And that is particularly evident on their sophomore full-length, Stygian Waves, issued on March 28, 2025 by way of 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, features of his private life, and even just a few Rush-related matters.
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 properly. I clearly knew Andy [who was previously a member of Canadian rockers Coney Hatch], however I did not know Alf that properly, and I did not know Maiah in any respect. And we actually got here collectively and labored as a group on that properly, remotely. So, we might share our recordsdata and all of that stuff. Effectively, we made the second document that approach, 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 targets that we’re after. It wasn’t a lot of searching for issues because it was as soon as the concepts have been set, then we simply adopted via. 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 approach, however there’s additionally a number of cool, funky stuff. And I feel the variability 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, a beautiful document to take heed to.”
“After which there’s Maiah. Maiah sits on high of every 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 particular which means?
‘No. Stygian waves are from mythology, and are the turbulent waves on the gates of hell. As you stream down the River Styx, as you method the gates of hell, the water turns into rather more turbulent and chaotic. And we wish to assume that there is additionally a solution to navigate out of these turbulent waters into one thing a bit extra calmer and optimistic.”
Two music movies have been issued thus removed from the album, “Not Lifeless But” and “Beneath the Stars.”
“I am not a singles man, personally. However I perceive that there is some significance, and the document firm feels it is necessary 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 lots 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 feel it appears to be like superb.”
“And this AI stuff is frightening, however it appears to be like superb. It is fascinating to have 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 might launch as singles. And the second video, for ‘Beneath the Stars,’ that is an entire completely different method.”
“However I assume they’re efficient instruments to take, get folks’s consideration for moments, however nobody has an consideration span anymore. No one actually cares. So I simply, I ponder about the entire thing. They’re enjoyable to do they usually’re enjoyable to have a look at, however in the end, are they a lot of a device anymore? I am actually unsure. I am not the one to ask…although 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 laborious, and we did get a placement on the primary album for the music ‘Liar’ on a Netflix collection. The title [of the show] escapes me proper now. Yeah, I feel that that might be superior, as a result of I feel this music may be very cinematic and fairly atmospheric. A number of the fabric I feel would match nice for, like, ‘Not Lifeless But,’ for the subsequent Bond film? Wow. What an amazing music that might 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 kind of placements.”
It is laborious to check 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?
“Effectively, 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 can be very completely different than customary, conventional guitar sounds. So for me personally, it is a actually nice train in exploration and increasing my boundaries.”
“Should you 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 at all times centered on it. So you are not getting in lots of different exterior influences, not less than I do not assume so. All people would 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 kind of a bit all around the map.”
“However I feel now we have a really distinctive mixture in that we’re type of old fashioned musicians and we’re writing kind of, I might 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 essential thread of an thought. And normally they’re fairly minimal. In relation to me, I do scratch guitars, and I do not do lots 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 normally simply use plugins and attempt to get via 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 like I might have finished up to now with Rush music. I imply, that is my system for mapping issues out.”
“After which I type of dive into it. Typically, I begin with an acoustic, and I do acoustic stuff that in the end will probably be electrical, however I discover that I can get a bit extra natural with an acoustic at occasions. And I like enjoying 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 might go into an acoustic part, or not less than supportive. After which I might begin constructing the guitars, normally, 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 should you’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 positive, 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 unbelievable. And there is a entire new era, I assume it is pushed AI, an entire new era of those sorts of issues that really emulate the guitar sound.”
“Digital guitar, like plugins, at all times sound prefer it’s taped onto the display screen. It would 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 finished one thing concerning the backside finish of these plugins, which have been missing up to now. They appear to have conquered that impediment. And now these pedals and people plugins like TONEX are an unbelievable step into making it rather more handy and nonetheless sustaining an amazing, nice, nice guitar sound.”
Do you assume Envy of None could play some exhibits in assist of the brand new album?
“Oh, we might like to. We preserve speaking about it. I feel {that a} evening in a smallish theater with a pleasant, refined 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 laborious to get motivated to spend so much of effort and time to do one thing that it’ll 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 possibly there’s a chance 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 normally up between 5:30 and 6:30. I hit the gymnasium on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. At 9:00, I come again. That is my studio in my house, 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 often. And I make my very own meals, I cook dinner my very own meals. I am very 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, 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 alternative therapies. And it’s extremely calm and quiet – no telephones, no music. It is nearly virtually zenning out and diving into this – ingesting lots of water, tea, there isn’t 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 quite than two or three hours.”
