt like the perfect place to celebrate the final night with friends before the next chapter begins.

Links