Envy of None, the band featuring Rush legend Alex Lifeson on guitar, has released their second album, Stygian Wavz. We speak to them to find out more
Envy Of None released their second album, Stygian Wavz, on March 28, 2025, via Kscope. The band features Rush guitarist and songwriter Alex Lifeson—an obvious legend around here—alongside bassist and Juno Award-winning vocalist Andy Curran of Coney Hatch and accomplished multi-instrumentalist, engineer, and producer Alfio Annibalini—also an instructor at Canada’s premier entertainment arts school, Metalworks Institute.
Completing the lineup is lead singer and multi-instrumentalist Maiah Wynne, whom her bandmates consider to be a secret ingredient of sorts, adding otherworldly magic to this talented ensemble. With four serious composers at work who all have a firm grip on modern production tools, it’s easy to understand how they conjure such interesting tracks within their tight-knit collaborations—much more on that in a moment.
What is Stygian Wavz poised to bring us?
On Stygian Wavz, fans can expect Lifeson to remain highly enchanted with mood and timbre—that seems like an essential part of the DNA of Envy Of None—but more solos and upfront guitar are on tap this time—bonus! Curran’s bass lines remain slinky and punchy, providing the solidity necessary for Wynne and Annibalini to weave their magical powers into the cauldron of four dedicated writers.
One cannot pin this band down in any genre, and their label touts a “music without boundaries” ethos. Rightly so. Steven Wilson, Mick Karn, and Mariusz Duda are among their labelmates, if that is a clue to the quality lurking here. Envy Of None has successfully blended the “work smarter, not harder” methodology with the elusive confluence of finding such satisfaction in work that it only feels like inspiration to them. Burn away the dross to find the song: that seems to be the way within EON. Lifeson relates it to protecting the “pure beauty beneath” in terms of avoiding overproduction.
Following the release of singles “Not Dead Yet” and “Under The Stars,” both included on the new album, the band has also unveiled the title track “Stygian Waves,” accompanied by a music video directed by Mariano Biotico. “The Story” was the final single before the whole album dropped. Order Stygian Wavz here—and don’t forget to check out the That Was Then, This Is Now EP, released in 2023, and their eponymous debut album from 2022.
Envy Of None is a band committed to serving the song and creating shifting moods
On their website bio, Lifeson lauds Maiah Wynne, saying, “Maiah became my muse. She was able to bring this whole new ethereal thing through her sense of melody on tracks like ‘Liar‘ and ‘Look Inside.’ After hearing her vocals on ‘Never Said I Love You,’ I felt so excited. I’ve never had that kind of inspiration working with another musician. When we say she’s special, it’s because she’s really fucking special!”
Bassist and songwriter Andy Curran expresses a similar conception of the track “Stygian Waves,” highlighting Wynne’s lead vocals and intricate harmonies, which he described as “literally symphonic” to Blabbermouth. He also noted the track’s genre-defying nature, reflecting the band’s pride in their unique sound.
Stygian Wavz comprises 11 tracks and is available in various formats, including colored vinyl, standard black vinyl, CD, Blu-ray, digital, and a special deluxe edition boxset. The sophomore album showcases the band’s evolution, further establishing their distinctive approach to collaboration.
Our interview with Envy of None reveals a clear affection among the group’s members, with their agile and easy-going processes held together by mutual respect. In this, Lifeson continues a well-established legacy of high creativity and band camaraderie. A genuine artistic trust is evident within these musicians, and you can hear it in every tune they’ve released—Envy Of None is all about results. Now let’s hear from the band.
Let’s talk about process, collaboration, and composition. One of my favorite experiences is rediscovering an abandoned fragment of my music, and then the new self contends with the old self to get the momentum going again. That process always seems to bring out new tools or ideas that wouldn’t have been there had I just soldiered on initially. How does Envy of None handle compositional duties? Are you trading sections of music back and forth exclusively? Are you jamming a lot to hammer things out? Are you digging into your personal vaults of ideas and bringing them to the band? What’s the ideal process?
Andy: “The first EON record was exactly what you described, at least from my perspective. Alf and I had some shorter ideas kicking around that we were trading and working on, always with the idea of maybe finding a great vocalist and lyricist to work with. The chance meeting with Maiah opened that door up, and when she collaborated on that first song—a track called ‘Shadow’—I sent it to Alex, and he loved her voice and the vibe.
“That was the beginning of the four of us working on songs remotely and continued all the way into the new Stygian Wavz record. Some ideas like ‘Under The Stars’ or ‘Raindrops’ were more developed from the get-go, but others like ‘Thrill of The Chase’ or the title track of the record really started as 30-second bits that we grew and fostered until they were completed bits.
“It’s a cool way to work, and everyone adds their parts that they feel will instinctually fit with little or no input from the other band members. I’m very aware of leaving room for the others to add their bits, so it’s an exercise in not going too far with an initial idea but far enough along to hopefully pique their interest.”
