By Jim Barber
As a technique to give followers a cool new present, in addition to elevating some wanted funds for a worthy trigger, the four-piece Canadian rock band, Envy of None, which options legendary Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, his longtime buddy, Andy Curran, finest recognized for his persevering with tenure with rockers Coney Hatch and his personal solo music, alongside veteran musician/producer/music professor Alfio Annibalini and proficient American singer/songwriter Maiah Wynne, have launched a particular three-song, 12-inch ‘single’ known as ‘The Thrill.’
‘The Thrill’ options three variations of the track ‘Thrill of the Chase’ which initially appeared on Envy of None’s second studio album, Stygian Wavz, launched earlier this yr. There may be an alternate model of the album observe, the unique model and a demo. Additionally, a brand new video was created for the discharge, with all proceeds from gross sales of the 12-inch colored vinyl being donated to the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Refugees, following up the band’s earlier donation to the UNHCR’s work in Ukraine.
“I believe we actually beloved this track proper from the start and needed to have a music video for it and type of give it its personal time within the highlight. And with the primary file, [a self-titled album, released in 2022] we did a fundraiser for UNCHR and it went very well; they’ve been such a tremendous group. They’ve stored us up to date with the place the funds have gone and all of the superb work they’ve been doing. So, we actually needed to try this once more, and so it simply type of labored out that, effectively we might launch the music video we’ve all the time needed to do, launch a few alternate variations of the track and in addition assist this nice group once more. And I’m pleased we did it, and pleased that all of it type of labored out because it did,” mentioned Wynne from her house in Santa Rosa, California.
“We selected them for the fundraiser with the primary file as a result of they have been serving to Ukraine, and so they particularly assist refugees. They assist deliver assist and meals and assist assets. And it’s not only for Ukraine, they work with refugees all around the globe. It’s a tremendous group, and so they’re doing all of the exhausting work in some actually horrible conditions. With the primary fundraiser, I believe we have been capable of increase round $100,000, which is absolutely superb. I hope we’re capable of do one thing comparable this time. And, like I mentioned, they’ve simply been actually communicative, giving us a number of updates, which I don’t see taking place with numerous different organizations on the market. You type of donate and simply hope it does them good. UNHCR has been actually clear, and it’s been actually superb working with them, and seeing how they may also help folks.
“For the primary file, we all know that many of the cash went to Ukraine, largely as a result of it was a really excessive precedence on the time. I’m undecided if we’ve any affect over the place the cash goes, however we all know that they’ve specialists within the area who delegate the place it’s wanted most for the time being. I do know we have been very hopeful that it was going to Ukraine, as a result of that was type of the concept sparked it within the first place. However, truthfully, if it’s going to assist folks, that’s actually crucial factor. I do perceive that Canada is absolutely near Ukraine, and I keep in mind speaking to Alex very particularly about that, and he was feeling a really private connection to that wrestle due to his family coming over from that a part of the world, and simply actually desirous to do one thing about it.”
A singer/songwriter in her personal proper, with a pedigree of acclaimed, well-received unique music that’s nothing wanting spectacular, Wynne speaks with authority on the facility of music to remodel hearts and minds.
“There’s a lot to be mentioned about that. I believe music, particularly, is essential in darkish occasions. I believe music and laughter are two of essentially the most highly effective issues in occasions of despair. Music is therapeutic on so many ranges. It’s a technique to course of feelings. It’s a technique to join with neighborhood. It’s a technique to construct hope. It’s a technique to struggle towards issues which are hurting you and hurting these round you. It’s such a robust factor,” she mentioned.
“For me, in my life, it has been an enormous a part of my journey and therapeutic. It has saved me in some ways. It’s part of my psychological well being apply, and it has been since I used to be 14 years outdated. Earlier than I might actually even articulate my emotions, I used to be writing songs about it. That helps me via a few of the hardest issues that I’ve been via. I believe most musicians have that very same expertise the place it’s like while you don’t have the phrases and also you don’t have the power to course of one thing, music is usually a means to try this. I actually hope that individuals lean on music in these occasions. I do know I’ve been. It’s been such a robust factor for therefore many people.”
As she simply talked about, Wynne has been creating music since she was in her teenagers, taking what was a ardour and type of self-love and self-care right into a compelling and essential profession as a musician, singer/songwriter.
