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, facets of his private life, and even a couple of Rush-related matters.
How would you examine 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 effectively. I clearly knew Andy [who was previously a member of Canadian rockers Coney Hatch], however I did not know Alf that effectively, 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’d share our information and all of that stuff. Nicely, we made the second document that approach, too. And I believe we benefited from the primary document and attending to know one another just a little 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 reveals 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 way of. There’s extra substance to this document.”
“I am soloing extra on this document, which is form of a pleasant factor. It is just a little heavier, I believe. It is just a little rockier in a approach, however there’s additionally a lot of cool, funky stuff. And I believe 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, an exquisite document to take heed to.”
“After which there’s Maiah. Maiah sits on prime of every thing else. She’s genius on this document, and he or she’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 stream down the River Styx, as you method the gates of hell, the water turns into way more turbulent and chaotic. And we wish to suppose that there is additionally a strategy to navigate out of these turbulent waters into one thing just a little extra calmer and optimistic.”
Two music movies have been issued thus removed from the album, “Not Useless But” and “Underneath 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 numerous work goes into it earlier than it ever comes close to a pc. So, this argument backwards and forwards, I suppose it is a digital/analog argument at instances, y’know, on steroids, however I believe it appears to be like wonderful.”
“And this AI stuff is frightening, however it appears to be like wonderful. 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’d launch as singles. And the second video, for ‘Underneath the Stars,’ that is a complete completely 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 one actually cares. So I simply, I’m wondering about the entire thing. They’re enjoyable to do they usually’re enjoyable to take a look at, however in the end, are they a lot of a device anymore? I am actually undecided. I am not the one to ask…though 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 exhausting, and we did get a placement on the primary album for the music ‘Liar’ on a Netflix collection. The identify [of the show] escapes me proper now. Yeah, I believe that that may be superior, as a result of I believe this music may be very cinematic and fairly atmospheric. A variety of the fabric I believe would match nice for, like, ‘Not Useless But,’ for the following Bond film? Wow. What an ideal music that may be for the following Bond film. And now we have supervisors that search out these alternatives. So, hopefully one thing extra will come of that. However I’d like to get these form of placements.”
It is exhausting 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?
“Nicely, 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 take a look at them as difficult alternatives for me to play guitar otherwise than I’ve ever performed it, and search for sounds which might be very completely different than commonplace, conventional guitar sounds. So for me personally, it is a actually nice train in exploration and increasing my boundaries.”
“When 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 numerous different outdoors influences, at the least I do not suppose so. All people does not actually need to copy one thing else. You need to be unique. 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 form of just a little everywhere in the map.”
“However I believe now we have a really distinctive mixture in that we’re form of old style musicians and we’re writing form of, I’d say, darker cinematic music. However with Maiah’s voice not being a ‘rock form of voice’ and being fairly fragile, it is a actually nice distinction to what the music is, which is just a little 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 relation to me, I do scratch guitars, and I do not do numerous them, however I am going to do the thematic and perhaps one secondary form of guitar presence. And I do not spend a complete lot of time. I normally simply use plugins and attempt to get by way of it very spontaneously. After which it goes to Maiah and he or she’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’d have completed up to now with Rush music. I imply, that is my formulation for mapping issues out.”
“After which I form of dive into it. Typically, I begin with an acoustic, and I do acoustic stuff that in the end might be electrical, however I discover that I can get just a little extra natural with an acoustic at instances. And I really like enjoying acoustic guitar, in any case. 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 at the least supportive. After which I’d begin constructing the guitars, normally, y’ know, as you possibly can see [shows a large collection of guitars behind him], I bought 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 bought, I do not know when 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 form of new. They sound wonderful! I am a pedal man for positive, however I am not this form 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, a complete 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 completed one thing in regards to 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 unimaginable step into making it way more handy and nonetheless sustaining an ideal, nice, nice guitar sound.”
Do you suppose Envy of None might play some reveals in help of the brand new album?
