Former Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson revealed during an interview with Steve Black of WIRF that he has been creating different sounds with Envy of None from what he made in Rush.
Rush members had been together for more than 40 years when they decided to stop performing in 2018 because of Neil Peart’s death. After losing such a significant member, they thought the band would not be the same without him.
While Alex Lifeson was continuing his solo career, he announced the band he formed called Envy of None. The band released a self-titled album, including the singles ‘Liar’ and ‘Look Aside.’ ‘Kabul Blues’ and ‘Spy House’ were also the first songs in 2021. The album has rock, electronica, and psychedelic sounds that differentiate it from Rush’s traditional rock style.
In the previous interviews, Lifeson explained that although Rush had a special meaning in his life, he would create different sounds in his upcoming works. He prepared the Rush audience by mentioning that they would encounter something distinctive. Lifeson has always stressed in the interviews that he tried to create something fresh and original to amaze the audience.
Lifeson revealed that Envy of None is different from Rush during a recent conversation, but it also reflects his music approach. He indicated that he had enjoyed surprising people who have offered to work with him by creating something they did not expect. Lifeson also added that he is full of new ideas different from the works he did in Rush.
Alex Lifeson explained in the interview:
“Well, I guess I’m not sure I know what I sound like. This is so different from Rush, but very much along the lines of what I’ve been doing for years, you know? When I get an offer to play on another person’s record, this is my approach; I always look for something that’s unexpected.
And so far, I’ve done really well on that. I get a lot of comments like, ‘I would never have thought that part would work, but it’s perfect, thank you.’ That’s what gratifying and rewarding to me is, to come up with something that someone doesn’t expect. Because, yeah, someone might have a preconceived idea of what Alex Lifeson from Rush is if you listen to Rush music, but that’s not the only music that I have in my head.”
Alex Lifeson has shown his audience that he is passionate about creating music with his new ideas. As he indicated in the interviews, he wanted to get out of his comfort zone and surprise people. Lifeson has proved this to the audience and other musicians by creating distinctive works in Envy of None.
You can watch the interview below.