“So, I actually must 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 laborious 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 methods 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 particular person. I am lazy and I simply do not work laborious in relation to issues I do not need to do. However this, for the primary time in my life, simply modified every 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 12 months and a half.”
“And if I am cautious and I eat correctly, I can reside a cheerful, comparatively regular life. If I do not, then I undergo. So, you do not need to really feel crappy I’ve come to appreciate. You kind of take it day after day, however now I do not need to really feel crappy anymore, ever once more. So, I’ve grow 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 keep up an honest, comfy life.”
When the Victor album [1996’s self-titled] and Geddy’s solo album [2000’s My Favourite Headache] have been reissued final 12 months, 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 might 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 brilliant. Backside finish actually wasn’t there. So, it gave me a second alternative to try this. And after I stripped every thing down, I noticed that I would gone so overboard after I recorded the document…I had six tracks of guitars enjoying the identical factor. Like, ‘Okay, doubling is okay. However do you should have six tracks simply to have that dense ’90s type of sound?'”
“After which after I stripped all of it down right here, I combined 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 thing. I used to be a lot happier – the underside finish felt higher. A lot happier with the mixes. It is laborious to return 20 years and revisit one thing, or 30 years revisit one thing, that was so necessary, however you have gone past it now. Nevertheless it was an amazing train for me to have a second probability at it.”
Do you ever return and take heed to Rush’s music?
“Probably not. Each every so often I hear a observe and…I’ve by no means been capable of separate myself from the man that labored on that music that needed it to be higher. So, every thing that I hear I feel could possibly be higher. I simply deal with, ‘Oh, why did I play that little factor? Or this.’ It is laborious to only sit again and pay attention. And I feel that is most likely fairly frequent for anyone that information music. However, yeah, possibly I am going to have a pay attention extra usually.”
I 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 website 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 kind of actually cool interval from the extra ‘fantasy’ period – as a result of it is simply so descriptive and colourful, the lyrics in that music. ‘Subdivisions’ speaks to an entire era. Yeah, he was a really, very gifted lyricist. He was an amazing 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, issues round him and commenting on them extra from his personal private viewpoint.”
I feel “Dropping It” is certainly one of his finest lyrics ever.
“Yeah. That and ‘The Backyard.’ ‘The Backyard,’ actually, for its time when that music got here out, or when that album got here out [2012’s Clockwork Angels], we by no means would have anticipated that that might 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 music type 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 trustworthy with you. I take that again – I heard a band final week, known as Måneskin. They’re an Italian band. Wonderful. They sounded actually, actually good. I am not saying there isn’t any good music round, there’s. I am simply not fascinated about trying to find it anymore. These days are over for me, the place I would go to the document retailer and purchase an album and take it residence and undergo that entire course of.”
“I do what I do. I would a lot quite take heed to music I create as of late. And I do lots 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 am unable to stand it, actually – to be trustworthy with you. It is nearly dancing and leaping round. And I actually haven’t got lots of respect for it.”
My daughter is a really massive fan of Taylor Swift. And whereas that is not the music I usually take heed to, after I do hear it, I’ve to present credit score that she does quite a lot 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 aware of her music – I do know just a few songs. I do know a Taylor Swift music 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 properly finished and I give her credit score for it. However I give her tons of credit score for being the person who she is, and dealing with herself the best way she does, and the big affect that she has. Very, very optimistic affect she has on her so loyal viewers. It is unbelievable. I’ve complete respect for her.”
Future plans?
“Effectively, I am gonna end this cup of tea and have one other one, and go on and do one other 50 interviews at present, 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 fascinating 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 lots of the jams, as we progress, get higher and higher and higher, and stand alone as components.”
“I am working with a younger feminine artist on a few of her stuff. I do stuff with Marco Minnemann on occasion – I’ve one mission right here on my desktop with him. So, I am enjoying quite a bit. I play each day. I play earlier than I’m going to mattress for an hour, as an absolute. However normally, I am getting not less than three or 4 hours of guitar enjoying in each day. So, it is all good.”
