“I didn’t want it to be too Alex Lifeson-like – solos, for me, have never been this flashy thing”: How Alex Lifeson’s approach to lead playing is different in Envy Of None
Alex Lifeson says he is “challenging” himself when it comes to writing lead guitar for Envy Of None, the band he formed back in 2022.
In an interview in the latest print edition of Prog magazine, the former Rush guitarist talks about his writing process for the band’s upcoming sophomore album, Stygian Wavz, and how it differed from their self-titled debut.
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“I didn’t want it to be too Alex Lifeson-like,” he says. “I had a lot of fun because solos, for me, have never been this flashy thing and trying to be a show-off. Solos are an integral part of the song that bring home a point to the song, and I like to think the solos that I do connect very closely with what the one is about.
“It’s one more part of the main body of the song and it doesn’t stand out as this singular moment. I want it to feel that it’s in service to the song.”
That decision and process stems from wanting to give vocalist Maiah Wynne space to showcase her voice. “I am challenging myself,” he says. “I have to be more delicate at times, and I have to step back and acknowledge and celebrate the amazing vocalist that’s in this band.”
Bandmate and bassist Andy Curran, formerly of Coney Hatch, agrees. “The solos that Alex has added usually come after Maiah’s scratch vocals where it feels like it needs to go somewhere,” he adds. “The solo punctuates the song and it’s right there. I don’t ever get the impression that Alex has popped something in so that he could shred or show off. It’s always about the song and taking it to a plateau level.
“The courtesy that we show each other and the amount of rope we give each other is great. I’ve been in bands before where there’s been a lot of turmoil and turf wars, and there’s nothing bad in Envy Of None.”
Following the dissolution of Rush, Lifeson began work on what would become Envy Of None eventually. In 2021 he released the instrumental tracks Kabul Blues and Spy House under a self-titled project name, which Curran also played bass on.
In January 2022, the first Envy Of None single, Liar, was released, and a few months later the first album arrived, which featured all three tracks. The final track on the album, Western Sunset, is a tribute to Lifeson’s former Rush bandmate, Neil Peart.
Stygian Wavz lands this month via Kscope. Head to Envy Of None’s website for more info. Listen to its title track below:
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