Podcast appearances and mentions of Alex Lifeson

How can you be more relaxed about your writing process? What are some specific ways to take the pressure off your art and help you enjoy the creative journey? With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre. In the intro, Spotify 2025 audiobook trends; Audible + BookTok; NonFiction Authors Guide to SubStack; OpenAI and Disney agreement on Sora; India AI licensing; Business for Authors January webinars; Mark and Jo over the years Mark Leslie LeFebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as nonfiction books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Mark and Jo co-wrote The Relaxed Author in 2021. You can listen to us talk about the process here. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why the ‘relaxed' author Write what you love Write at your own pace Write in a series (if you want to) Schedule time to fill the creative well and for rest and relaxation Improve your writing process — but only if it fits with your lifestyle You can find The Relaxed Author: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey on CreativePennBooks.com as well as on your favorite online store or audiobook platform, or order in your library or bookstore. You can find Mark Leslie Lefebvre and his books and podcast at Stark Reflections.ca Why the ‘relaxed' author? Joanna: The definition of relaxed is “free from tension and anxiety,” from the Latin laxus, meaning loose, and to be honest, I am not a relaxed or laid-back person in the broader sense. Back in my teens, my nickname at school was Highly Stressed. I'm a Type A personality, driven by deadlines and achieving goals. I love to work and I burned out multiple times in my previous career as an IT consultant. If we go away on a trip, I pack the schedule with back-to-back cultural things like museums and art galleries to help my book research. Or we go on adventure holidays with a clear goal, like cycling down the South-West coast of India. I can't even go for a long walk without training for another ultra-marathon! So I am not a relaxed person — but I am a relaxed author. If I wanted to spend most of my time doing something that made me miserable, I would go back to my old day job in consulting. I was paid well and worked fewer hours overall. But I measure my life by what I create, and if I am not working on a creative project, I am not able to truly relax in my downtime. There are always more things I want to learn and write about, always more stories to be told and knowledge to share. I don't want to kill my writing life by over-stressing or burning out as an author. I write what I love and follow my Muse into projects that feel right. I know how to publish and market books well enough to reach readers and make some money. I have many different income streams through my books, podcast and website. Of course, I still have my creative and business challenges as well as mindset issues, just like any writer. That never goes away. But after a decade as a full-time author entrepreneur, I have a mature creative business and I've relaxed into the way I do things. I love to write, but I also want a full and happy, healthy life. I'm still learning and improving as the industry shifts — and I change, too. I still have ambitious creative and financial goals, but I am going about them in a more relaxed way and in this book, I'll share some of my experiences and tips in the hope that you can discover your relaxed path, too. Mark: One of the most fundamental things you can do in your writing life is look at how you want to spend your time. I think back to the concept of: ‘You're often a reflection of the people you spend the most time with.' Therefore, typically, your best friend, or perhaps your partner, is often a person you love spending time with. Because there's something inherently special about spending time with this person who resonates in a meaningful way, and you feel more yourself because you're with them. In many ways, writing, or the path that you are on as a writer, is almost like being on a journey with an invisible partner. You are you. But you are also the writer you. And there's the two of you traveling down the road of life together. And so that same question arises. What kind of writer-self do you want to spend all your time with? Do you want to spend all your time with a partner that is constantly stressed out or constantly trying to reach deadlines based on somebody else's prescription of what success is? Or would you rather spend time with a partner who pauses to take a contemplative look at your own life, your own comfort, your own passion and the things that you are willing to commit to? Someone who allows that all to happen in a way that feels natural and comfortable to you. I'm a fan of the latter, of course, because then you can focus on the things you're passionate about and the things you're hopeful about rather than the things you're fearful about and those that bring anxiety and stress into your life. To me, that's part of being a relaxed author. That underlying acceptance before you start to plan things out. If the writing life is a marathon, not a sprint, then pacing, not rushing, may be the key. We have both seen burnout in the author community. People who have pushed themselves too hard and just couldn't keep up with the impossible pace they set for themselves. At times, indie authors would wear that stress, that anxiety, that rush to produce more and more, as a badge of honor. It's fine to be proud of the hard work that you do. It's fine to be proud of pushing yourself to always do better, and be better. But when you push too far — beyond your limits — you can ultimately do yourself more harm than good. Everyone has their own unique pace—something that they are comfortable with—and one key is to experiment until you find that pace, and you can settle in for the long run. There's no looking over your shoulder at the other writers. There's no panicking about the ones outpacing you. You're in this with yourself. And, of course, with those readers who are anticipating those clearly communicated milestones of your releases. I think that what we both want for authors is to see them reaching those milestones at their own paces, in their own comfort, delighting in the fact their readers are there cheering them on. Because we'll be silently cheering them along as well, knowing that they've set a pace, making relaxed author lifestyle choices, that will benefit them in the long run. “I'm glad you're writing this book. I know I'm not the only author who wants peace, moments of joy, and to enjoy the journey. Indie publishing is a luxury that I remember not having, I don't want to lose my sense of gratitude.” —Anonymous author from our survey Write what you love Joanna: The pandemic has taught us that life really is short. Memento mori — remember, you will die. What is the point of spending precious time writing books you don't want to write? If we only have a limited amount of time and only have a limited number of books that we can write in a lifetime, then we need to choose to write the books that we love. If I wanted a job doing something I don't enjoy, then I would have remained in my stressful old career as an IT consultant — when I certainly wasn't relaxed! Taking that further, if you try to write things you don't love, then you're going to have to read what you don't love as well, which will take more time. I love writing thrillers because that's what I love to read. Back when I was miserable in my day job, I would go to the bookstore at lunchtime and buy thrillers. I would read them on the train to and from work and during the lunch break. Anything for a few minutes of escape. That's the same feeling I try to give my readers now. I know the genre inside and out. If I had to write something else, I would have to read and learn that other genre and spend time doing things I don't love. In fact, I don't even know how you can read things you don't enjoy. I only give books a few pages and if they don't resonate, I stop reading. Life really is too short. You also need to run your own race and travel your own journey. If you try to write in a genre you are not immersed in, you will always be looking sideways at what other authors are doing, and that can cause comparisonitis — when you compare yourself to others, most often in an unfavorable way. Definitely not relaxing! Writing something you love has many intrinsic rewards other than sales. Writing is a career for many of us, but it's a passion first, and you don't want to feel like you've wasted your time on words you don't care about. “Write what you know” is terrible advice for a long-term career as at some point, you will run out of what you know. It should be “write what you want to learn about.” When I want to learn about a topic, I write a book on it because that feeds my curiosity and I love book research, it's how I enjoy spending my time, especially when I travel, which is also part of how I relax. If you write what you love and make it part of your lifestyle, you will be a far more relaxed author. Mark: It's common that writers are drawn into storytelling from some combination of passion, curiosity, and unrelenting interest. We probably read or saw something that inspired us, and we wanted to express those ideas or the resulting perspectives that percolated in our hearts and minds. Or we read something and thought, “Wow, I could do this; but I would have come at it differently or I would approach the situation or subject matter with my own flair.” So, we get into writing with passion and desire for storytelling. And then sometimes along the way, we recognize the critical value of having to become an entrepreneur, to understand the business of writing and publishing. And part of understanding that aspect of being an author is writing to market, and understanding shifts and trends in the industry, and adjusting to those ebbs and flows of the tide. But sometimes, we lose sight of the passion that drew us to writing in the first place. And so, writing the things that you love can be a beacon to keep you on course. I love the concept of “Do something that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life.” And that's true in some regard because I've always felt that way for almost my entire adult life. I've been very lucky. But at the same time, I work extremely hard at what I love. Some days are harder than others, and some things are really difficult, frustrating and challenging; but at the end of the day, I have the feeling of satisfaction that I spent my time doing something I believe in. I've been a bookseller my entire life even though I don't sell books in brick-and-mortar bookstores anymore—that act of physically putting books in people's hands. But to this day, what I do is virtually putting books in people's hands, both as an author and as an industry representative who is passionate about the book business. I was drawn to that world via my passion for writing. And that's what continues to compel me forward. I tried to leave the corporate world to write full time in 2018 but realized there was an intrinsic satisfaction to working in that realm, to embracing and sharing my insights and knowledge from that arena to help other writers. And I couldn't give that up. For me, the whole core, the whole essence of why I get up in the morning has to do with storytelling, creative inspiration, and wanting to inspire and inform other people to be the best that they can be in the business of writing and publishing. And that's what keeps me going when the days are hard. Passion as the inspiration to keep going There are always going to be days that aren't easy. There will be unexpected barriers that hit you as a writer. You'll face that mid-novel slump or realize that you have to scrap an entire scene or even plotline, and feel like going back and re-starting is just too much. You might find the research required to be overwhelming or too difficult. There'll be days when the words don't flow, or the inspiration that initially struck you seems to have abandoned you for greener pastures. Whatever it is, some unexpected frustration can create what can appear to be an insurmountable block. And, when that happens, if it's a project you don't love, you're more likely to let those barriers get in your way and stop you. But if it's a project that you're passionate about, and you're writing what you love, that alone can be what greases the wheels and helps reduce that friction to keep you going. At the end of the day, writing what you love can be a honing, grounding, and centering beacon that allows you to want to wake up in the morning and enjoy the process as much as possible even when the hard work comes along. “For me, relaxation comes from writing