How do you see the contrast between the eponymous first album and Stygian Wavz? Is it going to feel like a second chapter, or is it going to land more like a new novel? Given the four singles I’ve heard, it feels like it could go either way—though it seems like there’s a bit more upfront guitar on the new album. Was there a process from the first album that you all agreed needed to continue? How do you see this new album in terms of evolution?
Alex: “The transition from the first album was very smooth and organic. We wasted little time before we began working on seeds of ideas for a proposed second album. As we started to build a few of the songs for Stygian Wavz, there seemed to be a shift in the way we composed and developed our arrangements.
“Notwithstanding our process of sharing files remotely, we seem to have reached a more elevated way of working. We had greater confidence in achieving what our goals were, despite the fact that we weren’t even sure what those goals were! Although I tended to downplay the traditional guitar presence on the first album, I felt more open to developing guitar solos, for example, on the second album. If I felt there was a place for it, then I would develop the ideas.”
How do you reach a consensus on when a piece of music is approaching a stage of completion? The competence level is so delightfully high in EON, I’m sure any one of you could be the magistrate at any given moment, and it would work.
Andy: “It’s been really cool how the evolution of the songwriting has developed from the debut album to where we are now. There’s a trust level that has been built now where each of us instinctively leaves room for others to contribute and to also trust that the parts we add will serve the song first and are less about ‘use my parts.’
“There was the odd occasion where certain parts or overdubs were revised. For instance, my bassline in ‘Raindrops,’ after Alex and I spoke, I simplified it, and even on ‘Not Dead Yet,’ there were a few guitar parts that Maiah was having difficulty with weaving a melody around, so in both cases, we just stepped up and made the changes.
“To be honest, I’d say 90 percent of the time, everyone’s ‘self-produced’ parts were used and accepted with open arms. It’s like the four of us are sharing a brain. The one thing that didn’t change a whole lot was sending along very short clips of ideas and seeing if everyone liked them; then we developed them into longer pieces. Some were a little further along than others, but again, the foundations of songs are where we start.”
Image: Alex Lifeson, Maiah Wynne, Alfio Annibalini, and Andy Curran [Top photo and this photo: Richard Sibbald]
My understanding is that EON is moving a lot of data, trading files with each other, and so forth. What’s your process there? Have you found an ideal sequence of tasks that best manages a process like that, regarding who starts a piece and how layers are brought together in a mix?
Alf: “It all depends on where the original idea starts. If it starts with Andy or Alex, I’ll ask them to send me consolidated tracks, which I import into Pro Tools to create a master session. Maiah works in Pro Tools, so we typically send each other session files.
“From that point on, I’ll usually add my tracks and then make reference mixes. Those mixes get sent back to Maiah, Alex and Andy so they can continue working. We are all adept at file transferring, and we’ll use various file transfer services like WeTransfer, Google Drive, or Dropbox, depending on who is sending the files.
“Typically, we’ll build the track up, so each member will work within their DAWs. Inevitably, there will be a change in the song’s arrangement, so when that happens, I take their new tracks and their reference mix, import everything into the master session, and alter it to match the new arrangement change.
“From that point, we’ll typically send reference stems to either Randy Cooke, Ty Dennis, Joe Vitale, or David Quinton Steinberg to add their drums. When we agree that the song is finished, I’ll start the mixing process, but even then, we’ll add or remove tracks until everyone is happy. After doing two albums and an EP, we’ve figured out a process that works best for us.”
Are all of you using the same DAW? If not, whose DAW is serving as the lake at the end of the river, so to speak?
Alf: “No, we’re all over the place regarding the systems we use. My system is the lake at the end of the river, so all of our masters and mixes are in Pro Tools. Maiah also uses Pro Tools, so we transfer actual sessions back and forth.
“Alex works in Logic, so he sends consolidated files, and Andy works in an older program called Acid and also sends consolidated files. In the end, it’s important that everyone is comfortable with their tools, and as long as we follow some simple guidelines, the files will work.”
Are you guys seeing lyrics up front, or is that happening more in response to how the arrangements emerge after a bit of back-and-forth?
Andy: “Maiah and I do work closely on most of the lyrics and titles together; it’s been a really liberating experience because ’the world’s your oyster’ in terms of where to take the song.”
Who typically says first, “We’ve got to stop overdubbing in order to wrap this up?” Is one of you more likely to jump into a typical producer role for that situation?
Alex: “Ha, well, I’m not sure we have that person within the band. I would say we have an intuitive sense for when it’s time to accept the completion of a song. The thing is, we fall in love with the songs and want to dress them up in more pretty colors. I’ve learned to be aware of too many layers and covering up the pure beauty beneath.”
How is EON handling album pacing decisions? I suppose a lot of that comes down to scheduling and realizing you’ve got an album’s worth of material, and it feels like it’s time to sequence it cohesively. What are your thoughts on that? Some say the album is dying on the battlefield of singles, but bands like EON might be turning the tide on that trend. Thoughts?
