Never Said I Love You (4:06)
Shadow (3:21)
Look Inside (4:44)
Liar (3:13)
Spy House (2:23)
Dog's Life (4:36)
Kabul Blues (3:12)
Old Strings (5:15)
Dumb (4:19)
Enemy (4:16)
Western Sunset (2:25)
Limited Edition Bonus Tracks
Shadow (remix) (3:19)
Kabul Blues (instrumental) (3:11)
Spy House (instrumental) (2:24)
You'll Be Sorry (4:53)
Lethe River (3:13)
"IF CAESAR HAD WISHED NOW TO SEND ME TO THE STYGIAN WAVES, IN THAT, HE HAD NOT NEEDED YOUR AID. HE HAS A POWER OVER MY LIFE AMENDABLE TO THE ENVY OF NONE AND THAT WHICH HE HAS GIVEN, WHEN HE SHALL PLEASE, HE SHALL TAKE AWAY."
OVID.
All songs written, arranged, recorded and produced by EON
Mixed by Alf Annibalini and Alex Lifeson
Additional recording by Aliephant, Joe Vitale, Anton Evans, Roman Marcone, Jason "Metal" Donkersgoed, Spencer Sunshine
EON is:
ALF ANNIBALINI
Guitar, Keyboards, Programming
ANDY CURRAN
Bass Guitar, Synthesized Bass, Programming, Guitar, Background Vocals, Stylophone
ALEX LIFESON
Guitar, Mandola, Banjo, Programming
MAIAH WYNNE
Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Keyboards
with:
David Quinton Steinberg Drums on Enemy, Spy House, Western Sunset, Liar, Look Inside
Tim Oxford Drums on Never Said I Love You
Joe Vitale Drums on Dog's Life
Bethany Joyce Cellos on Shadow
Jonathan Dinklage Strings on Western Sunset
Additional background vocals by Aliephant, Dreadlight and Heidi DuBose
Additional vocal production by Aliephant
EON VIPs
A huge debt of gratitude for going above and beyond go to: David Steinberg, Tim Oxford, Joe Vitale, Ian Crocket, Richard Beeching, Johnny Wilks, Nick Cotton, Sarah Lees, George Heslop, Jamie Haas and all at Kscope, Charlene, Man Camp Brothers - (Commander Steve Swanson), Dale, Paul & Tom, DEON, Jonathan Dinkledge, Deke, Monica, Cydoney & Maggie Curran, Marino Annibalini, Mandolynne, Troy Dunn, Heidi DuBose, Roman Marcone, Harry Hess, Gil Moore, Eli Rezkallah, Camille Medawar, Ernie Addezi, Paul Miller, Anton Evans, Adam Jones, John Virant, Daryn Barry, Jason "Metal" Donkersgoed, Spencer Sunshine
Envy of None would like to personally thank: Cliff Dumas, The Orange Recording Lounge, Toronto, Halo Music Hamilton, Horne-Brew Studio Akron, OH, Village Works, Canada, Steve Harris, Bill Baker @ Pearl Harbor Gift Shop, Natasha Duprey, Christine Leslie, Tyler Tasson, Jeff Levin, Billy Siegel, Dave Cowles, Tyme Rogers
Package layout & design by Beech
Album photography and concept by Eli Rezkallah
© Plastik Studios 2019
www.kscopemusic.com
© 2022 Envy of None under license to Kscope.
© 2022 Envy of None Kscope is a Snapper Music label
Song Comments by EON (from the Limited Edition)
Never Said I Love You
We recorded the vocals for this in Toronto, and during that session, with Maiah singing, we heard the song take on a life of its own. Alex's guitars were the last to go on. His vision gave this song beauty and a twist in the bridge that took it from being a New Wave-influenced rocker to uniquely EON.
ALF
One of the earliest songs we wrote together. I felt the record could use something up tempo and lighter pop flavored vibe to mix it up a bit. I love the retro wrappings on this track and the last overdub we did was a guitar part from Alex in the breakdown, so beautiful and chimey.
ANDY
When this song first came to me, I didn't really think there was anything I could add so I kind of put it aside. I thought the guitar parts Alf did were great and completed this very direct rocker. After some prodding from Andy and particularly Maiah, I reviewed the track and added acoustics in the choruses to create a more dynamic lift and had some fun with in the middle eight with finger picked melodies.
