With an upcoming mini-Winter tour with his solo band, Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio recently sat down with American Songwriter for their January/February issue to discuss Phish preparing to get back in the studio for a new album, his new solo album Traveler, lemonade, and even makes a slight comparison of Phish to The Beatles later in their career.
Via Jambands.com: “We’re starting a new Phish record soon, and we’re communicating pretty well for a band that’s been together for thirty years,” he says. “We’ve been talking about ways to turn lemons into lemonade, going forward with the record. We really want to try to bust open the door. We do all get along so well, and we’re used to collaborating so much that we’ll find a way. But even if you think about the Beatles later in their careers, they were ultimately better at making solo records in the studio.” A bit of a strange comparison, as The Beatles couldn’t stand being in the same room with one another, whereas Phish seems to have put any issues behind them and is coming off a stellar 2012, in which we witnessed some of the best and most consistent playing they have enjoyed in years.
Trey also gives us an inside look on Phish’s studio process by saying, “When we get in there, nobody wants to step on each others toes. That might have something to do with why we haven’t used the studio as an instrument much. [Trey Anastasio Band bassist] Tony Markellis is an incredible bass player, but he did not play bass on the Traveler track “Architect.” Because it’s a solo album, I don’t have to ask him. If I want to pick up the bass and do some cool thing, I just do it.”
The full interview is set to be released soon, via American Songwriter. Trey goes on to discuss recording 2005′s Shine with producer Brendan O’Brien, his choice of headphones, and his musical man-crush on songwriter Jimmy Webb. This is great news considering Phish hasn’t recorded a new album since 2009′s Joy. It will be interesting to hear what they come up with and to see what new tracks make it to the stage for Summer tour, as well as if any will become new jam vehicles, such as what “Light” has become in recent history.
The Trey Anastasio Band will be performing at Port Chester, NY’s The Capitol Theatre on January 23rd and 24th. The 23rd event is sold out, due to it being a make-up show that was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy. Tickets for the 24th are still available, and can be purchased here.
Phish Touring Rig: