Way back in 1993, Devin Townsend was recruited to sing on Steve Vai's album Sex & Religion. Townsend toured with Vai for a little while after, but would eventually split off and go focus on creating Strapping Young Lad and producing other people's albums. Townsend and Vai would eventually reunite on Townsend's 2016 record Empath, where Vai contributed some additional guitars to the track "Here Comes the Sun!" Though that's not where their newfound musical collaborations ends.
In an interview with Loaded Radio, Townsend said Vai was recently at his house and they were working together on the long-talked-about rock opera The Moth. "We have a good relationship and he's involved with The Moth," said Townsend.
"[Steve is] a very important person in my life for a lot of reasons. But after so many years, we can be honest with each other too. And I think that where a lot of times collaborative efforts fall apart is everybody has to pussyfoot around each other. Specifically, if you're both even reasonably accomplished in terms of putting out material, a lot of times collaborations with other musicians end up — everybody's very, very careful with each other's ideas.
"As opposed to saying, 'Hey, no. I listened to the idea and I appreciate it, but it's not for me. I don't like it.' Sometimes that falls apart with people that don't have these more long-term relationships. And Steve and I now are in a position where when we do get together and we do jam and we do talk about concepts, we can vet each other's ideas from a place of more objective creative analysis. And I value that greatly, specifically with somebody who, again, is so accomplished. It's a great experience… I think what's important about that as well is the reason why we're able to still communicate is because we've gone through difficult periods."
Townsend didn't offer a concrete timeframe on when The Moth might be out, only noting that he's working on it.
"Well, I think it's a work in progress in that what we're working on together with The Moth is rooted in something that I've already written. So when he comes here, a lot of it is just, like, he has ideas. He's, like, 'What if we tried this? What if the chorus was doubled?', things like that. So in an immediate sense, The Moth, the performances that we start with, because we're doing performances of it with the orchestra prior to the record coming out, happens in March of 2025.
"But then where it evolves with Steve and I — I guess the thing that is frustrating to some of the audience is I personally am in no rush with any of these things. So, the honest answer is when it's ready, it'll be out. And what plays into when that is, is just everybody's so busy. There's no direct plans, but it's already in the process. That's a copout of an answer, but it's an answer nonetheless."