Andy: “Maiah and I spoke about if we had too many songs either in the same tempo or the same key, but I’ll let Alex jump in on the sequencing as he was the last in line and has great instincts on how the entire record flows.”
Alex: “During the recording process in Rush, we would create a song board with all the songs printed out on cards so we could change the sequence order visually. So very analog! Once we had the bulk of the material, I created what I thought was a dynamic sequence based on tempo and tonality. The first half remained static for the most part, but the second half had more changes of order.”
Are you more often starting with chord progressions first and developing grooves and melodies, or is your process all over the map regarding arriving at verse, chorus, and bridge-oriented structures? I’ve seen things happen organically, and I’ve experienced the benefits of mapping things out first. What’s the typical EON approach to finding the magic and the balance?
Alex: “Once I receive the basic idea, I tend to play along acoustically, taking note of phrases, melody, and harmony. Sketch mapping is an important preliminary step, so I’m not tied to any particular direction. Although I seldom use it, I’m not afraid to use an eraser. I continue to tweak and massage, then send a working guitar arrangement to Alf to drop in the master, and I send a ref mix of the entire song with my added guitars to Maiah.
“Once she layers her vocals, they come back to me, and I proceed with my final guitar arrangements. Maiah and I share a dynamic working relationship. I am always greatly inspired by her musical sensibilities and often shake my head at the genius of her talent.”
One of Alex’s superpowers is making a solo section feel like you’ve entered a new room in the palace. What are the internal discussions around when a guitar solo is on the menu or not? He seems much more enchanted with textures in this band than soloing. Is that accurate? On the first album, it’s about halfway through before a solo appears on “Spy House.” Will there be more solos on Stygian Wavz in comparison?
Alf: “It is a superpower, and it’s never about flash, it’s never about, ‘look what I can do,’ it always serves the song. When we were doing the first record, Alex mentioned that he was interested in exploring atmospheres and textures, and he wanted the songs to stand on their own without having to add solos.
“The funny thing is that even though there aren’t many solos on that record, it is loaded with guitars. For this album, adding solos was never discussed, but as it turns out, there are some incredible, dare I say iconic solos—‘The Story,’ ‘Under the Stars,’ and ‘Clouds’ come to mind. As you mentioned, Alex’s solos give the song arrangements depth and serve to hook the listener. There are only a few players in the world who can do that.”
It’s always astonishing to me how much engineering ends up affecting the writing process. With that idea in mind, how does EON decide which sections are going to be about clarity versus when it’s going to be about texture and mood? Maiah’s vocals tend toward ethereal timbres, so I’m sure there are discussions about reverb types and how to get things meshed together. Please tell us about that part of the writing process.
Alf: “Yeah, maybe more now than ever before. We’re all engineering when we’re working, but there isn’t much discussion when it comes to sonics and meshing sounds. If or when we do discuss textures, it’s in a very general sense and is never a hard direction.
“Everyone in this band has a really good handle on recording, editing, and arranging the parts they add, so all of that naturally becomes part of the writing process, and the sounds just tend to work. For example, Maiah sends sessions, and we share plugins, so she’ll add EQ, compression, reverbs, and delays to her vocals to show me what she’s thinking. It will change according to the mix direction I’ve taken, but I always try not to stray too far from what she was doing.
“Alex sends his guitars with effects, so I don’t have to recreate what he’s hearing. Andy and I have always had a concept that when it comes to bass, the more variation and the more harmonic content, the better. In EON, the mixing stage is more about creating movement and moments in the songs. I think of it as the final part of the songwriting process.”
Did any Gibson or Epiphone instruments contribute to the album?
Alex: “Yes, plenty! A 1960 Reissue Les Paul™, 1958 ES-335™, 1968 ES-335, Alex Lifeson Axcess Les Paul, and a 1963 Les Paul Junior.”
What is the most joyful aspect of being a musician?
Andy: “I’d like the others to jump in, but personally, for me, taking the seed of a 30-second idea and developing it with three other musicians whom I love and respect and then listening to the final mix—it’s like, ‘Wow look what we did together.’ Very rewarding.”
Alex: “It’s difficult to describe what the joy feels like, and I think it’s different for everyone. I have been playing for over 60 years. I continue to play guitar every day for several hours and always for an hour before going to bed. It is my evening prayer and my religion. It feeds my soul, calms my nerves, activates my mind, and makes me cry with tears of joy. I will be a musician to my last breath.”
Image: Visit the Envy of None website to enter a competition to win this Epiphone guitar signed by the band
How can I win an autographed Envy Of None Epiphone guitar?
To celebrate the new album’s release, Envy of None has partnered with Epiphone for a competition to win an exclusive Epiphone guitar, signed by the entire band. The guitar features custom Stygian Wavz album art, and everyone who enters the competition will get a free track download. Enter here.
Meet the Alex Lifeson Les Paul Custom Axcess guitar, and never lose touch with the mighty Rush and Envy Of None.