what I know and love and trusting the emergent process. As a discovery writer, I experience great joy when the story, characters and dialogue simply emerge in their own time and their own way. It feels wonderful.” — Valerie Andrews “Writing makes me a relaxed author. Just getting lost in a story of my own creation, discovering new places and learning what makes my characters tick is the best way I know of relaxing. Even the tricky parts, when I have no idea where I am going next, have a special kind of charm.” – Imogen Clark Write at your own pace Mark: Writing at your own pace will help you be a more relaxed author because you're not stressing out by trying to keep up with someone else. Of course, we all struggle with comparing ourselves to others. Take a quick look around and you can always find someone who has written more books than you. Nora Roberts, traditionally published author, writes a book a month. Lindsey Buroker, fantasy indie author, writes a book a month of over 100,000 words. If you compare yourself to someone else and you try to write at their pace, that is not going to be your relaxed schedule. On the other hand, if you compare yourself to Donna Tartt, who writes one book every decade, you might feel like some speed-demon crushing that word count and mastering rapid release. Looking at what others are doing could result in you thinking you're really slow or you could think that you're super-fast. What does that kind of comparison actually get you? I remember going to see a talk by Canadian literary author Farley Mowat when I was a young budding writer. I'll never forget one thing he said from that stage: “Any book that takes you less than four years to write is not a real book.” Young teenage Mark was devastated, hurt and disappointed to hear him say that because my favorite author at the time, Piers Anthony, was writing and publishing two to three novels a year. I loved his stuff, and his fantasy and science fiction had been an important inspiration in my writing at that time. (The personal notes I add to the end of my stories and novels came from enjoying his so much). That focus on there being only a single way, a single pace to write, ended up preventing me from enjoying the books I had already been loving because I was doing that comparisonitis Joanna talks about, but as a reader. I took someone else's perspective too much to heart and I let that ruin a good thing that had brought me personal joy and pleasure. It works the same way as a writer. Because we have likely developed a pattern, or a way that works for us that is our own. We all have a pace that we comfortably walk; a way we prefer to drive. A pattern or style of how and when and what we prefer to eat. We all have our own unique comfort food. There are these patterns that we're comfortable with, and potentially because they are natural to us. If you try to force yourself to write at a pace that's not natural to you, things can go south in your writing and your mental health. And I'm not suggesting any particular pace, except for the one that's most natural and comfortable to you. If writing fast is something that you're passionate about, and you're good at it, and it's something you naturally do, why would you stop yourself from doing that? Just like if you're a slow writer and you're trying to write fast: why are you doing that to yourself? There's a common pop song line used by numerous bands over the years that exhorts you to “shake what you got.” I like to think the same thing applies here. And do it with pride and conviction. Because what you got is unique and awesome. Own it, and shake it with pride. You have a way you write and a word count per writing session that works for you. And along with that, you likely know what time you can assign to writing because of other commitments like family time, leisure time, and work (assuming you're not a full-time writer). Simple math can provide you with a way to determine how long it will take to get your first draft written. So, your path and plans are clear. And you simply take the approach that aligns with your writer DNA. Understanding what that pace is for you helps alleviate an incredible amount of stress that you do not need to thrust upon yourself. Because if you're not going to be able to enjoy it while you're doing it, what's the point? Your pace might change project to project While your pace can change over time, your pace can also change project to project. And sometimes the time actually spent writing can be a smaller portion of the larger work involved. I was on a panel at a conference once and someone asked me how long it took to write my non-fiction book of ghost stories, Haunted Hamilton. “About four days,” I responded. And while that's true — I crafted the first draft over four long and exhausting days writing as much as sixteen hours each day — the reality was I had been doing research for months. But the pen didn't actually hit the paper until just a few days before my deadline to turn the book over to my editor. That was for a non-fiction book; but I've found I do similar things with fiction. I noodle over concepts and ideas for months before I actually commit words to the page. The reason this comes to mind is that I think it's important to recognize the way that I write is I first spend a lot of time in my head to understand and chew on things. And then by the time it comes to actually getting the words onto the paper, I've already done much of the pre-writing mentally. It's sometimes not fair when you're comparing yourself to someone else to look at how long they physically spend in front of a keyboard hammering on that word count, because they might have spent a significantly longer amount of a longer time either outlining or conceptualizing the story in their mind or in their heart before they sat down to write. So that's part of the pace, too. Because sometimes, if we only look at the time spent at the ‘writer's desk,' we fool ourselves when we think that we're a slow writer or a fast writer. Joanna: Your pace will change over your career My first novel took 14 months and now I can write a first draft in about six weeks because I have more experience. It's also more relaxing for me to write a book now than it was in the beginning, because I didn't know what I was doing back then. Your pace will change per project I have a non-fiction work in progress, my Shadow Book (working title), which I have started several times. I have about 30,000 words but as I write this, I have backed away from it because I'm (still) not ready. There's a lot more research and thinking I need to do. Similarly, some people take years writing a memoir or a book with such emotional or personal depth that it needs more to bring it to life. Your pace will also shift depending on where you are in the arc of life Perhaps you have young kids right now, or you have a health issue, or you're caring for someone who is ill. Perhaps you have a demanding day job so you have less time to write. Perhaps you really need extended time away from writing, or just a holiday. Or maybe there's a global pandemic and frankly, you're too stressed to write! The key to pacing in a book is variability — and that's true of life, too. Write at the pace that works for you and don't be afraid to change it as you need to over time. “I think the biggest thing for me is reminding myself that I'm in this to write. Sometimes I can get caught up in all the moving pieces of editing and publishing and marketing, but the longer I go without writing, or only writing because I have to get the next thing done instead of for enjoyment, the more stressed and anxious I become. But if I make time to fit in what I truly love, which is the process of writing without putting pressure on myself to meet a deadline, or to be perfect, or to meet somebody else's expectations — that's when I become truly relaxed.” – Ariele Sieling Write in a series (if you want to) Joanna: I have some stand-alone books but most of them are in series, both for non-fiction and for my fiction as J.F. Penn. It's how I like to read and write. As we draft this book, I'm also writing book 12 in my ARKANE series, Tomb of Relics. It's relaxing because I know my characters, I know my world; I know the structure of how an ARKANE story goes. I know what to put in it to please my readers. I have already done the work to set up the series world and the main characters and now all I need is a plot and an antagonist. It's also quicker to write and edit because I've done it before. Of course, you need to put in the work initially so the series comes together, but once you've set that all up, each subsequent book is easier. You can also be more relaxed because you already have an audience who will (hopefully) buy the book because they bought the others. You will know approximately how many sales you'll get on launch and there will be people ready to review. Writing in a non-fiction series is also a really good idea because you know your audience and you can offer them more books, products and services that will help them within a niche. While they might not be sequential, they should be around the same topic, for example, this is part of my Books for Authors series. Financially, it makes sense to have a series as you will earn more revenue per customer as they will (hopefully) buy more than one book. It's also easier and more relaxing to market as you can set one book to free or a limited time discount and drive sales through to other books in the series. Essentially, writing a book in a series makes it easier to fulfill both creative and financial goals. However, if you love to read and write stand-alone books, and some genres suit stand-alones better than series anyway, then, of course, go with what works for you! Mark: I like to equate this to no matter where you travel in the world, if you find a McDonald's you pretty much know what's on the menu and you know what to expect. When you write in a series, it's like returning to hang out with old friends. You know their backstory; you know their history so you can easily fall into a new conversation about something and not have to get caught up on understanding what you have in common. So that's an enormous benefit of relaxing into something like, “Oh, I'm sitting down over coffee, chatting with some old friends. They're telling me a new story about something that happened to them. I know who they are, I know what they're made out of.” And this new plot, this new situation, they may have new goals, they may have new ways they're going to grow as characters, but they're still the same people that we know and love. And that's a huge benefit that I only discovered recently because I'm only right now working on book four in my Canadian Werewolf series. Prior to that, I had three different novels that were all the first book in a series with no book two. And it was stressful for me. Writing anything seemed to take forever. I was causing myself anxiety by jumping around and writing new works as opposed to realizing I could go visit a locale I'm familiar and comfortable with. And I can see new things in the same locale just like sometimes you can see new things and people you know and love already, especially when you introduce something new into the world and you see how they react to it. For me, there's nothing more wonderful than that sort of homecoming. It's like a nostalgic feeling when you do that. I've seen a repeated pattern where writers spend years writing their first book. I started A Canadian Werewolf in New York in 2006 and I did not publish it until ten years later, after finishing it in 2015. (FYI, that wasn't my first novel. I had written three and published one of them prior to that). That first novel can take so long because you're learning. You're learning about your characters, about the craft, about the practice of writing, about the processes that you're testing along the way. And if you are working on your first book and it's taking longer than planned, please don't beat yourself up for that. It's a process. Sometimes that process takes more time. I sometimes wonder if this is related to our perception of time as we age. When you're 10 years old, a day compared to your lifetime is a significant amount of time, and thinking about a year later is considering a time that is one-tenth of your life. When you have a few more decades or more under your belt, that year is a smaller part of the whole. If you're 30, a year is only one-thirtieth of your life. A much smaller piece. Just having written more books, particularly in a series, removes the pressure of that one book to represent all of you as a writer. I had initial anxiety at writing the second book in my Canadian Werewolf series. Book two was more terrifying in some ways