Kudos are to ensure that Alex Lifeson. Along with his first post-Rush mission, Envy of None, he might have taken the simple method out and put collectively a band that carefully resembled Transferring Footage. However as an alternative, the group – which additionally consists of singer Maiah Wynne, bassist Andy Curran, and multi-instrumentalist Alf Annibalini (with all contributing within the programming and/or keyboard division) – has created an attention-grabbing sound that’s maybe greatest described as “cinematic.”
And that is particularly evident on their sophomore full-length, Stygian Waves, issued on March 28, 2025 through the Kscope label. Lifeson spoke to AllMusic shortly earlier than the album’s launch, and defined the way it differs from the group’s first providing, along with chatting about songwriting, facets of his private life, and even a number of Rush-related subjects.
How would you evaluate Stygian Waves to Envy of None’s self-titled debut?
“The primary album was very exploratory for us. We did not actually know one another very effectively. I clearly knew Andy (who was beforehand a member of Canadian rockers Coney Hatch), however I did not know Alf that effectively, and I did not know Maiah in any respect. And we actually got here collectively and labored as a staff on that properly, remotely. So, we’d share our information and all of that stuff. Nicely, we made the second document that method, too. And I believe we benefited from the primary document and attending to know one another a bit of bit higher. And we began engaged on the document proper after the primary one was launched, so we simply flowed proper into it.”
“I believe that this document is extra mature. It exhibits extra confidence on our half. I believe we achieved all of the objectives that we’re after. It wasn’t a lot of in search of issues because it was as soon as the concepts have been set, then we simply adopted by means of. There’s extra substance to this document.”
“I am soloing extra on this document, which is form of a pleasant factor. It is a bit of heavier, I believe. It is a bit of rockier in a method, however there’s additionally plenty of cool, funky stuff. And I believe the range is nice. The manufacturing has improved. Not that I had an issue with the manufacturing of the final document, however this document actually sounds nice. So, a beautiful document to take heed to.”
“After which there’s Maiah. Maiah sits on high of every part else. She’s genius on this document, and he or she’s actually matured as a vocalist, as a songwriter, a lyricist, and as an individual. So, it has been fairly a fairly an attention-grabbing journey for her within the final couple of years.”
Does the album title have a particular which means?
‘No. Stygian waves are from mythology, and are the turbulent waves on the gates of hell. As you move down the River Styx, as you method the gates of hell, the water turns into way more turbulent and chaotic. And we prefer to assume that there is additionally a technique to navigate out of these turbulent waters into one thing a bit of extra calmer and constructive.”
Two music movies have been issued thus removed from the album, “Not Lifeless But” and “Underneath the Stars.”
“I am not a singles man, personally. However I perceive that there is some significance, and the document firm feels it is vital to have singles and movies. So, ‘Not Lifeless But,’ we employed a videographer from Argentina to do the primary video. It is an AI generated video, however my understanding is a whole lot of work goes into it earlier than it ever comes close to a pc. So, this argument forwards and backwards, I assume it is a digital/analog argument at occasions, y’know, on steroids, however I believe it appears to be like superb.”
“And this AI stuff is horrifying, nevertheless it appears to be like superb. It is attention-grabbing to take a look at and watch. So, there’s a lot exercise in these movies. These have been the primary tracks that we thought that we’d launch as singles. And the second video, for ‘Underneath the Stars,’ that is an entire completely different method.”
“However I assume they’re efficient instruments to take, get individuals’s consideration for moments, however nobody has an consideration span anymore. No one actually cares. So I simply, I’m wondering about the entire thing. They’re enjoyable to do they usually’re enjoyable to take a look at, however finally, are they a lot of a instrument anymore? I am actually unsure. I am not the one to ask…although you requested me!”
credit score: Richard Sibbald
I discover the music of Envy of None to be fairly cinematic sounding. Has the band pursued doing music for TV or movie?
“We have tried very exhausting, and we did get a placement on the primary album for the track ‘Liar’ on a Netflix collection. The identify (of the present) escapes me proper now. Yeah, I believe that that will be superior, as a result of I believe this music may be very cinematic and fairly atmospheric. A number of the fabric I believe would match nice for, like, ‘Not Lifeless But,’ for the subsequent Bond film? Wow. What an important track that will be for the subsequent Bond film. And now we have supervisors that search out these alternatives. So, hopefully one thing extra will come of that. However I might like to get these form of placements.”
