The project sees Lifeson working with Coney Hatch founder/bassist Andy Curran, producer and engineer Alfio Annibalini, and singer-songwriter Maiah Wynne for the record.
It was Wynne’s introduction to the project that made a notable impression on the other members of the lineup.
“I sent over an early version of the song Shadow,” explains Curran about the work done remotely from different locations. “When I played what she’d done back to the others they were like, ‘Who is this crazy talented person?!’”
“Maiah became my muse,” says Lifeson. “She was able to bring this whole new ethereal thing through her sense of melody on tracks like ‘Liar’ and ‘Look Inside’. After hearing her vocals on ‘Never Said I Love You’, I felt so excited. I’ve never had that kind of inspiration working with another musician. When we say she’s special, it’s because she’s really f**king special!”
Lifeson wrote the album closer, “Western Sunset”, in tribute to his dear friend Neil Peart.
“I visited Neil when he was ill,” recalls Lifeson. “I was on his balcony watching the sunset and found inspiration. There’s a finality about a sunset that kinda stayed with me throughout the whole process. It had meaning. It was the perfect mood to decompress after all these different textures… a nice way to close the book.”
Lifeson and Rush performed their final concert in Los Angeles in 2015; Peart passed away in 2020 at the age of 67 after a three-and-a-half year battle with Glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Envy Of None
"Envy Of None"
Release date: April 8
01. Never Said I Love You
02. Shadow
03. Look Inside
04. Liar
05. Spy House
06. Dog's Life
07. Kabul Blues
08. Old Strings
09. Dumb
10. Enemy
11. Western Sunset
See also:
Rush stream 1981 performance of Moving Pictures classic Limelight
Alex Lifeson archives auction to feature vintage guitars and Rush memorabilia
Rush release YYZ video from Moving Pictures 40th anniversary reissue
Alex Lifeson‘s Envy Of None debut Look Inside video
Search Rush at hennemusic