than book one because finally, after all this time, I had something good that I didn't want to ruin. Should I leave well enough alone? But I was asked to write a short story to a theme in an anthology, and using my main character from that first novel allowed me to discover I could have fun spending more time with these characters and this world. And I also realized that people wanted to read more about these characters. I didn't just want to write about them, but other people wanted to read about them too. And that makes the process so much easier to keep going with them. So one of the other benefits that helps to relax me as a writer working on a series is I have a better understanding of who my audience is, and who my readers are, and who will want this, and who will appreciate it. So I know what worked, I know what resonated with them, and I know I can give them that next thing. I have discovered that writing in a series is a far more relaxed way of understanding your target audience better. Because it's not just a single shot in the dark, it's a consistent on-going stream. Let me reflect on a bit of a caveat, because I'm not suggesting sticking to only a single series or universe. As writers, we have plenty of ideas and inspirations, and it's okay to embrace some of the other ones that come to us. When I think about the Canadian rock trio, Rush, a band that produced 19 studio albums and toured for 40 years, I acknowledge a very consistent band over the decades. And yet, they weren't the same band that they were when they started playing together, even though it was the same three guys since Neil Peart joined Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. They changed what they wrote about, what they sang about, themes, styles, approaches to making music, all of this. They adapted and changed their style at least a dozen times over the course of their career. No album was exactly like the previous album, and they experimented, and they tried things. But there was a consistency of the audience that went along with them. And as writers, we can potentially have that same thing where we know there are going to be people who will follow us. Think about Stephen King, a writer who has been writing in many different subjects and genres. And yet there's a core group of people who will enjoy everything he writes, and he has that Constant Reader he always keeps in mind. And so, when we write in a series, we're thinking about that constant reader in a more relaxed way because that constant reader, like our characters, like our worlds, like our universes, is like we're just returning to a comfortable, cozy spot where we're just going to hang out with some good friends for a bit. Or, as the contemplative Rush song Time Stand Still expresses, the simple comfort and desire of spending some quality time having a drink with a friend. Schedule time to fill the creative well and for rest and relaxation Mark: What we do as writers is quite cerebral, so we need to give ourselves mental breaks in the same way we need to sleep regularly. Our bodies require sleep. And it's not just physical rest for our bodies to regenerate, it's for our minds to regenerate. We need that to stay sane, to stay alive, to stay healthy. The reality for us as creatives is that we're writing all the time, whether or not we're in front of a keyboard or have a pen in our hand. We're always writing, continually sucking the marrow from the things that are happening around us, even when we're not consciously aware of it. And sometimes when we are more consciously aware of it, that awareness can feel forced. It can feel stressful. When you give yourself the time to just let go, to just relax, wonderful things can happen. And they can come naturally, never feeling that urgent sense of pressure. Downtime, for me, is making space for those magic moments to happen. I was recently listening to Episode 556 of The Creative Penn podcast where Joanna talked about the serendipity of those moments when you're traveling and you're going to a museum and you see something. And you're not consciously there to research for a book, but you see something that just makes a connection for you. And you would not have had that for your writing had you not given yourself the time to just be doing and enjoying something else. And so, whenever I need to resolve an issue or a problem in a project I'm writing, which can cause stress, I will do other things. I will go for a run or walk the dogs, wash the dishes or clean the house. Or I'll put on some music and sing and dance like nobody is watching or listening—and thank goodness for that, because that might cause them needless anxiety. The key is, I will do something different that allows my mind to just let go. And somewhere in the subconscious, usually the answer comes to me. Those non-cerebral activities can be very restorative. Yesterday, my partner Liz and I met her daughter at the park. And while we quietly waited, the two of us wordlessly enjoyed the sights and sounds of people walking by, the river in the background, the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees above us. That moment wasn't a purposeful, “Hey, we're going to chill and relax.” But we found about five minutes of restorative calm in the day. A brief, but powerful ‘Ah' moment. And when I got back to writing this morning, I drew upon some of the imagery from those few minutes. I didn't realize at the time I was experiencing the moment yesterday that I was going to incorporate some of that imagery in today's writing session. And that's the serendipity that just flows very naturally in those scheduled and even unscheduled moments of relaxation. Joanna: I separate this into two aspects because I'm good at one and terrible at the other! I schedule time to fill the creative well as often as possible. This is something that Julia Cameron advises in The Artist's Way, and I find it an essential part of my creative practice. Essentially, you can't create from an empty mind. You have to actively seek out ways to spark ideas. International travel is a huge part of my fiction inspiration, in particular. This has been impossible during the pandemic and has definitely impacted my writing. I also go to exhibitions and art galleries, as well as read books, watch films and documentaries. If I don't fill my creative well, then I feel empty, like I will never have another idea, that perhaps my writing life is over. Some people call that writer's block but I know that feeling now. It just means I haven't filled my creative well and I need to schedule time to do that so I can create again. Consume and produce. That's the balance you need in order to keep the creative well filled and the words flowing. In terms of scheduling time to relax instead of doing book research, I find this difficult because I love to work. My husband says that I'm like a little sports car that goes really, really fast and doesn't stop until it hits a wall. I operate at a high productivity level and then I crash! But the restrictions of the pandemic have helped me learn more about relaxation, after much initial frustration. I have walked in nature and lain in the garden in the hammock and recently, we went to the seaside for the first time in 18 months. I lay on the stones and watched the waves. I was the most relaxed I've been in a long time. I didn't look at my phone. I wasn't listening to a podcast or an audiobook. We weren't talking. We were just being there in nature and relaxing. Authors are always thinking and feeling because everything feeds our work somehow. But we have to have both aspects — active time to fill the creative well and passive time to rest and relax. “I go for lots of walks and hikes in the woods. These help me work out the kinks in my plots, and also to feel more relaxed! (Exercise is an added benefit!)” –T.W. Piperbrook Improve your writing process — but only if it fits with your lifestyle Joanna: A lot of stress can occur in writing if we try to change or improve our process too far beyond our natural way of doing things. For example, trying to be a detailed plotter with a spreadsheet when you're really a discovery writer, or trying to dictate 5,000 words per hour when you find it easier to hand write slowly into a journal. Productivity tips from other writers can really help you tweak your personal process, but only if they work for you — and I say this as someone who has a book on Productivity for Authors! Of course, it's a good idea to improve things, but once you try something, analyze whether it works for you — either with data or just how you feel. If it works, great. Adopt it into your process. If it doesn't work, then discard it. For example, I wrote my first novel in Microsoft Word. When I discovered Scrivener, I changed my process and never looked back because it made my life so much easier. I don't write in order and Scrivener made it easier to move things around. I also discovered that it was easier for me to get into my first draft writing and creating when I was away from the desk I use for business, podcasting, and marketing tasks. I started to write in a local cafe and later on in a co-working space. During the pandemic lockdown, I used specific playlists to create a form of separation as I couldn't physically go somewhere else. Editing is an important part of the writing process but you have to find what works for you, which will also change over time. Some are authors are more relaxed with a messy first draft, then rounds of rewrites while working with multiple editors. Others do one careful draft and then use a proofreader to check the finished book. There are as many ways to write as there are writers. A relaxed author chooses the process that works in the most effective way for them and makes the book the best it can be. Mark: When it comes to process, there are times when you're doing something that feels natural, versus times when you're learning a new skill. Consciously and purposefully learning new skills can be stressful; particularly because it's something we often put so much emphasis or importance upon. But when you adapt on-going learning as a normal part of your life, a natural part of who and what you are, that stress can flow away. I'm always about learning new skills; but over time I've learned how to absorb learning into my everyday processes. I'm a pantser, or discovery writer, or whatever term we can apply that makes us feel better about it. And every time I've tried to stringently outline a book, it has been a stressful experience and I've not been satisfied with the process or the result. Perhaps I satisfied the part of me that thought I wanted to be more like other writers, but I didn't satisfy the creative person in me. I was denying that flow that has worked for me. I did, of course, naturally introduce a few new learnings into my attempts to outline; so I stuck with those elements that worked, and abandoned the elements that weren't working, or were causing me stress. The thought of self-improvement often comes with images of blood, sweat, and tears. It doesn't have to. You don't have to bleed to do this; it can be something that you do at your own pace. You can do it in a way that you're comfortable with so it's causing you no stress, but allowing you to learn and grow and improve. And if it doesn't work but you force yourself to keep doing it because a famous writer or a six-figure author said, “this is the way to do it,” you create pressure. And when you don't do it that way, you can think of yourself as a failure as opposed to thinking of it as, “No, this is just the way that I do things.” When you accept how you do things, if they result in effectively getting things done and feeling good about it at the same time, you have less resistance, you have less friction, you have less tension. Constantly learning, adapting, and evolving is good. But forcing ourselves to try to be or do something that we are not or that doesn't work for us, that causes needless anxiety. “I think a large part of it comes down to reminding myself WHY I write. This can mean looking back at positive reviews, so I can see how much joy others get from my writing, or even just writing something brand new for the sake of exploring an idea. Writing something just for me, rather than for an audience, reminds me how much I enjoy writing, which helps me to unwind a bit and approach my projects with more playfulness.” – Icy Sedgwick You can find The Relaxed Author: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey on CreativePennBooks.com as well as on your favorite online store or audiobook platform, or order in your library or bookstore. The post The Relaxed Author Writing Tips With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre first appeared on The Creative Penn.