It is exhausting to check the music of Envy of None to any particular different artist, which is an efficient factor. Are there any influences from different artists that you can imagine?
“Nicely, I believe there is a comparability to Rubbish, I assume, as a result of Shirley (Manson) and Maiah are each girls. However for me, no, I’m going into it simply with a transparent thoughts, engaged on these initiatives. And I take a look at them as difficult alternatives for me to play guitar differently than I’ve ever performed it, and search for sounds which are very completely different than normal, conventional guitar sounds. So for me personally, it is a actually nice train in exploration and increasing my boundaries.”
“For those who ask the others that, I am positive they’d have their influences, however I actually do not know. As a result of we work on it pretty steadily, and we’re all the time targeted on it. So you are not getting in a whole lot of different exterior influences, a minimum of I do not assume so. All people does not actually need to copy one thing else. You need to be unique. However definitely there are flavors of different issues – there is a ’60s vibe that I hear, there is a ’90s vibe that I hear. We’re form of a bit of everywhere in the map.”
“However I believe now we have a really distinctive mixture in that we’re form of old skool musicians and we’re writing form of, I might say, darker cinematic music. However with Maiah’s voice not being a ‘rock form of voice’ and being fairly fragile, it is a actually nice distinction to what the music is, which is a bit of darker. So I believe in that sense, it is fairly distinctive.
How do you method Envy of None songs from a guitar standpoint?
“We get the essential thread of an concept. And normally they’re fairly minimal. In relation to me, I do scratch guitars, and I do not do a whole lot of them, however I will do the thematic and perhaps one secondary form of guitar presence. And I do not spend an entire lot of time. I normally simply use plugins and attempt to get by means of it very spontaneously. After which it goes to Maiah and he or she’ll do a scratch vocal, and it comes again to me, after which I begin doing the ultimate guitars. After which I simply break it down in sections between the verses and the choruses and bridges and any instrumental part – very like I might have carried out previously with Rush music. I imply, that is my formulation for mapping issues out.”
“After which I form of dive into it. Typically, I begin with an acoustic, and I do acoustic stuff that finally will probably be electrical, however I discover that I can get a bit of extra natural with an acoustic at occasions. And I really like enjoying acoustic guitar, anyhow. So very often with this document, that was a place to begin for me, and invariably, that turned a signature for one more half, the place it might go into an acoustic part, or a minimum of supportive. After which I might begin constructing the guitars, normally, y’ know, as you possibly can see (exhibits a big assortment of guitars behind him), I bought all my stuff over right here. Analog stuff, and the amps, and I’ve a cupboard that is in an enclosure. So I love to do these issues extra analog.”
“However I additionally bought, I do not know if you happen to’ve checked these out but – that is the Common Audio amp pedals that they’ve (Alex shows two pedal fashions: Lion ’68 and Enigmatic ’82). They’re form of new. They sound superb! I am a pedal man for positive, however I am not this sort of pedal man – like, emulating guitar sounds. However I did the factor for the TONEX, the place they did my complete catalog of amps. Oh, it is unimaginable. And there is a complete new technology, I assume it is pushed AI, an entire new technology of those sorts of issues that really emulate the guitar sound.”
“Digital guitar, like plugins, all the time sound prefer it’s taped onto the display screen. It does not have the depth – you do not really feel prefer it’s tall or deep or fats. And these pedals do it, and the TONEX does it, as a result of they’ve carried out one thing in regards to the backside finish of these plugins, which have been missing previously. They appear to have conquered that impediment. And now these pedals and people plugins like TONEX are an unimaginable step into making it way more handy and nonetheless sustaining an important, nice, nice guitar sound.”
Do you assume Envy of None might play some exhibits in help of the brand new album?
“Oh, we would like to. We maintain speaking about it. I believe {that a} night time in a smallish theater with a pleasant, delicate mild present with two albums price of fabric can be an evening of simply stunning, nice, very emotional music. However, it is troublesome to get the logistics in place. These are very troublesome, difficult occasions for us – to do a gig, or gigs, can be a monetary loss. So, it is exhausting to get motivated to spend so much of effort and time to do one thing that it will value you to do it. A minimum of these are the preliminary responses that that we have gotten. However we’re holding out hope that perhaps there’s a possibility to do even a handful of gigs as a form of particular musical occasion.”