ALEX
This song always makes me think of high heels on pavement. It has such great energy! Andy wrote the catchy "I never said I love you" chorus, and I wrote the verses and pre -choruses based around that. Alf and Andy created such a delightful instrumental bed, and Alex's guitars added a little bit of sunshine glistening over the top. I love listening to this song while on the road.
MAIAH
Shadow
This song is ground zero. When Maiah's vocal was finished, we all realized what a special gift she had, and with Alex's trippy guitar atmosphere, the song became a benchmark for the others that followed.
ALF
This was the start of it all. The very first track Maiah and I co wrote together. I sent her a very rough bed track with a few lyrical and melody ideas to get it off the runway. She took over from there and it went to a completely different level. I was so impressed with what Maiah had done with my little seed of an idea that I spoke to Alf and Alex about her and the rest as they say...is history.
ANDY
Alf, Andy and I had already begun writing and recording some ideas before Andy introduced Maiah to the project. My impression of her vocal performance and arrangement skills on this first track together cemented my belief in what we set out to accomplish. This moody, quirky track shows lots of variation.
ALEX
This was the first song Andy and I worked on together and is one of my favorites. I had absolutely no idea where this project was headed yet. I quickly found myself enthralled by the creative process and the music we were creating! Andy and Alf had crafted such a transportive bed track, it was easy to be inspired by it. Aliephant added some low vocals that created a cool gritty texture, and we threw an old keyboard through a distorted guitar amp while we were playing around with ideas. Alex added beautifully haunting guitar layers that created even more depth, and my friend Bethany added some spooky cello pieces that were the cherry on top. I wrote the lyrics about toxic people and the way their darkness can leave stains and traces in every space that used to feel safe. Even when you're alone, somehow their shadow still looms.
MAIAH
Look Inside
At first, I thought, what can I add? The bass and groove of this track are so cool. After some tinkering, some keyboards parts emerged. Alex's approach to his guitars took the track 180 degrees in the opposite direction and made it EON. Maiah's lilting vocal, beautiful melody and lyrics are the cherry on top.ALF
I have a soft spot for this song, maybe because the bass line is leading the charge. I was in my studio late one night, headphones on... a few glasses of red wine deep and thought, wouldn't it be fun to pull out my bass, blow up the tone, double it and play to a really messed up super slow drum groove. It's got a real stoner vibe to it. That's what happens when you mix wine and bass... Mission accomplished!
ANDY
This is a special one for Andy but also for me, as I received this early on in a very basic form. I was initially drawn to the slow, easy tempo and dream-like arrangement. Andy's bass line melody was immediately captivating and a treat for me to work around creating very different guitar parts that had little to do with sounding like guitar, a challenge I wholeheartedly enjoy! Maiah's lilting vocal performance was an inspiration and a beginning to a close work relationship.
ALEX
All I had to go off of for this song was the name and the rough bed track, and to me it felt like introspection. Sometimes you have to shine a light on all the ugliest pieces of yourself in order to truly change, and you have to keep slaying that dragon over and over again. It is a continuous, slow and painful process. The guitars and bass really drive the grittiness and heaviness I felt when I wrote those lyrics. It feels like an all-encompassing sludge, and that is what I absolutely love about this song.
MAIAH
Liar
This is one of the earlier tracks. Andy and I went back and forth, adding keys and some guitars, but when Alex added his unique guitars and textures, it instantly transformed and raised it to a different level. After Maiah finished the vocal, I knew we had something special.
ALF
I originally wrote the bass riff to send to Dave Ogilvy (Skinny Puppy/Jakalope) as he was looking for new song ideas. My original demo always had the lyrical tag line "Everything you said was just a Lie". We've all been on the receiving end of that scenario. I found my other inspiration was solely focused on a doubled distorted bass riff with lots of swagger... the world needs more fuzz bass in my humble opinion!
ANDY
Another early candidate with lots of attitude. No one likes a liar!
ALEX
Right at the time I was working on this song, I had Jury duty for the first time. I went into the courtroom and every hair on my body stood up straight. As they proceeded to tell us the long list of horrible things the woman on trial was accused of, she looked me dead in the eye with a look of pure vacancy and malice that I'll never forget as she plead "not guilty". I could tell you right then and there that she was a liar. Every bone in my body told me she was guilty, and proud of it. I came home and wrote the verses about her.
MAIAH
Spy House
When the strings come in after Maiah sings, "when I look at you," it's like the clouds part, and the sun comes out. Her voice is so beautiful, and Alex's playing gives me goosebumps.
