Alex Lifeson, as one of the founding members of Rush, throughout his career has been able to explore more musical ground than just about any other guitar player out there – taking rock to new progressive heights throughout the decades and always in the most wildly inventive of ways. His influence can be heard on countless bands around the world, from indie shoegaze and math rock to heavy metal and beyond. Over the last few years Lifeson has been focusing on a new project that, no matter how well-acquainted you are with his discography, will undoubtedly shatter all seeds of expectation and blow the mind. That project is Envy Of None.
Envy Of None also feature Coney Hatch founder/bassist Andy Curran, accomplished producer and engineer Alfio Annibalini and singer-songwriter Maiah Wynne, and their self-titled debut album will be released on April 8 via Kscope. Its 11 tracks – which ricochet between various shades of alternative, experimental and synth rock – throw surprises at every turn, twisting dark melodies against contemporary pop hooks. Lifeson himself is proudly aware of how little of it crosses over with the band that made him famous.
The album closer, ""Western Sunset, which was penned by Alex Lifeson in tribute to his dear friend Neil Peart. It’s a highly emotive piece of music to honour a man deeply missed by the rock community at large, and even more so by those who were lucky enough to know him. “I visited Neil when he was ill,” says Alex Lifeson. “I was on his balcony watching the sunset and found inspiration. There’s a finality about a sunset that kinda stayed with me throughout the whole process. It had meaning. It was the perfect mood to decompress after all these different textures… a nice way to close the book.”
Curran recently guested on Montreal Rocks, and during the interview he discussed the making of the track "Western Sunset".
Curran: "After I did 'Spy House' and 'Kabul Blues', Alex called me and said, 'I'm working on something and it's really - I don't like my baseline. And it's just really an instrumental piece...' So, 'Western Sunset' came along. He didn't tell me anything about it, other than it's an acoustic piece - 'I hate my baseline'. We started talking about when we got to about seven or eight songs (for Envy Of None), Alex said, 'How do you guys feel about maybe talking about including 'Spy House', 'Kabul Blues', and 'Western Sunset'? And maybe you can put some vocals on it?'
So Maiah, who was always up for the challenge said, 'Yes, send them over. I'm going to start writing lyrics for it'. So, she finishes 'Spy House', she finishes 'Kabul Blues', everybody loves it. And then she says to Alex, 'I'm having a real problem with 'Western Sunset'. Can you tell me what inspired you to write that song?' And that's when the story about Neil came out. I can paraphrase for you, but Alex and Geddy, knowing that Neil had been sick for quite some time - the world didn't know this probably about three years - where the little family group of SRO / Anthem knew that Neil had this terminal sickness. So Geddy and Alex - myself not so much, I went down a couple times to see Neil in California - but those guys were going down quite a lot.
So, on this one particular visit, Alex told me he was out on at Neil's house in Santa Monica, and they were on the balcony, and they were overlooking the ocean. They were laughing and giggling, and probably smoking joints and drinking whiskey, which they always loved to do. And those two guys... actually the three guys in Rush, when they're together, they act like the Three Stooges. They act like they're 16 year-olds; that was the very first thing I noticed about working with Rush. When I went into the studio, and they were doing the Feedback EP. I was like, 'Oh my God, these guys are acting like they're high school chums joking around'. So there was a very close connection between Alex and Neil and their sense of humor. He walked away with that moment, as a very special moment where he was with his buddy that he didn't know how long was going to be around for they were having some laughs on the balcony and just the sun was setting in the West. So he told that to Maiah and I had never heard that story. She tried to write lyrics for it... and they both agreed at the end, that it would be best served as an instrumental. It just wasn't coming out how they wanted it to be.
Then Alex came up with a great idea to close the record with it."
The album’s first single to be released, "Liar", is a track full of industrial beats, driving fuzz bass and atmospheric guitars that concoct a seductive swirl, thrilling in ways closer to the darker art rock of Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle than anything these musicians have been known for prior.
“Maiah became my muse,” continues Alex Lifeson. “She was able to bring this whole new ethereal thing through her sense of melody on tracks like 'Liar' and 'Look Inside'. After hearing her vocals on 'Never Said I Love You', I felt so excited. I’ve never had that kind of inspiration working with another musician. When we say she’s special, it’s because she’s really fucking special!”
The album will be released on the following formats and is available for pre-order here:
- Ltd Edition deluxe version – presented in a gatefold sleeve with a blue coloured vinyl LP, 2 CDs including a 5 track bonus disc, 28 page Booklet with exclusive content.
Note: Golden ticket!! Envy Of None, in partnership with Epiphone & Gibson Guitars, are giving away an Alex Lifeson Axcess Standard Signature Les Paul guitar to one lucky fan who finds the “golden ticket” in the deluxe edition. For full terms & conditions, head here.
- CD – includes a 16 page poster booklet
- LP – on black vinyl / baby blue coloured vinyl (North America exclusive) / white coloured vinyl
- Digital
Envy Of None tracklisting:
"Never Said I Love You"
"Shadow"
"Look Inside"
"Liar"
"Spy House"
"Dog's Life"
"Kabul Blues"
"Old Strings"
"Dumb"
"Enemy"
"Western Sunset"
"Liar" lyric video:
Envy Of None are:
Alf Annibalini - Guitar, Keyboards, Programming
Andy Curran - Bass Guitar, Synthesized Bass, Programming, Guitar, Background Vocals, Stylophone
Alex Lifeson- Guitar, Mandola, Banjo, Programming
Maiah Wynne - Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Keyboards