After 45 years together, the Canadian band Rheostatics decided they needed a new challenge. So they enlisted the help of Rush's Alex Lifeson, who joined them for four hours as they improvised music and spoken word pieces inspired by the Great Lakes. The only problem is they forgot to hit record. Dave Bidini and Kevin Hearn of Rheostatics sit down with Tom Power to tell us what happened next, and how it all led to their new album, “The Great Lakes Suite.”

Frank Hannon and Dave Rude of Tesla join Eddie Trunk to discuss their recent Las Vegas residency and plans for new music. The guitar duo reflects on their 20-year musical partnership, the importance of personal chemistry in a band, and how they've maintained Tesla's authentic sound over four decades. Frank opens up about his emotional instrumental solo album 'Reflections' and the personal losses that inspired it, while the pair share insights about Tesla's upcoming covers project showcasing Jeff Keith's vocal abilities. They also discuss their relationships with other musicians, including Warren DeMartini and Carlos Cavazo, and the importance of trust and consistency in a long-running band. Then, Rik Emmett joins Eddie Trunk to share insights about Triumph's potential future featuring Brent Fitz, Phil X, and Todd Kerns as core members, with original members making occasional appearances. He reflects on his evolution from rock star to writer, his recent induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and his creative projects including poetry books and new music. He discusses the physical limitations of aging as a performer, particularly with his vocal range, while maintaining his disciplined approach to creativity and also touches on Rush's upcoming tour and his admiration for Alex Lifeson's artistic versatility beyond music. Catch Eddie Trunk every M-F from 3:00-5:00pm ET on Trunk Nation on SiriusXM Faction Talk Channel 103.And don't forget to follow Eddie on X and Instagram!Follow the link to get your free 3-month trial of SiriusXM: http://siriusxm.com/eddietrunk Find all episodes of Trunk Nation: https://siriusxm.com/trunknation Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Comme promis il y a quelques semaines après avoir constaté qu'un monument du rock progressif américain n'était pas assez souvent programmé ici, on se régale d'un extrait du tout nouvel album de STYX, "Circling From Above" sorti cet été. Bien qu'il s'agisse du 18ème album de ce groupe de Chicago, vétéran du genre outre-atlantique malgré quelques scissions dans les années 80 et 90, force est de constater que l'inspiration et la qualité de production reste d'un haut niveau !  Toujours sur le sol américain, plus contemporain et empruntant une voix plus psychédélique avec des influences jazz latino : THE POINT.  Originaire du Texas (Austin), fallait tomber dessus, ce qui m'est arrivé (sans me faire de mal au contraire !!) grâce à notre Caroline Crozat nationale que les fans de Ange connaissent bien puis qu'elle y était chanteuse dans la 1ère décennie de ce siècle, merci Caro pour cette pépite ! A découvrir, leur nouvel album "Maldito Animal" !            Encore l'Amérique, ils revendiquant l'influence des plus grands artistes du genre des 70's, veuillez jeter une oreille attentive à "MYTH OF LOGIC" élevés aux sons de ELP, Genesis, Yes, Saga ou encore Rush. Sorti la semaine dernière, leur 4ème album ""The Memory Of After" est basé sur un concept fort bien développé dont je vous invite à prendre connaissance sur leur site ou page BANDCAMP afin de mieux vous imprégner de cette belle histoire mais un peu longue à résumer ici... Ça tombe bien, deux groupes d'influences de nos amis américains sont également de la partie dans cette émission ! D'abord leurs voisins canadiens de RUSH avec un extrait de l'excellent "Hemispheres" paru en 1978. Rush qui avait mis fin à ses activités il y a 10 ans suite à l'état de santé de son batteur et auteur Neil Peart qui décédera malheureusement peu de temps après. S'agissant d'une rare formation à trois n'ayant pas été modifiée depuis 1974, s'étant particulièrement montrée soudée tout au long de sa belle carrière et sans l'apport des textes de Neil, il n'était pas raisonnable de penser à une éventuelle reprise d'activité. Or, les deux survivants de la bande Geddy Lee et Alex Lifeson ont décidé de partir en tournée pour rendre hommage à leur pote. Une percussionniste allemande (Anika Nilles) a donc été recrutée et le tio s'apprête à donner une série de concert en Amérique du Nord, au plus grand bonheur des fans du groupe auquel la plateforme ARTE a mis en ligne un excellent et émouvant documentaire à ne pas rater !  L'autre groupe diffusé ayant inspiré nos jeunes américains : GENESIS. Extrait dans cet émission de l'album "We Can't Dance", ultime enregistrement studio avec Phil Collins paru en 1991. Je sais que ce groupe a toujours divisé les fans, certains ne jurant que par la période Peter Gabriel. Pour votre serviteur, c'est surtout après le départ de Steve Hackett que la musique est devenue globalement moins intéressante malgré quelques pépites en cherchant bien dans les productions des 80"s. Mais je considère (sans aucunement vouloir le comparer à la période des 70's) que cet album était d'un niveau supérieur à ceux de la précédente décennie, jouissant d'une excellente production et regorgeant de véritables perles. A redécouvrir peut-être ? ... Pour les purs et durs de la période Gabriel, l'actu du groupe c'est bien sur la réédition avec un nouveau mastering de "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" !  Puisque nous sommes sur les terres d'Albion, profitons en pour faire un petit pas de côté sur la piste (cela dit bien large !) du rock progressif avec FLEETWOOD MAC  (alors encore anglais) et un extrait de "Bare Trees". Faut dire qu'à l'époque le genre inspirait beaucoup de musiciens à l'instar de Danny Kirwan qui signe l'extrait instrumental diffusé dans ce numéro pour son ultime collaboration avec le groupe avant que ses excès de consommation d'alcool ne le rende erratique et irascible avec ses camarades... En revanche, s'il fallait vraiment des étiquettes, pas de discussion sur leur appartenance au genre qui nous réunit chaque jeudi : GENTLE GIANT ! Retour ici sur cet album concept autour d'une interview fictive qui se voulait sarcastique vis à vis des médias et de l'industrie musicale de l'époque, le fabuleux "In'terview" paru en 1976. TALE CUE est le groupe italien de l'étape avec un album tardif car si la formation remonte aux années 80 (à Milan pour être précis), elle n'aura pas donné suite à son premier projet avant aujourd'hui...Si on peut le regretter en constatant la qualité, le sens de la mélodie de cette nouvelle galette "Eclipse Of The Midnight Sun",  croisons les doigts pour que cette fois Tale Cue soit sur les rails et à défaut d'être sur la RAÏ , il sera avec bonheur sur SUN ! (voir aussi la bio du groupe sur le site du spécialiste Louis De Ny )  Cinq années de sont écoulées depuis la dernière production de Mariusz Duda alias LUNATIC SOUL mais le bassiste/chanteur de Riverside est bien excusé car il nous livre un excellent double album ("The World Under Unsen" ), le constat du temps de retrouvé pour l'inspiration et une production soignée ! La preuve en extrait dans cet épisode !  Rares sont les numéros d'Amarok sans la french touch ! Deux générations se côtoient dans ce numéro, d'abord (priorité aux aînés ! ) JEAN-LUC PONTY, le violoncelliste normand élevé au jazz puis s'orientant vers la fusion à force de fréquenter des individus comme Franck Zappa ! Retour sur son album "Civilized Evil" en 1980, une galette sans doute plus vendue à l'international qu'ici même, à (re) découvrir absolument ! Et puis le prog contemporain représenté par EDENYA dont je ne sais plus comment vous dire du bien, notamment de cet excellent nouvel opus "The Secret Destination You Are Looking For" à écouter comme on ferait un voyage au travers de différents courants du genre  :  rock, folk, ambiants...Le tout servi par la voix de la nouvelle recrue Ingrid  : écoutez voir !  Thierry Joigny Chaque jeudi, à 20h Suivez Amarok sur Facebook également sur Instagram    

We chat with Dave Bidini of the Rheostatics about their upcoming double vinyl release, The Great Lakes Suite, out later this week! This new recording features 18 tracks of primarily improvised music and spoken word, performed by longtime members Dave Bidini, Dave Clark, Don Kerr, and Tim Vesely, with newer additions Kevin Hearn and Hugh Marsh, alongside legendary guitarist Alex Lifeson of Rush. What a treat to chat with Bidini about baseball, the founding of his community newspaper, The West End Phoenix, and so much more. Said Alex Lifeson to Dave Bidini, "you have to embrace danger" and this new recording is a great reminder that your greatest adventure could be right around the corner, and to keep going...A very inspiring chat, hope you enjoy it!

The guys add a few tracks to the wheel and end up spinning Victor, off Alex Lifeson's 1996 solo record Victor. Ummmm...you just need to listen. This is the one to go get some gummies for...SCHATZ'S SCRATCH LIST - RUSH TRIBUTE BANDSScratch your itch to hear RUSH music played live by going to check out any of these great RUSH Tribute Bands - these bands are keeping the community and the music alive - the most current, curated, and rockin' list of RUSH Tribute Bands in the world! Yeah!⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here: ⁠Schatz's Scratch List⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠(And say it 5 times fast!)GO BONELESSCertified boneless in the state of Ohio by the Boneless Podcasting Network. Go Boneless. Boneless Makes a Better Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here's your Friday, non-award-winning episode of Talkin' Rock!Tye Trujillo is up first. The son of the Metallica bass player, how wild is it that he's also in Suicidal Tendencies, a band his dad was also in? We discuss his band OTTTo's latest single and video, Sweaty Pool. He speaks to the guest singer on it. We also talk about growing up in a musical household, and more. Maiah Wynne is up next. She's the singer in the band Envy Of None, featuring Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson. She tells me how she got the call-up, writing material for the band, her upbringing, and hopes to see the Canadian rock giants on tour in 2026. Wrapping up this episode is Joshua Toomey. You may know him from his Talk Toomey podcast, but before that, he was in a band called Primer 55. Well, they've put the band back together and have hit the road. He's also started a second podcast with fellow bassist, David Ellefson. We discuss all of this and lots more. Enjoy!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A flashback conversation with Geddy Lee of Rush with Pierre Robert on December 18th, 2000. This was Geddy's first visit to the WMMR studios where he was celebrating his first solo record My Favorite Headache. Along with the record, the pair (in front of a live studio audience) discussed how Rush albums are like time capsules, how Philly concerts are special, and the influence of Soundgarden on this record.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Twitter: @podgaverockInsta: @podgaverockSpecial Guest Host: Andy RyanRush “Limelight” from the 1981 album "Moving Pictures" released on Mercury. Written by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart and produced by Rush and Terry Brown.Personel:Geddy Lee - bass, vocals, synthesizersAlex Lifeson - electric and acoustic guitarsNeil Peart - drums, percussionTerry Brown - uncredited backing vocalCover:Performed by Josh BondIntro Music:"Shithouse" 2010 release from "A Collection of Songs for the Kings". Writer Josh Bond. Produced by Frank Charlton.

From winning a songwriting mentorship at 19 to recording with Rush legend Alex Lifeson, Maiah Wynne has become one of modern rock's most captivating new voices. In this Metal Mayhem ROC exclusive, she opens up about the making of Envy of None's haunting new album Stygian Wavz, her creative bond with Lifeson and Andy Curran (Coney Hatch), and how the project evolved from a mentorship into a genre-bending collaboration. Maiah discusses the band's cinematic sound, introspective lyrics, and the visual identity behind their videos and artwork — plus she shares her emotional reaction to the Rush 2026 reunion announcement. Chapters 00:00 – Show Open / Host Intro & Setup 02:11 – Maiah Wynne Introduction 03:05 – Formation of Envy of None 04:59 – Musical Style & Influences 07:16 – Vocal Dynamics & Recording Process 10:04 – Album Themes & Imagery 13:04 – Lyric Writing & Contributions 15:24 – Visual Identity & Music Videos 20:58 – Charitable Efforts & Latest Single 25:22 – Rush Reunion & Future Plans 27:52 – Solo Project Links Metal Mayhem ROC → https://metalmayhemroc.com Envy of None → https://envyofnone.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long time listeners know that Rush is one of The Wolf's top 3 favorite bands of all time. The Wolf & Action Jackson camped out to see Rush on the Roll The Bones Tour and The Wolf has seen them 12x live. After reviews of Fly By Night and Caress of Steel at 50 plus an interview with longtime collaborator Hugh Syme on the 250th and a First Concert Memories show on the mini-tour between Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures, we figured we were done with Rush episodes in 2025. Then the biggest bomb since the Oasis reunion dropped.....Geddy and Alex are going to tour!!! This announcement, of course, sparked huge excitement in the world of Rush and caused the faithful to ask many questions, none more pertinent (or is it Peartinent?) than who would be playing drums. After the death of drummer/lyricist Neil Peart in 2020, Rush fans knew the band they loved was done as The Professor was irreplaceable. But to do tribute to him and to celebrate the amazing music they all made together, someone would have to step up. Turns out that brave, talented soul is Anika Nilles - yes, a woman who is a very accomplished drummer and one The Wolf saw play with Jeff Beck in London not long before his death (see episode 90). She definitely has some chops and apparently won't be the only musician joining Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on stage. Quick note: we recorded this hot take shortly after the announcement of the tour. Between recording and publishing, the band announced additional dates due to overwhelming demand. Also, the tickets went on sale after we recorded so you have to stick around until the end to see which city your heroes might be going to and if they were shutout the way they were for the Oasis reunion tour. But either way you can hear the excitement in our voices about one of our very favorites playing live one more time... Check out our new website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ugly American Werewolf in London Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LInkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pantheonpodcasts.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rush have recently announced they'll be touring once again, and this week the boys listened to one of their most iconic albums, 2112 from 1976!

