Alex Lifeson Discusses Envy of None’s New Album, Rush’s Music, and…Taylor Swift

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 just a few Rush-related subjects.

How would you examine 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 previously 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 recordsdata and all of that stuff. Nicely, we made the second document that manner, too. And I feel we benefited from the primary document and attending to know one another a bit bit higher. And we began engaged on the document proper after the primary one was launched, so we simply flowed proper into it.”

“I feel that this document is extra mature. It exhibits extra confidence on our half. I feel we achieved all of the objectives that we’re after. It wasn’t a lot of on the lookout for issues because it was as soon as the concepts had been set, then we simply adopted by. There’s extra substance to this document.”

“I am soloing extra on this document, which is type of a pleasant factor. It is a bit heavier, I feel. It is a bit rockier in a manner, however there’s additionally plenty of cool, funky stuff. And I feel the range is sweet. The manufacturing has improved. Not that I had an issue with the manufacturing of the final document, however this document actually sounds nice. So, an exquisite document to take heed to.”

“After which there’s Maiah. Maiah sits on high of every little thing else. She’s genius on this document, and she or he’s actually matured as a vocalist, as a songwriter, a lyricist, and as an individual. So, it has been fairly a fairly an fascinating journey for her within the final couple of years.”

Does the album title have a selected that means?

‘No. Stygian waves are from mythology, and are the turbulent waves on the gates of hell. As you circulate down the River Styx, as you method the gates of hell, the water turns into rather more turbulent and chaotic. And we wish to suppose that there is additionally a solution to navigate out of these turbulent waters into one thing a bit extra calmer and constructive.”

Two music movies have been issued thus removed from the album, “Not Lifeless But” and “Below 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 plenty of work goes into it earlier than it ever comes close to a pc. So, this argument backwards and forwards, I assume it is a digital/analog argument at occasions, y’know, on steroids, however I feel it appears superb.”

“And this AI stuff is horrifying, however it appears superb. It is fascinating to have a look at and watch. So, there’s a lot exercise in these movies. These had been the primary tracks that we thought that we’d launch as singles. And the second video, for ‘Below the Stars,’ that is an entire totally 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 person actually cares. So I simply, I’m wondering about the entire thing. They’re enjoyable to do and so they’re enjoyable to have a look at, however finally, are they a lot of a instrument anymore? I am actually unsure. I am not the one to ask…regardless that you requested me!”

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 onerous, and we did get a placement on the primary album for the track ‘Liar’ on a Netflix sequence. The identify [of the show] escapes me proper now. Yeah, I feel that that will be superior, as a result of I feel this music could be very cinematic and fairly atmospheric. Numerous the fabric I feel 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 we’ve supervisors that seek out these alternatives. So, hopefully one thing extra will come of that. However I’d like to get these form of placements.”

It is onerous to match the music of Envy of None to any particular different artist, which is an effective factor. Are there any influences from different artists that you can imagine?

“Nicely, I feel there is a comparability to Rubbish, I assume, as a result of Shirley [Manson] and Maiah are each ladies. However for me, no, I’m going into it simply with a transparent thoughts, engaged on these tasks. And I take a look at them as difficult alternatives for me to play guitar another way than I’ve ever performed it, and search for sounds which are very totally different than customary, 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 certain they might have their influences, however I actually do not know. As a result of we work on it pretty steadily, and we’re at all times targeted on it. So you are not getting in plenty of different exterior influences, not less than I do not suppose so. All people does not actually need to copy one thing else. You need to be authentic. 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 everywhere in the map.”

“However I feel we’ve a really distinctive mixture in that we’re type of old style musicians and we’re writing form of, I’d say, darker cinematic music. However with Maiah’s voice not being a ‘rock type of voice’ and being fairly fragile, it is a actually nice distinction to what the music is, which is a bit darker. So I feel in that sense, it is fairly distinctive.

How do you method Envy of None songs from a guitar standpoint?

“We get the fundamental thread of an thought. And often they’re fairly minimal. On the subject of me, I do scratch guitars, and I do not do plenty of them, however I am going to do the thematic and possibly one secondary type of guitar presence. And I do not spend an entire lot of time. I often simply use plugins and attempt to get by it very spontaneously. After which it goes to Maiah and she or he’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 similar to I’d have completed up to now with Rush music. I imply, that is my method for mapping issues out.”

“After which I type of dive into it. Generally, I begin with an acoustic, and I do acoustic stuff that finally will likely be electrical, however I discover that I can get a bit extra natural with an acoustic at occasions. And I like taking part in acoustic guitar, anyhow. So very often with this document, that was a place to begin for me, and invariably, that grew to become a signature for one more half, the place it will go into an acoustic part, or not less than supportive. After which I’d begin constructing the guitars, often, y’ know, as you may see [shows a large collection of guitars behind him], I received 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 received, I do not know if you happen to’ve checked these out but – that is the Common Audio amp pedals that they’ve [Alex displays two pedal models: Lion ’68 and Enigmatic ’82]. They’re type of new. They sound superb! I am a pedal man for certain, however I am not this type of pedal man – like, emulating guitar sounds. However I did the factor for the TONEX, the place they did my entire catalog of amps. Oh, it is unimaginable. And there is a entire new era, I assume it is pushed AI, an entire new era of those sorts of issues that actually emulate the guitar sound.”