ALF
Alex asked me to add some bass guitar to his already completed arrangement of this song. I'm not entirely sure why, but it felt funky to me so I decided to approach my bass line with that in mind and play a counter point rhythm off his guitar riff. I plugged into a vintage Zipper pedal envelope filter to channel that 70s funk bass sound... I was stoked that he liked it and didn't ask me to change anything!
ANDY
This song primarily existed as an instrumental pre-EON. Andy wrote some very cool bass parts for the different sections and then it went to David to replace the guide drum track that existed previously. The track was feeling good - funky and tight and provided a different tonal slant on things. Maiah wrote lyrics inspired by the title and a created a fragile, anxious personality to complete the picture.
ALEX
This was one of the most challenging songs for me vocally. It was already such a compelling and impactful instrumental piece! Trying to find a vocal that fit was like molding a puzzle piece. It took all of us working together to get it feeling right. The song had 2 very distinct sides to it and almost felt panicked at times and then sweet. So I ran with that for inspiration. A person gone mad with paranoia and love.
MAIAH
Dog's Life
Andy and I wear our influences on our sleeves most days, but what started as a synth-influenced track took an unexpected turn when Alex began sending over the guitars. We all got so excited after hearing them that tracking wrapped pretty quickly. Maiah took Andy's idea, made it her own and knocked it out of the park. Oh, and did I mention Joe Vitale's drumming on this song!!! Are you kidding me!!!
ALF
One of my fav EON songs for sure. The sequenced bass keyboard part was the result of me and Alf listening to way too many hours of 80s & 90s electronic artists. I had a bunch of conversations with Maiah about the lyrics and dogs in particular. Their undying dedication to loving their human families and the notion of working like a dog. She liked that approach and ran with it. There's some crazy cool syncopated guitars parts on this one that Alex played that take this groove to the next level. Having listened to Joe Vitale since we were teens and then for him to agree to guest drum on this song was icing on the cake for me and Alf.
ANDY
This was the last track we worked on and came together with an energy and swiftness unlike any of the other songs. Alf and Andy's framework was powerful melodically as well as attitudinally and once Maiah delivered her scratch vocal ideas, I dove into the guitar presence. There was lots of room to build the kind of atmospheric character I heard and demarking the sections with dissimilar parts was a fun exploration.
ALEX
Andy originally wrote lyrics for this song about a dog's undying love, and I decided to take it in a different direction while still keeping the heart hook "it's a dogs life." I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and overworked and used that as inspiration. The modern day work aesthetic is brutal and unyielding. It's a criticism about that mentality, but at the same time a rally cry for works of passion. I brought in my good friends from Dreadlight to help me with some group vocals and screams. I felt that this song called for some extra power and they really brought that vocal grit. There are SO many layers that Alf had to sift through for this mix and he did such an amazing job at balancing it all. Alex's guitars added such great depth and power throughout the song. I love how it turned out!
MAIAH
Kabul Blues
From the minute I heard this track, I was mesmerized. Combining the groove with blues-based guitar figures and Maiah's vocals make this one a standout for me. Its soundscape paints a vivid picture of exploration.
ALF
Similar to Spy House, Alex came to me saying he wanted to replace his bass guitar track. I did my best to under play on this song and help create a mysterious backdrop of ominous bass tones. I tuned down to a low C and played an octave passage inspired by his already existing percussion part. When I heard the final version he mixed, I had visions of a smoke filled shisha cafe.
ANDY
This started as a trippy exercise in a bluesy format with a slightly Eastern caress. It evolved noticeably with Andy's unobtrusive bass guitar arrangement and Maiah's restrained vocal melody. The goal was to make it other-worldly and evocative. You can almost smell the char masala.
ALEX
This is one of my favorites on the album. I listened to Alex's instrumental over and over on a long road trip. I wrote the lyrics in the car as I stared at the sky and mountains while imagining I was headed toward a cloudy void. Melancholy has such a powerful and alluring pull. Alex gave me some great insight into the song before I wrote the lyrics. There's a lot of dynamic and enchanting instrumental layers in this song, so it was a fun challenge to build the vocals around them.
MAIAH
Old Strings
Andy sent over his arrangement with Maiah's original vocal, and the combination was so evocative that I knew exactly what I needed to add. Alex's guitars create so much emotion and melodic support that you would swear this is the original version of this song. It's probably the best example of Maiah's vocal, lyrical and musical depth on the record.