“I’ve all the time beloved music in a means that I can’t even put into phrases. I used to be round 15 years outdated, I believe, once I began to play exhibits for the primary time. Then I began enjoying in espresso outlets once I was 16. I left house and went to Montana. I used to be going via a extremely troublesome time in my life, and I used to be actually leaning on music emotionally. I then began specializing in the thought of this future that I needed, this profession that I needed. It was, in a means, an escape from the troublesome issues I used to be going via. I believe I simply began to place all the pieces into that, this dream and this hope that I might make a profession out of this and ignore all the pieces else that was going fallacious for some time. I believe that’s a part of why I turned so devoted to it as a result of it was this beacon of hope in all of that. I simply continued with it. I began enjoying exhibits again then and haven’t actually stopped since,” she mentioned.
“Once I began, other than Avril Lavigne, Norah Jones was my first massive vocal affect. I actually needed to sound like her. The identical with Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine, and simply her haunting and darkish, brooding music. It will ship shivers down my backbone. I used to be like, ‘I need to do this. I need to sound like that.’ But additionally, there was Thom Yorke [from Radiohead] and I additionally listened to numerous indie, people, singer/songwriter stuff. There’s a band known as Astronaut Husband, though I assume it’s only one man, however it’s type of extra underground stuff. I additionally began to get into Ben Harper. I all the time overlook, as quickly as folks ask me this query, who do I take heed to? It simply all goes out of my mind, however there are such a lot of unimaginable artists that I take heed to, and a fairly wide selection too.”
The interview was carried out over Zoom, and the intrepid, extremely observant music journalist conducting the chat seen a banjo hanging alongside different stringed devices on the wall behind Wynne as she spoke from her house mini-studio. The place did this piece of trad-folk instrumentation come from and the way did the banjo enter her musical purview?
“Once I moved to Montana for a couple of yr, I lived with my grandparents and my grandpa was a bluegrass musician. He performed banjo and mandolin. I had began to show myself each of these devices at that time. And in Montana, there’s a number of bluegrass, numerous bluegrass and people music. And that positively influenced me rather a lot for the few years that I lived there. And, you realize, your atmosphere shapes you a lot, so attending to be round that, particularly rising up and visiting my grandpa and listening to him play, influenced me rather a lot as effectively.”
When followers of Lifeson [millions of Rush nerds around the world!!] heard he was engaged on a facet venture, and that one of many major co-conspirators on the venture was Curran, himself a veteran of the Canadian music scene, each as a musician [Coney Hatch, solo band] as but additionally as a music trade government, first with Anthem, Rush’s label/administration firm, and extra just lately with Ole Music, the publishing conglomerate that now manages Rush’s catalogue amongst a great deal of different music catalogues – of us bought excited. Then the X-factor got here. Who was this younger, feminine, singer/songwriter working alongside these two grizzled outdated veterans, three if you happen to contemplate the truth that Annibalini has additionally been on the scene for many years? These following intently over Envy Of None’s first two data already know the reply, however for the uninitiated, it’s a narrative of serendipity and artistic substantiveness that noticed a 26-year-old California resident start making treks to the good white north to make some fairly cool music.
“A whole lot of it was luck. Round that point, 2017, 2018, 2019, I used to be getting into numerous contests. I didn’t have numerous music connections. So, it simply entered these varied track contests I discovered on Google. In the event that they didn’t price rather a lot to enter, I might enter them. And for just a few of them, I did fairly effectively and even received some. Certainly one of my prizes for one in all them was a Zoom name with Andy Curran. On the time I had appeared him up and it mentioned he was an A&R man at this massive file label. And I used to be like, okay, cool. He’s an trade man, and I’m going to ask him numerous questions. I used to be tremendous naïve and didn’t actually know rather a lot about him at that time, however he was giving me some actually nice recommendation. He instructed me to do extra collaborations, and he had talked about that he had been engaged on some music that was just like a track of mine that he favored. So, I mentioned, ‘effectively, if you happen to ever want a vocalist, let me know.’ And it was nice for me as a result of I believe I unintentionally type of cornered him into saying sure as a result of first he’s saying I ought to actually collaborate extra, so how might he flip me down, once I requested to collaborate with him. However I mentioned it out of being tremendous naïve. He was very candy and we began engaged on some music – he took me up on the provide,” she mentioned, with a chuckle.