“Digital guitar, like plugins, at all times 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 completed one thing concerning the backside finish of these plugins, which had been missing up to now. They appear to have conquered that impediment. And now these pedals and people plugins like TONEX are an unimaginable step into making it rather more handy and nonetheless sustaining an important, nice, nice guitar sound.”

Do you suppose Envy of None could play some exhibits in help of the brand new album?

“Oh, we might like to. We maintain speaking about it. I feel {that a} evening in a smallish theater with a pleasant, refined gentle present with two albums value 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 onerous to get motivated to spend so much of effort and time to do one thing that it should value you to do it. At the very least these are the preliminary responses that that we have gotten. However we’re holding out hope that possibly there’s a possibility to do even a handful of gigs as a type 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 often 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 residence, and I like to return 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 after I’m in right here. So, I am going to spend time right here.”

“I play a bit little bit of golf, and I used to be going to say some tennis sometimes. And I make my very own meals, I cook dinner my very own meals. I am very acutely aware about my weight loss program and the way I am consuming now, in order that type of fills my day. And as soon as per week or so, I am going to 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, referred to 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, and so they present so many alternative therapies. And it’s totally calm and quiet – no telephones, no music. It is nearly virtually zenning out and diving into this – ingesting plenty 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 gradual motility. So, meals stays in my abdomen for ten or twelve hours reasonably than two or three hours.”

“So, I actually need to eat very rigorously, and I’ve to be very selective about how I eat and never cross that line, as a result of it is onerous 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 yr. I used to be depressing for just about a yr and a half…till I went to Vivamayr, and so they 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 kind of particular person. I am lazy and I simply do not work onerous on the subject of issues I do not need to do. However this, for the primary time in my life, simply modified every little thing, 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 feel 15 or 20 kilos earlier than that. So I am down near 40 kilos in a yr and a half.”

“And if I am cautious and I eat correctly, I can reside 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 appreciate. You form of take it each day, however now I do not need to really feel crappy anymore, ever once more. So, I’ve turn out to be 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 is not a alternative. That is what I’ve to do to take care of an honest, snug life.”

When the Victor album [1996’s self-titled] and Geddy’s solo album [2000’s My Favourite Headache] had been reissued final yr, I hoped possibly you’ll play exhibits collectively and carry out materials off these albums for the primary time ever. Was that ever a consideration?

“No, however it’s not a nasty thought. 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 wished 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 after I stripped every little thing down, I noticed that I would gone so overboard after I recorded the document…I had six tracks of guitars taking part in the identical factor. Like, ‘Okay, doubling is okay. However do it’s essential to have six tracks simply to have that dense ’90s type of sound?'”

“After which after 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 little thing. I used to be a lot happier – the underside finish felt higher. A lot happier with the mixes. It is onerous to return 20 years and revisit one thing, or 30 years revisit one thing, that was so vital, however you’ve got gone past it now. Nevertheless it was an important train for me to have a second probability at it.”

Do you ever return and take heed to Rush’s music?

“Not likely. Each infrequently I hear a observe and…I’ve by no means been capable of separate myself from the man that labored on that music that wished it to be higher. So, every little thing that I hear I feel might be higher. I simply deal with, ‘Oh, why did I play that little factor? Or this.’ It is onerous to only sit again and hear. And I feel that is most likely fairly widespread for anyone that information music. However, yeah, possibly I am going to have a hear extra usually.”

I just lately went again and re-read fairly just a few of Neil Peart‘s lyrics, as a result of I used to be placing collectively an inventory of a few of his finest 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 era. Yeah, he was a really, very gifted lyricist. He was an important observer, and that is the place he wrote from. I feel 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 feel “Shedding It” is certainly one of his finest 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 ‘Shedding It,’ boy, it’s totally, very poignant. All of us face that.”

Particularly as I am getting older, that track type of takes on a brand new that 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 fashionable music, to be trustworthy with you. I take that again – I heard a band final week, referred to 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 taken with looking for it anymore. These days are over for me, the place I would go to the document retailer and purchase an album and take it dwelling and undergo that entire course of.”

“I do what I do. I would a lot reasonably take heed to music I create nowadays. And I do plenty 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 beneath the radar, no one is aware of who it’s or what it’s. It is simply very nice music within the background. Fashionable music, pop music, all that stuff, I can not stand it, actually – to be trustworthy with you. It is nearly dancing and leaping round. And I actually do not have plenty of respect for it.”

My daughter is a really huge fan of Taylor Swift. And whereas that is not the music I sometimes take heed to, after I do hear it, I’ve to present credit score that she does a wide range of types. It is not predictable – it isn’t a identical type she at all times does.

“I am precisely the identical as you. I am not accustomed to her music – I do know just a few songs. I do know a Taylor Swift track as quickly because it comes on, which is nice. However she’s a participant, and she or he’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 figure was reported to be $197 million] A protracted tour – it was a few years. However she thinks like we at all times thought.”

“And once more, I am not a fan of that type of music – I feel it is effectively completed 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 big affect that she has. Very, very constructive affect she has on her so loyal viewers. It is unimaginable. I’ve complete 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 this moment, 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 Girls, from the Rheostatics. We have been engaged on this for some time. It is an fascinating challenge, 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 plenty 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 every now and then – I’ve one challenge right here on my desktop with him. So, I am taking part in loads. I play every single day. I play earlier than I’m going to mattress for an hour, as an absolute. However often, I am getting not less than three or 4 hours of guitar taking part in in every single day. So, it is all good.”