Watch Otep’s Intimate Interview on Being Gifted a Fan’s Ashes

Not every artist is given the remains of a devoted fan during a meet-and-greet, but then again, not every artist’s music showcases the deep emotional connection of Otep’s output. In this intimate interview, Otep Shamaya discusses a moving incident in which the mother of a fan who died of suicide came up to her at a fan event and presented her daughter’s ashes, per her daughter’s request.

“I wish I could have spoken to her,” Otep says of the deceased fan. “I think that’s my biggest regret—I wish I could have just talked to her and more than anything, I would have just listened.”