Long time listeners know that Rush is one of The Wolf's top 3 favorite bands of all time. The Wolf & Action Jackson camped out to see Rush on the Roll The Bones Tour and The Wolf has seen them 12x live. After reviews of Fly By Night and Caress of Steel at 50 plus an interview with longtime collaborator Hugh Syme on the 250th and a First Concert Memories show on the mini-tour between Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures, we figured we were done with Rush episodes in 2025. Then the biggest bomb since the Oasis reunion dropped.....Geddy and Alex are going to tour!!! This announcement, of course, sparked huge excitement in the world of Rush and caused the faithful to ask many questions, none more pertinent (or is it Peartinent?) than who would be playing drums. After the death of drummer/lyricist Neil Peart in 2020, Rush fans knew the band they loved was done as The Professor was irreplaceable. But to do tribute to him and to celebrate the amazing music they all made together, someone would have to step up. Turns out that brave, talented soul is Anika Nilles - yes, a woman who is a very accomplished drummer and one The Wolf saw play with Jeff Beck in London not long before his death (see episode 90). She definitely has some chops and apparently won't be the only musician joining Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson on stage. Quick note: we recorded this hot take shortly after the announcement of the tour. Between recording and publishing, the band announced additional dates due to overwhelming demand. Also, the tickets went on sale after we recorded so you have to stick around until the end to see which city your heroes might be going to and if they were shutout the way they were for the Oasis reunion tour. But either way you can hear the excitement in our voices about one of our very favorites playing live one more time... Check out our new website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ugly American Werewolf in London Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LInkTree⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pantheonpodcasts.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush surprised everyone and announced their 2026 celebrating 50 years of Rush's music, Anika Nilles was named to join them behind the drumkit. This led to lots of Rush fans immediately wondering, who is Anika Nilles? Find out about the powerhouse drummer who landed the gig of a lifetime in this bonus episode of the Behind The Song podcast with Janda Lane.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Twitter: @podgaverockInsta: @podgaverockSpecial Guest Host: Andy RyanRush “Limelight” from the 1981 album "Moving Pictures" released on Mercury. Written by Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart and produced by Rush and Terry Brown.Personel:Geddy Lee - bass, vocals, synthesizersAlex Lifeson - electric and acoustic guitarsNeil Peart - drums, percussionTerry Brown - uncredited backing vocalCover:Performed by Josh BondIntro Music:"Shithouse" 2010 release from "A Collection of Songs for the Kings". Writer Josh Bond. Produced by Frank Charlton.Other Artists Mentioned:Taylor SwiftSlow HorsesAC/DC “Highway to Hell”David Bowie “The Jean Genie”Black Sabbath “Iron Man”Blue Oyster Cult “Don't Fear the Reaper”GenesisLed Zeppelin “When the Levee Breaks”James Jacuzzi and the Downtown BohemiansStevie StarlightRush “Permanent Waves”Rush “Spirit of the Radio”Rush “Tom Sawyer”The Rolling Stones “Start Me Up”Led Zeppelin “Good Times, Bad Times”PhishLynyrd Skynyrd “Sweet Home Alabama”CreamJack BruceJoe WalshKeith MoonJimmy PageDream TheaterEmerson, Lake, and PalmerThe Who “Substitute”Jimi Hendrix Experience “Axis: Bold As Love”Rush “Signals”HelmetPavementAlan HoldsworthEddie Van HalenJefferson Starship “We Built This City”Red Hot Chili PeppersRage Against the MachineAudioslaveChris CornellTom MorelloRush “Working Man”The HuntThe Tragically HipThe Ninja Sex Party

The Podcast That Rocked for 10/8/25. Rush announcing a reunion tour (first since Neil Peart passing), MCR and BMTH as festival headliners, more.Pre-Order the H1E Earbuds at Heavys.com Discussion Topics:Return of RushMCR and BMTH to headlineTrivium and Alex Bent part waysHayley Williams calls out racist trashKorn...(only getting 60 sec)Sick New World confirmed by SerjUpcoming albums/songs/more SONG OF THE WEEK: Frayle "Boo" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVAkrvi4RW8ALBUM VS ALBUM: Type O Negative Bloody Kisses VS October Rust https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkx82kQSmxakQx-0qFBDKieLEr8xAM9MkGb “RUSH are returning to the stage for a 2026 North American tour, marking their first shows since 2015's “R40 Tour,” as well as their first concerts since the passing of beloved drummer Neil Peart in January 2020. The legendary Canadian prog-rock act's founding members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson will be joined by German drummer Anika Nilles, who first caught attention on YouTube in the early 2010s and has since toured with Jeff Beck and released albums as a solo act with her backing band Nevell. The tour, dubbed “Fifty Something,” will hit seven markets in North America, including multiple dates in select cities. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band's outing kicks off with four shows in Los Angeles on June 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th and wraps up September 17th and 19th in Cleveland, hitting Mexico City; Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago; New York City; and RUSH's hometown of Toronto along the way. Update: “Due to incredible demand,” RUSH have added extra shows in Los Angeles, Fort Worth, Chicago, New York, Toronto, and Cleveland.” (Consequence)The Return of RUSH | The Podcast That Rocked

In a move the music world did not see coming, Canadian music legends RUSH are touring again! German-born musician Anika Nilles will be honoring the late Neil Peart, drumming alongside Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Jack schools Mike on Nilles' background, Rush's touring plans, and Peart's lyrical contributions to the band. Also discussed in this episode of Hardly Focused: Jack and Becky attend a taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and almost blow Conan O'Brien's cover! The former host of The Apprentice posts a bizarre, AI-generated music video to the tune of "Don't Fear the Reaper." As expected, while its soundtrack is phenomenal, Tron: Ares is a middling film at best. FOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE! https://hardlyfocused.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MUSICGeddy Lee and Alex Lifeson "secretly" broke the news about next year's Rush reunion tour on Sunday night during a Q&A event at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. The tour will start on June 7th with the first of two nights at the Forum in Los Angeles, which is where they did their last show on August 1st, 2015. They will do multiple shows in seven cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico, with Geddy saying, "We'll see how that goes." They'll follow up Los Angeles with: 6/18 - Mexico City, MX - Palacio de los Deportes6/24+26 - Fort Worth, TX - Dickies Arena7/16+18 - Chicago, IL - United Center7/28+30 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden8/7+9 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena9/17 - Cleveland, OH - Rocket ArenaAll dates are subject to change and tickets go on sale Friday at Rush.com. Ozzy Osbourne's second memoir, Last Rites, is out today. https://youtu.be/A5Us8aOgyk4 MUSIC BOOK CLUB:Cat Stevens memoir Cat on the Road to Findout publishes. Photo book Taylor Swift: Album by Album by Kase Wickman, Joanna Weiss and Moira McAvoy publishes. Original Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley has canceled his remaining 2025 tour dates due to unspecified "medical issues". https://blabbermouth.net/news/ace-frehley-cancels-remainder-of-2025-tour-dates-due-to-ongoing-medical-issues Luke Combs is now the highest-selling country artist of all time. Luke now holds 168 million certified units from sales and streams. That tops Garth's long-standing record of 162.5 million total. https://entertainment-focus.com/2025/10/06/luke-combs-surpasses-garth-brooks-to-become-the-most-riaa-certified-country-artist-in-history/ TVThe documentary Ozzy: No Escape From Now hits Paramount+. 99-year-old Dick Van Dyke stays pretty lighthearted about his own mortality. He'll be turning 100 on December 13th, and during a fan event on Sunday he joked, quote, "It'd be funny if I didn't make it." https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/dick-van-dyke-jokes-funny-211449081.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2lzZWJyb3RoZXIuY29tLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAN2WjeF-rEip0J1sYs96GHg-2WH9KN_kYWqg-tgvE6wRZFFvX6Ov6wavalwJBwqCbO4EYb6QiBx1k34ysgkTqu8dT9Pe9DknocF9dJaXjgBxF5dnB6qiUJc1WeugNIqvLwN6puSC1ny-mR40-m1HKz34BfXmQzE24j94gQRrrFfU MOVING ON INTO MOVIE NEWS:Please stop sending AI videos of Robin Williams to his daughter, Zelda. https://ew.com/zelda-williams-asks-fans-to-stop-sending-her-ai-videos-of-dad-robin-williams-11825333 John C. Reilly wants to do a 20th anniversary tour in 2027 as his character Dewey Cox, from the biopic parody "Walk Hard". GAMESSonic the Olympic Hedgehog … SEGA and the International Olympic Committee have struck a multi-year licensing deal that brings Sonic the Hedgehog into the world of the Olympics. The partnership, dubbed “Five Rings,” connects Sonic with the core Olympic values of excellence, respect, and friendship. And, of course, involves merchandise. Lots and lots of merchandise.Call of Duty cheater crackdown … Activision is dropping the hammer on cheaters in the Call of Duty Black Ops 7 game, claiming that they've caught 97% of them within 30 minutes of signing in. The company said that its anti-cheater effort – which they're calling Team Ricochet – "hit the ground running" and that "fewer than 1% of cheating attempts reached a match. AND FINALLYWe have our ‘Ride of Die' Halloween Costume Party at Ballpark Village coming up… and maybe you need some inspiration on what to wear, or what NOT to wear, because these costumes will probably be everywhere this year: "Variety" put together this list of the Best Pop-Culture Halloween Costumes. AND THAT IS YOUR CRAP ON CELEBRITIES!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Live Nation's Jimmy Koplik was on with Chaz and AJ this morning to talk about the surprise Rush tour, announced by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson yesterday, hitting 7 cities in 2026. All you need to know about the dates, the new drummer, and any future plans beyond what's been announced.  Photo credit: Reuters

Big news with the announcement of Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson touring again as Rush with drummer Anika Niles. Roie, Kyle, and Jeremy discuss what this means and if this is a good thing. How do you feel about it? Will you go see it?