Now that you have not toured for fairly a while, how would you describe a typical day these days for you?
“I am an early riser. I am normally up between 5:30 and 6:30. I hit the health club on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. At 9:00, I come again. That is my studio in my condo, and I like to come back again right here and spend time right here. It is my sanctuary. And I by no means get bored in right here. And there is by no means nothing that I do not need to do once I’m in right here. So, I will spend time right here.”
“I play a bit of little bit of golf, and I used to be going to say some tennis often. And I make my very own meals, I prepare dinner my very own meals. I am very aware about my weight loss program and the way I am consuming now, in order that form of fills my day. And as soon as per week or so, I will drop by Ged’s, and we’ll have espresso and discuss stuff. And see my grandkids. And that is about it. That is about my life.”
How are you doing health-wise?
“I went to a clinic in January in Austria, in southern Austria, known as the Vivamayr Clinic. It’s a wellness clinic that focuses on digestive system. In addition to many different issues – they’ve many most cancers sufferers there, they usually present so many various therapies. And it’s extremely calm and quiet – no telephones, no music. It is nearly virtually zenning out and diving into this – consuming a whole lot of water, tea, there is not any espresso, there’s clearly no alcohol. And I went as a result of I had surgical procedure in 2023 on my abdomen, and it left me with gastroparesis, which is sluggish motility. So, meals stays in my abdomen for ten or twelve hours fairly than two or three hours.”
“So, I actually must eat very fastidiously, and I’ve to be very selective about how I eat and never cross that line, as a result of it is exhausting for me to get again over. Y’know, one mistake prices me two or three days of discomfort. I used to be nauseous for a 12 months. I used to be depressing for just about a 12 months and a half…till I went to Vivamayr, they usually simply taught me learn how to take management of how I am consuming, what to eat, when to eat. And it is simply outstanding.”
“As a result of I am not usually that sort of individual. I am lazy and I simply do not work exhausting in the case of issues I do not need to do. However this, for the primary time in my life, simply modified every part, and it has been life altering for me. Since I went to see them, I’ve misplaced about 23 kilos, and I misplaced one other I believe 15 or 20 kilos earlier than that. So I am down near 40 kilos in a 12 months and a half.”
“And if I am cautious and I eat correctly, I can stay a contented, comparatively regular life. If I do not, then I endure. So, you do not need to really feel crappy I’ve come to understand. You form of take it each day, however now I do not need to really feel crappy anymore, ever once more. So, I’ve develop into very, very strict about it. I do not drink anymore, I do not smoke, I do not eat junk. Completely no junk. Gluten free, lactose free. Like, all of that stuff – as a result of that is me. That is what I’ve to do. It isn’t a selection. That is what I’ve to do to keep up an honest, comfy life.”
When the Victor album (1996’s self-titled) and Geddy’s solo album (2000’s My Favorite Headache) have been reissued final 12 months, I hoped perhaps you’d play exhibits collectively and carry out materials off these albums for the primary time ever. Was that ever a consideration?
“No, nevertheless it’s not a nasty concept. We by no means even thought of one thing like that. Yeah, that will have been one thing to think about. I imply, I actually needed to remix the (Victor) document. I used to be very sad with the unique combine that I did on it. It was very vivid. Backside finish actually wasn’t there. So, it gave me a second alternative to try this. And once I stripped every part down, I noticed that I might gone so overboard once I recorded the document…I had six tracks of guitars enjoying the identical factor. Like, ‘Okay, doubling is okay. However do it’s good to have six tracks simply to have that dense ’90s form of sound?'”
“After which once I stripped all of it down right here, I blended it right here on this room. I took all these guitars out. I simply left one or two guitars in order that was extra direct, cleaner, extra air round every part. I used to be a lot happier – the underside finish felt higher. A lot happier with the mixes. It is exhausting to return 20 years and revisit one thing, or 30 years revisit one thing, that was so vital, however you have gone past it now. However it was an important train for me to have a second likelihood at it.”
Do you ever return and take heed to Rush’s music?
