Phish bassist Mike Gordon has announced that his fourth solo album, Overstep, will be released on February 25th through ATO Records. Most of the material for the album comes from New England weekend retreats with his friend, collaborate, and solo bandmate, Scott Murawski. The duo brought experimental music equipment, successfully scouring various areas for creative inspiration.
“Yarmouth Road” is the most well-known song from the new Mike Gordon album. The song was first debuted by Phish at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, or SPAC, and was performed a handful of times throughout Phish’s summer and fall tours. However, Mike’s solo version features an additional element: the Banshee pedal. A modernized version of the talkbox, as popularized by Peter Frampton, the Banshee pedal really pushes Yarmouth into the depths of reggae.
But, Yarmouth Road is only one song of many. Overstep will feature a collection of brand new Mike originals, as produced by Paul Q. Kolderie. Kolderie has worked with Warren Zevon, The Pixies, and Radiohead in the past. According to Mike, “We wanted to find someone that would appreciate what was kind of quirky about it but also what was trying to be a little more fun-oriented than I had been in the past.”
He further elaborated about Overstep, telling Rolling Stone that “it’s not an album of long jams or anything like that. I like to be kind of song-y on albums and let certain things extend.”
You can listen for yourself, as Mike has released two songs from the album: “Ether” and “Yarmouth Road.” You can stream “Ether” below, and can head to Rolling Stone for the exclusive premiere of “Yarmouth Road.”
Mike has also announced a solo tour this spring, featuring Scott Murawski on guitar, Craig Myers on percussion, Tom Cleary on keyboards, and Todd Isler on drums. You can get the full schedule here.
And finally, if you pre-order Mike’s new album through the Phish Dry Goods Website, you will receive an autographed copy of Overstep, and be entered to win a blue vinyl test pressing and two tickets to the Mike show of your choosing. Cool!
-David Melamed (@DMelamz)