EPISODE 82 — Aaron Byrd: Signals, Scotch & Slipknot's Butcher at RushFestFrom Kansas City Signals in '82 to the inner circle table at RUSHFest Canada 2025, Aaron Byrd has lived a Rush fan's dream journey. Raised on stoner brothers' vinyl, baptized by Hemispheres, and blown away by Neil's fortress of drums at his very first Rush show, Aaron carried that passion through 16 Rush concerts, friendships, and eventually straight into the heart of the Rush family at Massey Hall.But Aaron's story doesn't stop with the music—he's also a professional butcher from Des Moines with a surprising client: Slipknot's Corey Taylor. Yep, this week we're slicing through prog and pork chops as Aaron shares:

Fresh off RUSHFest Canada, the phone hasn't stopped ringing—and today it's ringing for David Barrett. One of Canada's premier progressive rock guitarists, David's career threads directly through the Rush universe: mentored by Alex Lifeson, produced by Terry Brown, countless sessions with Rich Chycki, and collaborations with everyone from Platinum Blonde to Jacob Moon to Crown Lands and more.Join Chaz N Schatz as we pull David out of the Haggis Shack and dive deep into:His first time falling for Rush back in the ‘70s, and why A Farewell to Kings changed everything.Playing 2112 at Massey Hall on Alex's own guitars (!).Hanging at the Lifeson family “Pink Palace” and jamming in Al's basement.Studio lessons from Terry Brown, Rich Chycki, and Alan Parsons.His decades of guitar work: from sitar versions of “Tears,” to prog-epics with Crown Lands, to acoustic shows mixing Chet Atkins, John Williams, and Rush.Stories of friendship, mentorship, and the sometimes-brutal honesty of Big Al's feedback.It's equal parts backstage pass, guitar masterclass, and hang with a guy who's been in the thick of Toronto's prog scene for decades.THIS WEEK'S SONGThe Wheel spins us into Making Memories from 1975's Fly By Night. A perfect fit for this episode, looking back at the connections, riffs, and friendships that have made David Barrett's journey unforgettable.SCHATZ'S SCRATCH LIST - RUSH TRIBUTE BANDSScratch your itch to hear RUSH music played live by going to check out any of these great RUSH Tribute Bands - these bands are keeping the community and the music alive - the most current, curated, and rockin' list of RUSH Tribute Bands in the world! Yeah!⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here: ⁠Schatz's Scratch List⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠(And say it 5 times fast!)GO BONELESSCertified boneless in the state of Ohio by the Boneless Podcasting Network. Go Boneless. Boneless Makes a Better Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Lerxst Day! Alex Lifeson turns 72, and what better way to mark the occasion than to let him completely hijack our wheel with the addition of all 11 glorious, weird, and wonderful tracks from 1996's Victor. Because of course he wasn't content to just chase tones and deliver bizarre spoken-words in live settings (and under bags) in Rush — he had to release an album that's part prog fever dream, part jazz club, part stand-up routine, and somehow all Alex. Bubbles is a HUGE fan of this record, we think...And as fate, or the Wheel would have it, we land on “At The End” — the brooding “death song.” Perfect for his birthday, right? Somewhere, Lerxst is raising a glass, laughing his head off, and probably playing Strip and Go Naked just to mess with us.So here's to you, Alex Zivojinovich..er, Lifeson. Happy 72nd, Lerxst! (Assuming Schatz got the math right…)SCHATZ'S SCRATCH LIST - RUSH TRIBUTE BANDSScratch your itch to hear RUSH music played live by going to check out any of these great RUSH Tribute Bands - these bands are keeping the community and the music alive - the most current, curated, and rockin' list of RUSH Tribute Bands in the world! Yeah!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here: Schatz's Scratch List ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(And say it 5 times fast!)ABOUT THE SHOWThe show...it's a quick fix to help soothe your ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RushRash⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - your itch to hear Rush music - get a dose of new tunes by Ged and Al with your ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RushRash ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠clinicians, Chaz N Schatz.A random choice wheel of Alex's post-Rush sthuph, with Geddy's solo record thrown in for good measure. We hoist a shot in memory of The Professor, and proceed to listen to whatever we spin.The Scratch List - go see these bands and scratch that itch to hear Rush music live!Rush news, general nonsensical disorderly conduct, lack of regard for correctness or truth, and reckless endangerment of your whole-brain. This is one of two podcasts dedicated to increasing opioid release in your anterior insula, your anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and your posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), in addition to the basal ganglia and the thalamus...and all that implies.  Blah, blah...RushRash. 

Send us a textWe are big Rush fans on this podcast. And so are many of our listeners. When we asked what our next Rush review should be, this was the winner. Eric, Tim, and Dayton discuss Counterparts from the power trio Rush.https://www.youtube.com/@EJBGuitarhttps://www.youtube.com/@EricJasonBrockPhotographyhttps://www.youtube.com/@timbmusicianTwitter @dockingbay77podFacebook @dockingbay77podcastdockingbay77podcast@gmail.compatreon.com/dockingbay77podcasthttps://discord.gg/T8Nt3YB7 https://www.youtube.com/@DockingBay77podcast

Chaz & Schatz welcome Vince Tricarico & Burke Hunn of ⁠⁠⁠The Rush Experience⁠⁠⁠ — a RUSH tribute trio so faithful it could fool Lorne into coming out of retirement and rigging up the drums, and trick Howard into running the light show. Vince found RUSH after Bonham's passing, adopted Zeppelin & Rush as his life's soundtrack, fell into the tribute scene, and spent years searching for the perfect trio. Burke was a Zeppelin/Aerosmith guy until a friend dropped the RUSH bomb, leading him straight to a Hemispheres vinyl and a lifelong tone-chase. Together with bassist/keyboardist Dave Kidd, they recreate every era of RUSH — from the first record to the last — with scary accuracy, enthusiasm, and musicianship that lets you relive it all again.They swap stories about monster drum rigs, Alex Lifeson guitar wizardry, load-in nightmares, backstage hangs with Jack Secret, and setlist alchemy that balances fan favorites with deep cuts. It's Rush geekery at its finest — equal parts history, hilarity, and gear lust.Chaz N Schatz go deep with these guys:How The Rush Experience came together and found “the perfect trio”Why Burke's Alex Lifeson tone could fool Alex himselfVince's dual drum rig obsession: DW Snakes & Arrows kit + revived Tama Signals kitThe day Neil Peart's actual invoice fell into Vince's lapWhat it's like to sit behind Peart's kits from Moving Pictures and Roll the Bones toursAudience riots (okay, “enthusiasm”) in Akron during “Working Man”Deep cuts that make the setlist, and those that get droppedWhen your gig load-in feels like moving a drum riser through a dollhouse doorThe Rush Experience philosophy: play it so fans can “live it all again”THIS WEEK'S SONGThe wheel gives us What You're Doing off RUSH'S 1974 debut. We imagine Jimmy Page and Tony Iommi having a thing or two to say about this number...we certainly do. SCHATZ'S SCRATCH LIST - RUSH TRIBUTE BANDSScratch your itch to hear RUSH music played live by going to check out any of these great RUSH Tribute Bands - these bands are keeping the community and the music alive - the most current, curated, and rockin' list of RUSH Tribute Bands in the world!⁠⁠⁠Click here: Schatz's Scratch List ⁠⁠⁠(And say it 5 times fast!)ABOUT THE SHOWRush news, general nonsensical disorderly conduct, lack of regard for correctness or truth, and reckless endangerment of your whole-brain. This is one of two podcasts dedicated to increasing opioid release in your anterior insula, your anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and your posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), in addition to the basal ganglia and the thalamus...and all that implies.  Blah, blah...RushRash. 

Join @thebuzzknight for a conversation with one of the most iconic guitar players in music history, Alex Lifeson. You know Alex for his career with the band Rush, and now he talks about his new band "Envy of None". You'll love his passion for creativity. A Note to our Community Your support means everything to us! As we continue to grow, we’d love to hear what guests you might find interesting and what conversations you’d like us to explore next. Have a friend who might enjoy our conversations? Please share our podcast with them! Your word of mouth recommendations help us reach new listeners that could benefit from our content. Thank you for being part of our community. We’re excited for what’s ahead! Check out our newest podcast called “Comedy Saved Me” wherever you get your podcasts. Warmly Buzz Knight Founder Buzz Knight Media ProductionsSupport the show: https://takinawalk.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join @thebuzzknight for a conversation with one of the most iconic guitar players in music history, Alex Lifeson. You know Alex for his career with the band Rush, and now he talks about his new band "Envy of None". You'll love his passion for creativity. A Note to our Community Your support means everything to us! As we continue to grow, we’d love to hear what guests you might find interesting and what conversations you’d like us to explore next. Have a friend who might enjoy our conversations? Please share our podcast with them! Your word of mouth recommendations help us reach new listeners that could benefit from our content. Thank you for being part of our community. We’re excited for what’s ahead! Check out our newest podcast called “Comedy Saved Me” wherever you get your podcasts. Warmly Buzz Knight Founder Buzz Knight Media ProductionsSupport the show: https://musicsavedme.net/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ann shares her conversations with former NFL Quarterback, Super Bowl Champ, Joe Theismann, and with Alex Lifeson,  Hall of Fame guitarist for the band, RUSH, about what they've been working on and their passion for golf.

From The Desk of Geddy Lee...Ozzy Osbourne: Fearless. One of a kind. Played by no one's rules. “I remember listening to the first Sabbath album when it came out and thinking how ‘effin' heavy' Tony Iommi's guitar sounded,” said Geddy Lee. “Ozzy and his bandmates were at the forefront of that genre, that brand of Metal, and Ozzy was an intensely loved, one of a kind performer.We never got to play on the same bill with Black Sabbath, and in fact we only ever did two gigs with Ozzy, at the Texxas Jam at the Cotton Bowl in June of 1984 (poster attached) and the other at the Astrodome.Rush recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales at the same time in the late 70's and I recall Ozzy poking his head in the control room to ask if he could “borrow” some Hashish from Neil! For years afterwards, Neil relished telling the story of how “Ozzy owes me some hash”

Ann interviews the legendary Alex Lifeson, Hall of Fame guitarist for RUSH, passionate golfer, about the iconic band RUSH, his new work with 'Envy of None,' his favorite golf foursome with music buddies, what he brings from music to golf, pale ale, and much more.

Ann shares her exclusive conversation with legendary Alex Lifeson, hall of Fame guitarist for RUSH and passionate golfer, about the iconic band, RUSH, his new music with the band, Envy of None, how music correlates to golf, and much more.

Ann shares her exclusive conversation with the legendary Alex Lifeson, Hall of Fame guitarist for RUSH and passionate golfer; talks RUSH music and golf with Brian Crowell, GM, Bally Golf Links at Ferry Point, Master PGA Professional; and talks about the Genesis Scottish Open, Evian Championship, Dicks Open and more.