“Probably not. Each now and again I hear a monitor and…I’ve by no means been in a position to separate myself from the man that labored on that music that needed it to be higher. So, every part that I hear I believe may very well be higher. I simply concentrate on, ‘Oh, why did I play that little factor? Or this.’ It is exhausting to simply sit again and pay attention. And I believe that is most likely fairly widespread for anyone that information music. However, yeah, perhaps I will have a pay attention extra usually.”
I just lately went again and re-read fairly a number of of Neil Peart’s lyrics, as a result of I used to be placing collectively an inventory of a few of his greatest lyrics for a web site I write for. What would you say are a few of your favourite lyrics he wrote?
“Oh, ‘Freewill’ was nice. ‘Nearer to the Coronary heart’ was to the purpose. ‘Xanadu’ was that form of actually cool interval from the extra ‘fantasy’ period – as a result of it is simply so descriptive and colourful, the lyrics in that track. ‘Subdivisions’ speaks to an entire technology. Yeah, he was a really, very gifted lyricist. He was an important observer, and that is the place he wrote from. I believe for the final third of his writing profession – he was extra of an observer, taking a look at issues round him and commenting on them extra from his personal private viewpoint.”
I believe “Dropping It” is one among his greatest lyrics ever.
“Yeah. That and ‘The Backyard.’ ‘The Backyard,’ actually, for its time when that track got here out, or when that album got here out (2012’s Clockwork Angels), we by no means would have anticipated that that will be the closing quantity for Rush’s life. And ‘Dropping It,’ boy, it’s extremely, very poignant. All of us face that.”
Particularly as I am getting older, that track form of takes on a brand new which means.
“Yeah, you discover that too, huh? (Laughs) Yeah, I want I used to be the guitar participant I used to be 20 years in the past, however, I am nonetheless working at it.”
Which modern-day music artists do you take pleasure in?
“None. I do not take heed to any trendy music, to be sincere with you. I take that again – I heard a band final week, known as Måneskin. They’re an Italian band. Superb. They sounded actually, actually good. I am not saying there is not any good music round, there’s. I am simply not eager about trying to find it anymore. These days are over for me, the place I might go to the document retailer and purchase an album and take it dwelling and undergo that complete course of.”
“I do what I do. I might a lot fairly take heed to music I create as of late. And I do a whole lot of that, from my very own private use. I’ve reams of stuff that I document that I play within the background, if we’re having a cocktail party or one thing like that. And it is below the radar, no person is aware of who it’s or what it’s. It is simply very nice music within the background. Trendy music, pop music, all that stuff, I can not stand it, actually – to be sincere with you. It is nearly dancing and leaping round. And I actually haven’t got a whole lot of respect for it.”
My daughter is a really large fan of Taylor Swift. And whereas that is not the music I usually take heed to, once I do hear it, I’ve to provide credit score that she does quite a lot of kinds. It isn’t predictable – it isn’t a similar model she all the time does.
“I am precisely the identical as you. I am not aware of her music – I do know a number of songs. I do know a Taylor Swift track as quickly because it comes on, which is nice. However she’s a participant, and he or she’s a author, and the best way she took care of her crew, like, what was it, $90 million in bonuses or one thing for her crew? (The determine was reported to be $197 million) An extended tour – it was a few years. However she thinks like we all the time thought.”
“And once more, I am not a fan of that form of music – I believe it is effectively carried out and I give her credit score for it. However I give her tons of credit score for being the individual that she is, and dealing with herself the best way she does, and the large affect that she has. Very, very constructive affect she has on her so loyal viewers. It is unimaginable. I’ve whole respect for her.”
Future plans?
“Nicely, I am gonna end this cup of tea and have one other one, and go on and do one other 50 interviews right now, and for the remainder of the week! I am nonetheless engaged on a documentary on the Nice Lakes with a bunch of individuals – some guys from Barenaked Women, from the Rheostatics. We have been engaged on this for some time. It is an attention-grabbing mission, as a result of we get collectively and we jam, after which we begin pulling stuff out of these jams after which constructing from these. And a whole lot of the jams, as we progress, get higher and higher and higher, and stand alone as elements.”
“I am working with a younger feminine artist on a few of her stuff. I do stuff with Marco Minnemann infrequently – I’ve one mission right here on my desktop with him. So, I am enjoying loads. I play each day. I play earlier than I’m going to mattress for an hour, as an absolute. However normally, I am getting a minimum of three or 4 hours of guitar enjoying in each day. So, it is all good.”