“It went very well, however at the moment it was simply Andy and Alf, so far as I knew, that have been engaged on the songs. It wasn’t till we have been three songs into it that Andy known as me and mentioned, ‘hey, so I confirmed this to my buddy Alex and he needs so as to add some guitars to those tracks.’ And, once more, at that time I had no context. I used to be like, ‘superior, nice, Your buddy Alex.’ I believe he might inform I didn’t clue in as a result of he paused and he mentioned, ‘have you learnt the band Rush?’ And that’s when my thoughts simply exploded as a result of I used to be tremendous confused and actually excited. However even then, it was form of simply this factor we have been engaged on. It wasn’t public data for fairly a very long time. We’d been engaged on music for a minimum of a few years, simply casually, however quickly it turned one thing that all of us needed to place out into the world. So, it was very surreal to have that shift of it going from only a enjoyable venture, and now it’s this massive factor. It was thrilling, however I didn’t assume anybody was going to consider me once I say I’m working with Alex Lifeson. Then abruptly it was introduced, we had a file label, we have been placing out an album after which abruptly there was his inflow of people that have been Googling me and sending me messages. I used to be very nervous, very nervous, as a result of Rush is such a longtime band and to be creating one thing completely different, and to be a really completely different model of singer, to be creating in a distinct style of music, I used to be very nervous of what the response was going to be. I used to be type of making ready myself for what that may be like. However for essentially the most half, it’s been actually optimistic, and it’s been great.”
It must be an attention-grabbing dynamic inside Envy of None, with ¾ of the band from one place, with their expertise, experience, pedigree and established careers, mixing and matching musical concepts with a twenty-something, west-coast American girl who likes to plink and plunk on a banjo infrequently. Nevertheless it’s labored effectively, with the proof being how dynamically compelling the music on each Envy of None data has been, and the way pleased all events involved are with the method, the end result and the way forward for the band.
“I believe it’s nice now that all of us have numerous respect for one another. Early on, it’s not that they didn’t deal with me as an equal, I believe I needed to type of first present that I might do that proper now. I don’t assume Andy actually knew what to anticipate once I first added vocals and lyrics to that first observe that he despatched me. I believe instantly he will need to have thought it was fairly cool, and that he was excited for what we might do collectively. I don’t know if he was anticipating a lot, so I used to be actually pleased that he favored that first type of demo that I despatched. I believe it actually set the tone for the remainder of our musical relationship and this form of band that we constructed and the way all of them noticed me as a producer, a author and as a singer. However I needed to actually present Andy what I might do at first. And I did. I put numerous work into it. With that first track I spent a minimum of sitting there recording, re-recording, re-recording, developing with concepts and principally fleshing out this complete track to ship him. And that’s been my course of ever since,” she mentioned.
“I don’t do any of it half-assed. I put my complete coronary heart into all the pieces that I do with them as a result of I need to put my finest foot ahead. However they’ve all the time been very, very welcoming, very variety. And such as you mentioned, Andy has a tremendous profession each behind him and forward of him, however he by no means confirmed up like that. He doesn’t have numerous ego, neither does Alex. They’re simply very variety folks, very all the way down to earth. They’ve by no means made me really feel like there was anyone that was above me, that I didn’t belong there. That was an enormous a part of it. They’ve actually embraced me and supported me and lifted me up. And a few of the issues that Alex has mentioned about me within the press has been, like, mind-blowingly superb. I keep in mind waking up randomly sooner or later and I bought a notification as a result of I get notified when my identify is talked about in information outlet, and this notification mentioned, ‘Rolling Stone.’ I stood there and simply stared at that for like 5 minutes. I used to be, ‘this will’t be proper.’ Nevertheless it was. Alex had an interview and he talked about me in that interview and that was such a pivotal second for me. What he mentioned about me was extremely complimentary – he was simply raving about me as a singer. And that’s simply who Alex is. And that’s who Andy is and Alf as effectively. They’ve all simply actually rallied behind me and lifted me up and it’s made such a distinction in my life and in my profession and in my confidence. They’ve all the time been good to speak concerning the affect that I’ve had on them too. I believe each time we work on a track, they actually categorical how a lot they get pleasure from and are shocked by the work that I do and the harmonies and the layers and the textures I deliver into the songs musically. They’ve actually, actually expressed numerous appreciation for what I’ve finished. And that’s been superb.”
Simply earlier than this interview was carried out, it was introduced that Lifeson was going to exit on the street along with his different band – for the primary time in a decade. Rush, with Lifeson, Geddy Lee, new drummer Annika Niles, and presumably different musicians, are occurring what’s now a big tour of North America subsequent yr, with new dates being introduced virtually weekly. How does Wynne really feel about being ‘deserted’ by her guitar participant (requested in a joking method, after all.)
