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, points of his private life, and even a couple of Rush-related subjects.
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 nicely. I clearly knew Andy [who was previously a member of Canadian rockers Coney Hatch], however I did not know Alf that nicely, and I did not know Maiah in any respect. And we actually got here collectively and labored as a workforce on that properly, remotely. So, we might share our information and all of that stuff. Properly, we made the second document that manner, too. And I believe 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 believe that this document is extra mature. It exhibits extra confidence on our half. I believe we achieved all of the targets that we’re after. It wasn’t a lot of in search of issues because it was as soon as the concepts have been set, then we simply adopted by means of. There’s extra substance to this document.”
“I am soloing extra on this document, which is sort of a pleasant factor. It is a bit heavier, I believe. It is a bit rockier in a manner, however there’s additionally plenty of cool, funky stuff. And I believe the variability is nice. 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 hearken to.”
“After which there’s Maiah. Maiah sits on high of all the things 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 attention-grabbing 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 circulation down the River Styx, as you method the gates of hell, the water turns into far more turbulent and chaotic. And we prefer 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 Useless 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 essential to have singles and movies. So, ‘Not Useless But,’ we employed a videographer from Argentina to do the primary video. It is an AI generated video, however my understanding is a whole lot of work goes into it earlier than it ever comes close to a pc. So, this argument forwards and backwards, I suppose it is a digital/analog argument at occasions, y’know, on steroids, however I believe it appears to be like superb.”
“And this AI stuff is frightening, nevertheless it appears to be like superb. It is attention-grabbing to take 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 totally different method.”
“However I suppose 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 ponder about the entire thing. They’re enjoyable to do and so they’re enjoyable to take a look at, however finally, are they a lot of a device anymore? I am actually unsure. I am not the one to ask…despite the fact 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 laborious, and we did get a placement on the primary album for the tune ‘Liar’ on a Netflix collection. The identify [of the show] escapes me proper now. Yeah, I believe that that might be superior, as a result of I believe this music may be very cinematic and fairly atmospheric. Plenty of the fabric I believe would match nice for, like, ‘Not Useless But,’ for the following Bond film? Wow. What an amazing tune that might be for the following Bond film. And we have now supervisors that search out these alternatives. So, hopefully one thing extra will come of that. However I might like to get these type of placements.”
It is laborious to check the music of Envy of None to any particular different artist, which is an efficient factor. Are there any influences from different artists that you can imagine?
“Properly, I believe there is a comparability to Rubbish, I suppose, as a result of Shirley [Manson] and Maiah are each girls. However for me, no, I am going into it simply with a transparent thoughts, engaged on these tasks. And I have 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.”
“If you happen to 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 a whole lot of different exterior influences, a minimum of I do not assume so. Everyone does not actually wish to copy one thing else. You wish to be authentic. However actually there are flavors of different issues – there is a ’60s vibe that I hear, there is a ’90s vibe that I hear. We’re type of a bit all around the map.”
“However I believe we have now a really distinctive mixture in that we’re sort of old skool musicians and we’re writing type of, I might say, darker cinematic music. However with Maiah’s voice not being a ‘rock sort of voice’ and being fairly fragile, it is a actually nice distinction to what the music is, which is a bit darker. So I believe 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 concept. And normally they’re fairly minimal. In the case of me, I do scratch guitars, and I do not do a whole lot of them, however I will do the thematic and possibly one secondary sort of guitar presence. And I do not spend an entire lot of time. I normally simply use plugins and attempt to get by means of 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 achieved previously with Rush music. I imply, that is my method for mapping issues out.”