This week, we get songs and stories from the road from the one and only bassist extraordinaire: Mr. Billy Sheehan! We had the opportunity to chat with the icon about his adventurous musical journeys, cats, and deviled ham! Kevin was on the verge of imploding as this conversation completed his goal to have a chat with his holy bass trinity of Geddy, Squire, and Sheehan! Come discover more about some of the bands that Billy's been part of that maybe you aren't as familiar with!Wondering what this show is all about? We exhume obscure Rock n' Punk n' Metal and place them in one of 3 categories: the Lost, the Forgotten, or the Should Have Beens. Kevin and Robert were both excited to have the opportunity to chat with the amazingly talented Billy Sheehan. After having a brief encounter with him involving potted meat a few years ago, we wondered if he would remember us. Check out his reaction and some great stories about his more obscure musical endeavors. Songs this week include:Thrasher – “Burning At The Speed Of Light” from Thrasher (1985)Talas – “High Speed On Ice” from Sink Your Teeth Into That (1982)MIWA  – “Hell Is Real” from Hell Is Real (2020)Billy Sheehan – “Analog Kid” from Working Man – A Tribute To Rush (1996)Mari Hamada – “Prism” from SOAR (2023)KUNI – “East Meets West” from Masque (1986)Niacin – “Klunkified” from Deep (2000) Please subscribe everywhere that you listen to podcasts!Visit us: https://inobscuria.com/https://www.facebook.com/InObscuriahttps://x.com/inobscuriahttps://www.instagram.com/inobscuria/Buy cool stuff with our logo on it: InObscuria StoreIf you'd like to check out Kevin's band THE SWEAR, take a listen on all streaming services or pick up a digital copy of their latest release here: https://theswear.bandcamp.com/If you want to hear Robert and Kevin's band from the late 90s – early 00s BIG JACK PNEUMATIC, check it out here: https://bigjackpnuematic.bandcamp.com/Check out Robert's amazing fire sculptures and metal workings here: http://flamewerx.com/

Send us a textHere in Episode 223 of the No Name Music Cast, it is Tim's turn to pick the topic and has a challenge!Tim asks Joy to list guitar players and Tim has to correctly identify their guitar and then pick a song they play on.We cover The Bangles, Mick Ronson, Carlos Santana and B.B. King to name only a few.We also cover Eurovision, Sinklin Farms, Sirius XM and Alex Lifeson!Support the showEmail the show: nonamemusiccast@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonamemusiccastpodcast/ https://nonamemusiccast.com/

On this episode of Talkin' Rock, it's one rocker, an author, and the woman who runs Metallica's very successful All Within My Hands foundation. Up first, it's the legendary drummer Gil Moore of Triumph. The Magic Power - An All-Star Tribute To Triumph drops on June 6th, and it's packed with rock heavy hitters—Slash, Alex Lifeson, Dee Snider, Dorothy, Tommy Aldridge, and a TON more. Then, he talks about upcoming plans with the band, including something called a mixed reality tour. I don't know what that is, Gil said no one does because it hasn't been done before. He explains that part of it. Next, it's music journalist/author, Martin Popoff. We discuss his new 666-page book on Iron Maiden called Hallowed By Their Name. Martin has written over 130 rock books, so he knows a thing or sixty on the topic of rock and metal bands. We did get into some rock talk, which I really wanted to do. We talked about why Maiden has had so much success around the world, specifically outside of the United States. He speaks to who he thinks is the biggest metal band in the world and lots more. I'll have Martin back again in the future, he's a great guest. Finally, Renee Richardson, who runs Metallica's All Within My Hands foundation. She speaks to what they do, the birth of the foundation, how she got involved, and more. She also co-hosts the Metallica Report podcast, which is very well done. Fun conversation with Renee. Thanks for listening!

This week continues our experience at the Nashville Rock N Pod Expo 2025! Much like Hollywood in the 80s and Seattle in the 90s, Nashville has become the new rock n' roll capital in recent years. This is part 1 of our interviews with some of Nashville's best new bands. Being that the town is called “Music City”, you can expect these bands to have amazing talent and great songwriting prowess. Hopefully, we will introduce you to your new favorite bands!What is it that we do here at InObscuria? Well, we exhume obscure Rock n' Punk n' Metal. We were super-stoked to go to the Rock N Pod in Nashville, TN, again this year! What is it you ask??? Rock N Pod is a unique annual event bringing together rock fans, artists, podcasters, and vendors for events that celebrate the past, promote the present, and look to the future of rock n' roll. This episode focuses on our interviews with local Nashville flair. Get ready to be impressed by these artists who are Music City Made! Songs this week include:Jane And The Killer Queens – “EAT! YOUR! WORDS!” from Fuck, Marry, Kill - EP (2025)Valkyrie's Fire – “Nectar Of The Gods” from Ascension - EP (2024)Gentry Blue – “Origins (Of Your Heartbreak)” from Ruins Valentine's Day - Live (2025)Please subscribe everywhere that you listen to podcasts!Visit us: https://inobscuria.com/https://www.facebook.com/InObscuriahttps://x.com/inobscuriahttps://www.instagram.com/inobscuria/Buy cool stuff with our logo on it!: https://www.redbubble.com/people/InObscuria?asc=uIf you'd like to check out Kevin's band THE SWEAR, take a listen on all streaming services or pick up a digital copy of their latest release here: https://theswear.bandcamp.com/If you want to hear Robert and Kevin's band from the late 90s – early 00s BIG JACK PNEUMATIC, check it out here: https://bigjackpnuematic.bandcamp.com/Check out Robert's amazing fire sculptures and metal workings here: http://flamewerx.com/

On the 64th Episode of the Album Review Crew of Shout It Out Loudcast, Tom, Zeus & special guest, rock journalist, author and fellow Pantheon podcaster, Martin Popoff review the 1980 classic album by Rush, "Permanent Waves" As we have stated before, Rush is known for its incredible musicianship with Geddy Lee on vocals and bass, Alex Lifeson on guitar and perhaps the greatest rock drummer of all time, Neil Peart. Permanent Waves finds Rush attempting to become mainstream and commercial. The album was once again produced by the band and Terry Brown. The album cover is another classic Rush cover done by Hugh Syme. The album features more accessible songs and some classic Rush progressive songs as well. The band also experimented with sounds and even some reggae. The album went to #4 US Billboard album charts and went on to become certified platinum. Songs like The Spirit Of Radio and Freewill became concert staples. As usual the boys breakdown and dissect the tracks and rank the songs. They then rank the album and the album cover against the previous albums reviewed on the Album Review Crew.  This was Tom's pick. Find out if Zeus still hates Rush or does Rush lovers Tom & Martin convince him that he's wrong. So grab your witch's broom and rock out! To Purchase Rush's “Permanent Waves” On Amazon Click Below:   ⁠Rush's "Permanent Waves"⁠   To Purchase Shout It Out Loudcast's KISS Book “Raise Your Glasses: A Celebration Of 50 Years of KISS Songs By Celebrities, Musicians & Fans Please Click Below:   ⁠Raise Your Glasses Book⁠   For all things Shout It Out Loudcast check out our amazing website by clicking below:   ⁠www.ShoutItOutLoudcast.com⁠   Interested in more Shout It Out Loudcast content?  Care to help us out?  Come join us on Patreon by clicking below:   ⁠SIOL⁠ ⁠Patreon⁠   Get all your Shout It Out Loudcast Merchandise by clicking below:   ⁠Shout It Out Loudcast Merchandise at AMAZON⁠   Shop At Our Amazon Store by clicking below: ⁠Shout It Out Loudcast Amazon Store⁠   Please Email us comments or suggestions by clicking below: ⁠ShoutItOutLoudcast@Gmail.com⁠   Please subscribe to us and give us a 5 Star (Child) review on the following places below: ⁠iTunes⁠ ⁠Podchaser⁠ ⁠Stitcher⁠ ⁠iHeart Radio⁠ ⁠Spotify ⁠   Please follow us and like our social media pages clicking below: ⁠Twitter⁠ ⁠Facebook Page⁠ ⁠Facebook Group Page Shout It Out Loudcasters⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠   Proud Member of the Pantheon Podcast click below to see the website: ⁠Pantheon Podcast⁠ ⁠Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guitar legend Alex Lifeson joins the podcast to talk about his new band Envy of None and their new album Stygian Waves, as well as his love of playing guitar, getting together to jam with Geddy Lee, and what the future might hold for them. Stygian Wavz is out now.

On the 64th Episode of the Album Review Crew of Shout It Out Loudcast, Tom, Zeus & special guest, rock journalist, author and fellow Pantheon podcaster, Martin Popoff review the 1980 classic album by Rush, "Permanent Waves" As we have stated before, Rush is known for its incredible musicianship with Geddy Lee on vocals and bass, Alex Lifeson on guitar and perhaps the greatest rock drummer of all time, Neil Peart. Permanent Waves finds Rush attempting to become mainstream and commercial. The album was once again produced by the band and Terry Brown. The album cover is another classic Rush cover done by Hugh Syme. The album features more accessible songs and some classic Rush progressive songs as well. The band also experimented with sounds and even some reggae. The album went to #4 US Billboard album charts and went on to become certified platinum. Songs like The Spirit Of Radio and Freewill became concert staples. As usual the boys breakdown and dissect the tracks and rank the songs. They then rank the album and the album cover against the previous albums reviewed on the Album Review Crew.  This was Tom's pick. Find out if Zeus still hates Rush or does Rush lovers Tom & Martin convince him that he's wrong. So grab your witch's broom and rock out! To Purchase Rush's “Permanent Waves” On Amazon Click Below:   Rush's "Permanent Waves"   To Purchase Shout It Out Loudcast's KISS Book “Raise Your Glasses: A Celebration Of 50 Years of KISS Songs By Celebrities, Musicians & Fans Please Click Below:   Raise Your Glasses Book   For all things Shout It Out Loudcast check out our amazing website by clicking below:   www.ShoutItOutLoudcast.com   Interested in more Shout It Out Loudcast content?  Care to help us out?  Come join us on Patreon by clicking below:   SIOL Patreon   Get all your Shout It Out Loudcast Merchandise by clicking below:   Shout It Out Loudcast Merchandise at AMAZON   Shop At Our Amazon Store by clicking below: Shout It Out Loudcast Amazon Store   Please Email us comments or suggestions by clicking below: ShoutItOutLoudcast@Gmail.com   Please subscribe to us and give us a 5 Star (Child) review on the following places below: iTunes Podchaser Stitcher iHeart Radio Spotify   Please follow us and like our social media pages clicking below: Twitter Facebook Page Facebook Group Page Shout It Out Loudcasters Instagram YouTube   Proud Member of the Pantheon Podcast click below to see the website: Pantheon Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To coincide with the release of the Envy Of None album “Stygian Wavs”, our host Billy Reeves hears from Singer and lyricist Maiah Wynne about her thought processes and influences when writing and recording new work, and some sage advice for fellow women in the music industry. We also caught up with guitarist Alex Lifeson, this is where you will find out where the album title and indeed the band name came from and how his style has evolved.   Overall we learn how the band came to be and how it is growing from strength to strength as they learn how each other work.   The new album is out now   Track list: Stygian Waves The Story Under The Stars That Was Then   You can keep up with Kscope on our socials:   https://www.instagram.com/kscopemusic/   www.facebook.com/Kscopemusic  https://open.spotify.com/user/kscopemusic https://www.youtube.com/@kscopemusic    https://kscopemusic.com/

The boys marry many boomer icons, are surprised to learn the one-winged dove is really white, and use the scientific method to conduct an autopsy on the corpse of Stevie Nicks's solo hit, “Edge of Seventeen.” News items and digressions include Alex Lifeson's Envy of None, the Zapruder film, and food poisoning.