ALF
Maiah had a version of this song that was completely a different approach. When she sent it to us we all loved it but it didn't quite fit the rest of the songs. So I went to town on it, gave it a half time feel, overdubbed some 8 string bass and keyboards parts and everyone liked that direction. It's a beautiful song that really shows what a great grasp of melody she has.
ANDY
The original version is nothing like this one. It was double time and I had added banjo and mandola as Maiah and I traded ideas. Soon after, Alf and Andy's half time version was submitted and changed everything. More in line with the EON vision, it grew to be one of my favourites filled with beautiful sounds and melodies, exquisite vocal performance and lyrics, and a wonderful example of teamwork.
ALEX
This is one of my originals that I sent to Andy to pitch as a possible EON song. I thought he'd like it because the version I recorded of it was a bit heavier and faster tempo. He took me by surprise when he stripped everything but the vocal and made it half-time, but it worked beautifully. I wrote the song from a very vulnerable place and this version of it really highlights those moments of softness and contemplation. Aff's keys and sample work really shine and Alex's guitar work is so attentive and beautiful. I'm really proud of how this turned out. It was such a great group effort.
MAIAH
Dumb
Euro-influenced New Wave with backwards pulsing guitars and an undeniable vocal hook melody and performance. Now you're speaking my lingo!
ALF
I sent Maiah a very rough demo of this song and had a few seeds of melody ideas and some lyrical ideas based on the title Dumb. I think the inspiration came from an old Disney cartoon I saw where a children's classroom had a corner chair and an animal student was wearing a dunce cap. I wrote a repeating relentless bass line that could drive the song, kind of like an 80's new wave dance club vibe. Alex suggested I needed a second bass line that was a departure from the repetition which led to the intro and outro . Maiah did some great arrangement edits and it all came together. I'm very proud of this one.
ANDY
I recall thinking this was very Euro-pop on first listen, and then I thought, 'what am I supposed to do with this'?? Ahh, another challenge! But I grew to really like this song as it developed. Some of the guitar parts became unrecognizable as guitar and more of a rhythmic presence in the track that one feels more than hears and flipping some guitar lines in reverse created unique and atmospheric tones to the palette.
ALEX
Andy sent me Dumb as a rough song idea. It was catchy and he already had a great chorus written. It was very easy for me to build out the rest of the song and write the verses based on my own experiences as a young woman. Whether it's power dynamics, age differences, or gender discrimination, moments of disrespect happen all the time. This song was the perfect place to pour some of that out.
MAIAH
Enemy
When Maiah came to Toronto within minutes of meeting us in person, she was in the vocal booth at Orange Lounge singing on this beast. David's drums fit in with the groove perfectly, and Alex's guitars and Andy's bass are the heart of the raging darkness.
ALF
This is the dark and evil side of EON. I think the opening bass keyboard tone sets the mood right away. Another Maiah/Andy lyrical collaboration that started with me sending her a demo with the few lyrical lines like "I'm not your enemy" and putting flowers in a gun. She ran with it and created a very powerful message. David's groove is as wide as the Grand Canyon with some undeniable Alex guitar tones and fabulous Alf keyboard layers.
ANDY
What a trip this track turned out to be. Another early candidate, it has so many great moments. The mood is menacing and dark and Maiah's performance is absolutely spot on. This was a great collaboration, everyone bringing their best to create a cinematic journey of sound. It is the epitome of the EON experience for me.
ALEX
In the process of sending recordings back and forth, neither Andy or I actually wrote the line "don't shoot our sun/son". It's a result of me misinterpreting something Andy recorded and sent from 3,000 miles away. It makes me giggle, but I actually love that line and the many different ways to interpret it. There's so much to say about this song. I listen to it and it makes me want to punch things, in a good way. It's one of my favorites and it holds so much power. There have been a lot of important protests here in Portland over the last couple years and I've found this song to be very cathartic at times.
MAIAH
Western Sunset
After hearing this, there was just no way we couldn't include it. You can feel the emotion from the first listen, and as much as you can hear the sadness, I hear a lot of optimism as well. Knowing how deeply personal this song is, I'm forever grateful that Alex was so generous and willing to include it.