“After which I sort of dive into it. Typically, I begin with an acoustic, and I do acoustic stuff that finally can 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 turned a signature for an additional half, the place it could go into an acoustic part, or a minimum of supportive. After which I might begin constructing the guitars, normally, y’ know, as you’ll be able to see [shows a large collection of guitars behind him], I obtained 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 obtained, I do not know in the event 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 sort of new. They sound superb! I am a pedal man for positive, however I am not this sort of pedal man – like, emulating guitar sounds. However I did the factor for the TONEX, the place they did my complete catalog of amps. Oh, it is unimaginable. And there is a complete new era, I suppose 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 achieved one thing concerning the backside finish of these plugins, which have been missing previously. They appear to have conquered that impediment. And now these pedals and people plugins like TONEX are an unimaginable step into making it far 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 would like to. We maintain speaking about it. I believe {that a} evening in a smallish theater with a pleasant, refined gentle present with two albums value of fabric could 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, could 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 will price you to do it. At the 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 sort 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 health club on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. At 9:00, I come again. That is my studio in my house, and I like to come back 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 wish to do after I’m in right here. So, I will 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 food regimen and the way I am consuming now, in order that sort of fills my day. And as soon as every week or so, I will 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 is very calm and quiet – no telephones, no music. It is nearly nearly zenning out and diving into this – consuming a whole lot of water, tea, there is no 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 sluggish motility. So, meals stays in my abdomen for ten or twelve hours slightly than two or three hours.”
“So, I actually should eat very fastidiously, 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, and so they simply taught me take management of how I am consuming, what to eat, when to eat. And it is simply exceptional.”
“As a result of I am not usually that sort of particular person. I am lazy and I simply do not work laborious in terms of issues I do not wish to do. However this, for the primary time in my life, simply modified all the things, 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 believe 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 contented, comparatively regular life. If I do not, then I undergo. So, you do not wish to really feel crappy I’ve come to understand. You type of take it daily, however now I do not wish to really feel crappy anymore, ever once more. So, I’ve develop into 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 isn’t a selection. 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] have been reissued final 12 months, I hoped possibly you’d play exhibits collectively and carry out materials off these albums for the primary time ever. Was that ever a consideration?
“No, nevertheless it’s not a nasty concept. We by no means even thought of one thing like that. Yeah, that might have been one thing to contemplate. 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 all the things down, I spotted 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 ok. However do you could have six tracks simply to have that dense ’90s sort 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 all the things. 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 essential, however you have gone past it now. But it surely was an amazing train for me to have a second probability at it.”
Do you ever return and hearken to Rush’s music?
“Not likely. Each occasionally I hear a monitor and…I’ve by no means been in a position to separate myself from the man that labored on that music that needed it to be higher. So, all the things that I hear I believe might be higher. I simply concentrate on, ‘Oh, why did I play that little factor? Or this.’ It is laborious to simply sit again and hear. And I believe that is most likely fairly frequent for anyone that data music. However, yeah, possibly I will have a hear extra typically.”
I not too long ago went again and re-read fairly a couple of of Neil Peart‘s lyrics, as a result of I used to be placing collectively a listing 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 type of actually cool interval from the extra ‘fantasy’ period – as a result of it is simply so descriptive and colourful, the lyrics in that tune. ‘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 believe 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 believe “Shedding It” is one in all his finest lyrics ever.
“Yeah. That and ‘The Backyard.’ ‘The Backyard,’ actually, for its time when that tune 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 ‘Shedding It,’ boy, it is very, very poignant. All of us face that.”
Particularly as I am getting older, that tune sort 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 hearken 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 no good music round, there may be. I am simply not concerned with 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 complete course of.”
“I do what I do. I would a lot slightly hearken to music I create lately. And I do a whole lot 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. 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 a whole lot of respect for it.”
My daughter is a really huge fan of Taylor Swift. And whereas that is not the music I sometimes hearken to, after I do hear her it, I’ve to present credit score that she does quite a lot of types. It isn’t predictable – it isn’t a identical fashion she at all times does.
“I am precisely the identical as you. I am not aware of her music – I do know a couple of songs. I do know a Taylor Swift tune 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 sort of music – I believe it is nicely achieved 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 unimaginable. I’ve whole respect for her.”
Future plans?
“Properly, 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 attention-grabbing 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 a whole lot 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 loads. I play every single day. I play earlier than I am going to mattress for an hour, as an absolute. However normally, I am getting a minimum of three or 4 hours of guitar enjoying in every single day. So, it is all good.”
