Regardless of being identified for his intricate guitar riffs in Rush, Alex Lifeson admitted in a brand new interview with Guitar World that he’s not fascinated with exhibiting off his spectacular abilities by “shredding.”
As Lifeson explains, his lack of want to “shred” (together with in his band Envy of None) is a results of the large quantity of different guitarists who’re doing so on-line. As an alternative, Lifeson is extra fascinated with utilizing his skillset selectively, including solos provided that it enhances the piece of music he’s engaged on.
“I’m really soloing extra, supplied that it’s in service of the track,” he stated, evaluating Envy of None’s latest album to the band’s 2022 predecessor. “If the solo suits and does one thing to boost, or performs a job within the association of a track, then I’m all for it. However my days of shredding and taking part in like a loopy maniac are over. There are 1,000,000 individuals on Instagram that do this now.”
He continued: “For me, I simply like to method the guitar from a special angle. I like doing issues that folks don’t anticipate me to do. I strive to not be Alex Lifeson from Rush, you recognize? I attempt to create sounds on a guitar that aren’t guitar-like, which is sort of enjoyable, camouflaging the instrument. On this document, I’m taking part in much more conventional stuff.”
Lifeson went on to explain his taking part in as being extra textural and atmospheric.
“I believe that’s all the time been part of me. I imply, I’ve all the time thought in these phrases, you recognize? [In Rush] Geddy [Lee] and Neil [Peart] had been actually energetic as a rhythm part and it sort of compelled me to drag again a bit. I believed, ‘If these guys are going to play like this, I can’t play like that anyway.’ It might be loopy and it wouldn’t service the track. So I actually developed a mode that’s extra chordal and broad.
“I exploit refrain lots in my sound, simply to get a extra expansive sort of tonality and character to the guitar sound, and it was excellent for Maiah [Wynne, Envy of None vocalist]. She’s a singer who has an exquisite, very nuanced voice that may sit on high of something; the heaviest stuff, the darkest stuff, the bluesiest stuff… she simply suits on something, so it frees all of us up.”