ALF
There was a unanimous late decision to add this Alex song to this project as a beautiful juxtaposition to the rest of what we had composed. It has a very gentle & melancholy feel for me. I chose to play fretless bass on this one and again tried my best to serve the song and not overplay and let the rest of the instruments breathe. I love this one and get very emotional when I hear it. I know what the inspiration was and it came from a very special place.
ANDY
I tip my hat to my fellow EON partners. I wrote this after learning of a friend's illness and was careful not to make it into something overblown. Andy played the perfect bass part, deep and rooted in the rhythm section. David let his punk leanings rest as he picked up his brushes and laid down a heartfelt performance. Alf provided encouragement through the mixing and his sincerity was touching and reinforcing. And Maiah, who made an effort to write lyrics and submitted her gorgeous vocal interpretation, in the end, thought the purity of the song was best expressed instrumentally. This song is enormously personal for me and I'm grateful to these souls for its inclusion as well as the love, respect and generosity of spirit we have shared.
ALEX
This is one of my favorite songs on the record. It is absolutely beautiful and it says all it needs to say in the instrumentation. It's a soft breeze at sunset after a perfect day.
MAIAH
Notes
- Released April 8, 2022 in three formats: CD, LP, and Limited Edition Deluxe Version presented in a gatefold sleeve with a blue coloured 140gm vinyl LP, 2 CDs including a 5 track bonus disc, and a 28 page Booklet with exclusive content.
- The first single, "Liar", was released January 12, 2022, along with the song's lyric video.
- The second single, "Look Inside", was released March 2nd, along with the song's lyric video.
- The "Enemy" 7" single, limited to 500 copies and pressed in blue and yellow vinyl to match the Ukranian flag, was issued with all proceeds donated to UNHCR's response to the Ukraine emergency: visionmerch.com/envy-of-none.
- Reissued April 22, 2023 as a limited edition vinyl picture disc for Record Store Day 2023.
- A limited edition vinyl EP "That Was Then, This Is Now" was released June 9, 2023, including remixes of "Dumb" and "Dog’s Life", plus "Lethe River" and "You'll Be Sorry" which previously were only available on the deluxe edition of the album, as well as a newly recorded track "That Was Then".
- Alex Lifeson previously appeared on vocalist Maiah Wynne's "Fearless Girl" single released July 24, 2019
- Lifeson later enlisted vocalist Wynne to appear with him on the track "Lover's Calling" on Marco Minnemann's album My Sister released August 31, 2019
- Click here for the 'Envy Of None' Transcript Archive
In Their Own Words
"Andy approached me about four years ago, shortly after the last Rush tour, about adding some guitar on some of the things he was doing. I did that. A few months later, he sent another one, and did that. Then we started getting more serious, and then we found a great singer, Maiah Wynne. So we've basically done an album's worth of material. I'm really excited about that." - Alex Lifeson, GuitarWorld.com, June 28, 2021
"I visited Neil when he was ill. I was on his balcony watching the sunset and found inspiration. There's a finality about a sunset that kinda stayed with me throughout the whole process. It had meaning. It was the perfect mood to decompress after all these different textures... a nice way to close the book." - Alex Lifeson on the album closer, "Western Sunset", Loudersound.com, January 12, 2022
"I'm someone who has a lot of ideas and I love this project because it was challenging to make the guitar sound like it wasn't a guitar. That was a cool concept for me. I'm sure that some Rush fans might be disappointed - maybe not - but if they're expecting me to be Alex Lifeson of Rush rather than Alex Lifeson, songwriter, then they might be disappointed." - Alex Lifeson, Toronto Sun, April 3, 2022
"The bonus tracks Lethe River and You'll be Sorry came very late last year & in hindsight we would have loved to add them to the full record but time didn't permit it. We love how they turned out, and we were going to put them after Enemy but before Western Sunset if timing had allowed it." - Andy Curran, April 23, 2022
"Andy Curran states 'We have a brand-new song called "That Was Then" which marks the first new track we’ve recorded since our debut album release almost a year ago. When we were tinkering with the 360 mixes that kind of led to all of us talking about new songs. I had the bass riff for 'That Was Then' and told the other EONs I would send it around and it kinda sat there like a tin of milk for a month or so until Maiah added some vocal ideas. That kicked the door wide open and Alex and Alf went to town with adding some incredible moody guitars and keyboards. The icing on the cake was when Alex called in his friend Ty Dennis to overdub real drums which cemented the entire song together.'" - "That Was Then, This Is Now" Press Release, June 9, 2023
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