For 40 years, Dream Theater has been one of the biggest progressive rock bands in the world, if not the biggest. The driving force behind their music has been legendary drummer Mike Portnoy, but for more than a decade, he and the band were split. That all changed last year when Mike rejoined the band and they recorded their latest album, “Parasomnia.” He sits down with Tom Power to talk about reuniting with Dream Theater and Rush's influence on the band. If you like this conversation, you'll probably also enjoy Tom's interviews with Geddy Lee or Alex Lifeson.

On this week's episode of The Eddie Trunk Podcast - Eddie brings you his chat with Alex Lifeson and Andy Curran about the new album from their group Envy Of None, stij(ē)n wāvz. They talk about the creative process, how the group came to be, if there will be live shows coming up and much more, plus, some conversation about Alex's relationship with Geddy Lee and more on Rush. Catch Eddie Trunk every M-F from 3:00-5:00pm ET on Trunk Nation on SiriusXM Faction Talk Channel 103.And don't forget to follow Eddie on Twitter and Instagram!Follow the link to get your free 3-month trial of SiriusXM: http://siriusxm.com/eddietrunk Find all episodes of Trunk Nation: https://siriusxm.com/trunknation

Though the influential punk band Hüsker Dü has long been disbanded, its co-founder Bob Mould has never stopped making music. Back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Hüsker Dü cut a path for countless indie bands to follow, like Nirvana, Pixies and Green Day. But before all that, Bob was — as he describes it — a precocious kid growing up in a small farming town near the Canadian border. On the heels of releasing his 15th solo album, “Here We Go Crazy,” Bob joins guest host Garvia Bailey to look back on his life in music. He tells us about his childhood years, how Montreal helped shape him as an artist, and how a Ramones show changed everything for him. In case you missed it, you might also enjoy Tom Power's conversation with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson.

On this episode, two Canadian guitarists. Alex Liefson is first. The latest Envy of None album dropped last week. He talked about the album and his thoughts on solos - there are only a few on this record - and how he would describe the EON music, as well as working with Andy Curran on it. Of course, we talked RUSH. How was it to create with a guy like Neil Peart? Alex has nothing but glowing things to say about the late drumming master. They also have a new 50th-anniversary package out. He also talks of his over 50-year friendship with Geddy Lee. There are some very funny moments when we discussed his appearances on The Trailer Park Boys and in the movie I Love You, Man. Really funny! Up next, it's Phil X. The Jon Bon Jovi guitarist's new album POW! Right In The Kisser is out now. It features a different drummer on each song. Phil talks to that and working with these legends. He spoke to the first time he took the stage with JBJ, in front of 50,000 people! Also his thoughts on the upcoming Triumph tribute album that he's a part of. That's just for starters in the great conversation with phil. Thanks for listening! Meltdown

Join @thebuzzknight for an episode with Alex Lifeson, legendary guitar player from Rush as they walk through the sonic landscapes of his brilliant career. From the progressive rock heights of Rush, to the atmospheric creations of his new band "Envy of None", Lifeson shares the inside stories that led to his brilliant creations. You'll love hearing from this groundbreaking artist who continues to challenge his creative boundaries. If you like this episode, please share with your friends.Support the show: https://takinawalk.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Rush ended, Alex Lifeson wasn't sure if he'd ever make music again. The Canadian guitarist had toured the world with his best friends from high school and changed rock music, so he felt like he had been there and done that. But when Alex heard a young singer named Maiah Wynne, he was transfixed by her voice and lyrics. That led him to form his new band, Envy of None. Alex sits down with Tom Power to talk about how that group came together, the early days of Rush, and how at 17 he decided he was destined for a life of rock and roll. If you enjoy this conversation, you might want to check out Tom's interview with Rush lead singer Geddy Lee or Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt.

(00:00:00) News & Sports(00:09:16) Entertainment News(00:43:14) Survey Says(01:17:58) Bizarre File(01:28:57) Preston's Mystery Gift(01:52:36) Jim Florentine, Alex Lifeson, Adam Ray(02:44:06) Bizarre File(02:53:02) Hollywood Trash & Music News(03:02:57) Wrap Up

The legendary Alex Lifeson of Rush joins. We chat his band Envy of None, their new album "Stygian Wavz," and what it means to inspire other musicians. Then, "Shotgun News!" - You and I discuss Isaac Carpenter becoming the new drummer of Guns N' Roses. Plus, I read your emails for "Mr. Mailstone" More info: https://envyofnone.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thereallerxst/ Alex: 00:32 - 10:41 Shotgun News: 11:44 - 31:59 Mr. Mailstone: 32:04 - 42:48 Our website: afdpod.com

In this episode, we dive into the nuances of networking and making meaningful connections in the music industry. Our guest, bassist Luis Espaillat, shares his insights on navigating the professional landscape, from the importance of saying "yes" to opportunities to the value of versatility and immersion in one's craft.   We explore Luis' musical journey, from his time at Berklee College of Music to his diverse collaborations with artists across genres. The conversation also touches on the challenges and rewards of touring, the role of social media in personal branding, and the art of preparation and improvisation.   Additionally, we discuss the concept of "drumming roulette" and the importance of pushing boundaries and embracing new musical experiences. This episode offers valuable lessons for musicians and industry professionals alike, highlighting the power of adaptability, authenticity, and a genuine passion for the craft.   Luis Espaillat is a multi-faceted bassist and musician whose career has spanned many genres and taken him around the world. His unique sound can be heard in all forms of media from shows on network television such as Roswell,New Mexico, Smallville and King Of The Hill, major motion pictures includingS.W.A.T. and American Wedding and even video games includin: Need For Speed:Hot Pursuit 2 and Project Gotham Racing.   In the studio, Luis can be heard in various genres from the modern country sounds of Bailey Zimmerman's multi-million stream and counting hit, “NeverComin' Home,” country legends like Michael Martin Murphey to contemporary country, Juno award nominees Autumn Hill, the #1 Country  Christian song, “I'm There” by Buddy Jewell, TV commercials for the likes of Ford Trucks and Zaxby's to the Billboard Top 20 hard rock sounds of Eve To Adam. His sense and respect for the art of the song itself has made him in demand for many songwriters and producers not only in Nashville, but also Los Angeles and New York City. On the stage, Luis has performed with country stars Jon Pardi, Brett Eldredege (for his big band Christmas tours), Lee Ann Womack, Jo Dee Messina, Ty Herndon, Lee Greenwood, Trace Adkins, Jamie O'Neal, Jimmy Wayne, Lindsay Ell, and Pam Tillis, legendary singer/songwriters such as Gavin DeGraw and Jim Messina, rockers such as Tom Keifer of Cinderella, Tantric, The Guess Who, Tony Harnell and Bo Bice, progressive instrumentalist like Johnny Hiland, and even artists that defy normal convention such as country rappers Cowboy Troy and Colt Ford, just to name a few.   A graduate of Berklee College Of Music, Luis also conducts clinics and master classes on the world of studio recording, touring and of course, bass. Luis resides in Nashville, TN.   Some Things That Came Up:    -9:00 Brett Eldredge's Christmas Big Band    -13:30 Luis' Road Rituals and Routines    -18:00 Good Hangs…Brad Pitt?   -18:30 Billy Bob Thornton? Robert Downey Jr.?   -22:30 Berklee “Caf Shows”, Rush and Queen    -23:00 Meeting Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson    -25:00 The band HOT ACTION COP   -27:50 Sunset Boulevard Adventures and Ron Jeremy   -29:50 Dominican and Puerto Rican Roots   -30:30 A well rounded education includes the Arts    -35:00 Luis' first Nashville opportunities    -37:00 The dirty word that is ‘Networking'   -38:00 What's Your Problem? Can I Help?    -40:00 Upright or Electric Bass    -42:00 Entertaining social media -43:00 Luis loved film scores   -48:00 Pop and Slap technique    -50:20 The Big PRIMUS audition    -57:50 The DRUMEO genre test    -1:01:20 Luis and Rich doing a music business panel at Belmont University   -1:02:50 The time saving rhythmic shorthand and kick drum patterns    -1:04:40 Listening Latin Music growing up and immersion -1:09:00 Pigeonholes…and keeping all polished   -1:11:40 The Immersion Technique   -1:15:30 Voice Over for Amtrak   -1:16:15 Luis' Musician Spotlight at The Country Music Hall of Fame    -1:18:20 The Fave 5    -1:23:00 Tribute Band   -1:27:00 Drummer “Poker Tells”    Follow: www.luisespaillat.com www.facebook.com/luisespaillatbass www.X.com/luisbass www.youtube.com/luisespaillat www.instagram.com/ebassluis https://www.tiktok.com/@luisespaillatbass   Snapchat: ebasslu   The Rich Redmond Show is about all things music, motivation and success. Candid conversations with musicians, actors, comedians, authors and thought leaders about their lives and the stories that shaped them. Rich Redmond is the longtime drummer with Jason Aldean and many other veteran musicians and artists. Rich is also an actor, speaker, author, producer and educator. Rich has been heard on thousands of songs, over 30 of which have been #1 hits!   Follow Rich: @richredmond www.richredmond.com   Jim McCarthy is the quintessential Blue Collar Voice Guy. Honing his craft since 1996 with radio stations in Illinois, South Carolina, Connecticut, New York, Las Vegas and Nashville, Jim has voiced well over 10,000 pieces since and garnered an ear for audio production which he now uses for various podcasts, commercials and promos. Jim is also an accomplished video producer, content creator, writer and overall entrepreneur. Follow Jim:   @jimmccarthy www.jimmccarthyvoiceovers.com www.itsyourshow.co