“Truthfully, I used to be so pleased for him. We’re all actually pleased for him. I believe we do want we might clone him as a result of we have been type of contemplating possibly doing a little exhibits collectively as Envy of None. However to get to that time, it’s actually going to take us numerous work to rehearse collectively. We’ve by no means performed collectively dwell. So, we’re type of that after which the timing of it with this Rush factor, clearly he’s going to be going into rehearsals for this enormous tour that they’re doing. So, we’re type of ready and placing our plans on the again burner for now. However we’re so pleased for him and really excited for him. And there’s nonetheless a lot assist and love there for that band. We hope that, you realize, sooner or later, there will probably be a time once we can collect as Envy of None and determine some exhibits. So, yeah, we’ve all simply been actually pleased and excited. Hopefully, we’ll get some comp tickets.”
People clearly know rather a lot about Lifeson, and have a fairly good deal with on Curran, however what concerning the third middle-aged Canadian dude within the combine? Wynne talked simply as glowingly concerning the fella who is actually the band’s co-founder, co-producer, and holder down of the underside finish, Alfio Annibalini.
“Alf is the glue that places all the pieces collectively, and holds all the pieces collectively. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and he’s very famend in Toronto. He’s labored with a few of the largest names in Canada and he actually is aware of what he’s doing in relation to being in a studio, working with ProTools and producing. Andy all the time says that he shares a mind with Alf. And I type of assume it’s true. They actually curate numerous these track concepts collectively from the start. He’s simply so proficient as a songwriter, as a producer, as an instrumentalist. A whole lot of the guitars you hear on the songs are literally Alf, the primary rhythm guitars. Alf is doing these which then frees up Alex to do the textures, solos, all of these issues that you simply’re listening to on high of all the pieces else. Alf is sort of a jack-of-all-trades, and for all of the locations that we’d like one thing, he’s there.
Annibalini had the preliminary spark of inspiration resulting in the model of the track which appeared on the Stygian Wavz album, ‘Thrill of the Chase.’
“He mentioned that he got here up with the instrumental type of construction of the track whereas he was educating one in all his courses. He teaches music manufacturing at [Seneca Polytechnic] in Toronto. Whereas he was educating his college students, he got here up with this concept and determined to reserve it for later. Usually, he and Andy provide you with numerous the start instrumental components of the songs, generally collectively, generally individually. This one was positively Alf’s brainchild. It was very completely different and I instantly was very drawn to it as a result of it was so enjoyable and completely different than anything that we had finished up to now. Initially he had this vocoder half that was, I don’t even assume was actual phrases. It was simply form of gibberish, however it sounded actually cool. And I stored listening to phrases in it and began having so many concepts. So, I took that and constructed the vocal components and lyrics,” Wynne mentioned.
“I do numerous the lyric work and I believe for this one I did all of the lyrics and the vocal melodies. And it was actually enjoyable. For a few of the songs, I write from a really, very private place. This was one the place I type of created a personality and a narrative round it. And I used to be imagining sirens luring their victims and chasing them down. So, I attempted to channel that lyrically and within the efficiency of the vocals. Andy then added some actually cool bass components, particularly this dramatic bass drop in the direction of the top of the outro. In fact, the guitars that Alex added on the finish have been simply the proper contact. Certainly one of my favorite components is when that lead guitar half comes within the second verse after which the musical outro. It’s prefer it type of begins with two folks, normally Andy and Alf, after which I’ll add vocals and Alex will add guitars after which Andy will add extra components and we constructed one other outro.”
With Lifeson doing Rush issues, there’s no phrase on the instant way forward for Envy of None. For Wynne’s half, she isn’t ready for the fellas to name. She’s by no means stopped her varied solo and collaborative initiatives, together with many dwell exhibits in her a part of the USA.
“I really launched my debut album, Out of the Darkish a couple of yr in the past. So largely I’m doing my solo music and selling and touring the album. I’ve much more music that I’ve been engaged on, and I’ll be placing extra out quickly. I even have another collaborations with my associates Dreadlight. We’re going to place out a track in October that’s going to be fairly enjoyable, after which I’ve another collaborations. One is Moon Speak, we’ve bought some songs out. So, it’s largely music, though I’ve been doing just a little little bit of appearing. I acted in a youngsters’ film known as Powder Pup, so if you happen to’ve bought any youngsters in your life that like snowboarding canines, that is the film for them. It’s out on Amazon Prime. We really had an actual bulldog who might snowboard.”
For extra data on Envy of None, go to https://envyofnone.com.
For extra data on Maiah Wynne, go to https://www.maiahwynne.com.
- Jim Barber is a veteran award-winning journalist and writer primarily based in Napanee, Ontario, Canada, who has been writing about music and musicians for greater than 30 years. In addition to his journalistic endeavors, he works as a communications and advertising specialist and is an avid volunteer in his neighborhood. Contact him at bigjim1428@hotmail.com.