“Oh, we would like to. We hold speaking about it. I believe {that a} evening in a smallish theater with a pleasant, delicate mild present with two albums price of fabric can be an evening of simply lovely, nice, very emotional music. However, it is troublesome to get the logistics in place. These are very troublesome, difficult instances for us – to do a gig, or gigs, can be a monetary loss. So, it is exhausting to get motivated to spend so much of effort and time to do one thing that it should price you to do it. At the very least these are the preliminary responses that that we have gotten. However we’re holding out hope that perhaps there’s a possibility to do even a handful of gigs as a form 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 residence, 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 need to do once I’m in right here. So, I am going to spend time right here.”
“I play just a little little bit of golf, and I used to be going to say some tennis often. And I make my very own meals, I prepare dinner my very own meals. I am very acutely aware about my weight loss program and the way I am consuming now, in order that form 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 speak about 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, they usually present so many alternative therapies. And it’s totally calm and quiet – no telephones, no music. It is nearly virtually zenning out and diving into this – consuming numerous 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 moderately than two or three hours.”
“So, I actually need to 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 exhausting 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 the right way 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 kind of individual. I am lazy and I simply do not work exhausting on the subject of 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 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 dwell a contented, comparatively regular life. If I do not, then I undergo. So, you do not need to really feel crappy I’ve come to understand. You form of take it each day, however now I do not need to really feel crappy anymore, ever once more. So, I’ve turn 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 alternative. That is what I’ve to do to keep up a good, 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 perhaps you’ll play reveals 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 concept. We by no means even considered one thing like that. Yeah, that may 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 vibrant. Backside finish actually wasn’t there. So, it gave me a second alternative to try this. And once I stripped every thing down, I noticed that I might gone so overboard once I recorded the document…I had six tracks of guitars enjoying the identical factor. Like, ‘Okay, doubling is ok. However do you’ll want to have six tracks simply to have that dense ’90s form of sound?'”
“After which once I stripped all of it down right here, I blended 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 exhausting 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 ideal train for me to have a second likelihood at it.”
Do you ever return and take heed to Rush’s music?
“Not likely. Each on occasion I hear a observe 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, every thing that I hear I believe might be higher. I simply give attention to, ‘Oh, why did I play that little factor? Or this.’ It is exhausting to only sit again and pay attention. And I believe that is in all probability fairly widespread for anyone that information music. However, yeah, perhaps I am going to have a pay attention extra usually.”
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 an inventory of a few of his greatest lyrics for a web site 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 form 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 a complete era. Yeah, he was a really, very gifted lyricist. He was an ideal 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 among his greatest 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 may be the closing quantity for Rush’s life. And ‘Shedding It,’ boy, it’s totally, very poignant. All of us face that.”
Particularly as I am getting older, that music form 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 take heed to any fashionable music, to be sincere with you. I take that again – I heard a band final week, referred to as Måneskin. They’re an Italian band. Wonderful. They sounded actually, actually good. I am not saying there is no good music round, there may be. I am simply not fascinated about looking for it anymore. These days are over for me, the place I might 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 might a lot moderately take heed to music I create today. And I do numerous 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 person is aware of who it’s or what it’s. It is simply very nice music within the background. Fashionable music, pop music, all that stuff, I can not stand it, actually – to be sincere with you. It is nearly dancing and leaping round. And I actually do not have numerous respect for it.”
My daughter is a really massive fan of Taylor Swift. And whereas that is not the music I sometimes take heed to, once I do hear her it, I’ve to present credit score that she does a wide range of kinds. It isn’t predictable – it isn’t a similar type she at all times does.
“I am precisely the identical as you. I am not accustomed to her music – I do know a couple of songs. I do know a Taylor Swift music as quickly because it comes on, which is nice. However she’s a participant, and he or she’s a author, and the way in which 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 form of music – I believe it is effectively completed 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 way in which she does, and the large 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?
“Nicely, I am gonna end this cup of tea and have one other one, and go on and do one other 50 interviews as we speak, 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 venture, 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 numerous 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 every so often – I’ve one venture right here on my desktop with him. So, I am enjoying quite a bit. 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 at the least three or 4 hours of guitar enjoying in every single day. So, it is all good.”