Steve Hackett joins Preston Frazier for a Something Else! Sitdown that delves into his forthcoming solo album, At the Edge of Light, his thoughts on long-form composition and how music can bring us together. The former Genesis guitarist also discusses how this new studio project dovetails with 2017’s The Night Siren, and his upcoming tour plans …
PRESTON FRAZIER: At the Edge of Light comes out on Jan. 25th. How does it differ from The Night Siren?
STEVE HACKETT: It is a continuation, in that I’m working with a band from all over the world. My core band is in England, but we used people from the U.S.A., all over the U.K., Sweden. It’s very much a companion piece to The Night Siren. It’s based on the same premise, where politicians are driving us apart. Musicians are insisting on getting together and working with each other. Nationalism drives them apart. What’s happening with you guys (in the U.S.) is a perfect example. I’m watching in horror at what’s happening in the U.S., with division and government shutdowns. Also, the government in England in absolute chaos. We have technology which allows us to work together. Politicians are determined to push us back to the middle ages. We as musicians are determined to use music to bring us together.
PRESTON FRAZIER: On The Night Siren, you worked with your wife Jo Hackett and your collaborator Roger King. I see they were involved with At the Edge of Light, too. How was the writing process for the new album different?
STEVE HACKETT: It was the same writing process. The lyrics really came out of my travels. We just returned from Ethiopia, where we met people from different tribes. The world seems like a smaller place. We’re able to interact with people in villages and street markets. The travel to countries like Ethiopia had an impact on the lyrics. The gestures of kindness really impacted the lyrics. We are thinking of ways we can continue the interaction and the musical sharing.
PRESTON FRAZIER: I understand the album took about 18 months to complete. Do any of the songs carry over from The Night Siren sessions?
STEVE HACKETT: No, these are new songs. The seeds of the songs were sown from my travels and tours. The song “Underground Railroad” resulted from my reading of Harriet Tubman’s effort in the U.S. I came across a novel which was based on the concept of the original Underground Railroad where the author created an actual railroad to move people to freedom. The fictional story had some parallels to the true story. I asked Durga and Lorelei McBroom to contribute the backing vocals to the song. They worked with Pink Floyd. They have marvelous voices and gave the first part of the song a gospel feel. I wanted variation and I wanted feel. They were extraordinary. I’ll see them on the Cruise to the Edge this year, and will have them guest during my set.
PRESTON FRAZIER: It seems that, like the McBroom sisters, there are a number of musicians who appear in addition to your core band. Simon Phillips, Nick D’Virgilio, Jonas Reingold, Gary O’Toole …
STEVE HACKETT: I think on the last album I used three drummers. We like to mix things up a bit. Even Roger King does some programmed drumming on the album. I think we got some extraordinary playing on the album. It’s also great to work with friends. I have a core band, but I like to mix in other players to see what they can bring to the project. I brought in Sheema Mukherjee on sitar. I play something which sounds like sitar, but it’s good to have someone who plays it contribute. She was amazing on “Shadow and Flame.” It was a whole different ball game when she came in. There is a nice sitar/guitar interplay on the song. We wanted the music to reflect the bustling nature of India. Jo wrote the opening bit of lyrics and melody lines. She’d visited India, even before I had.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Let’s talk about the epic, “Those Golden Wings.”
STEVE HACKETT: I really wrote it for Jo. I wanted to write a love song where I sang solo vocal. Jo is a complex character; she always was a writer even when she was a child. She’s always been very observant. She’s always been aware of the world situation, and is a very generous person. I tried to talk about some of her history in the first verse. The second verse talks more about my feelings. As it progressed, I wanted to do a song worthy of my feelings. It sort of turned into an epic, rivaling the length of some of the earlier Genesis tunes. It wasn’t unusual when I joined Genesis to write an 11-minute tune – not to mention something like “Supper’s Ready,” which really is a bunch of tunes put together. It really was the same philosophy with “Those Golden Wings.” It got to a point when I thought 11 minutes is enough. Still, I think it came out really well. I took my time with it and let it evolve. The chords and voicing’s builds. The song starts with orchestra, which sets the scene. I wanted to give it a classical center. I know Jo likes 19th-century classical music, she likes the romantics, so I wanted to come up with something sort of like Tchaikovsky at the beginning but played on guitar. I also played a 12-string and recorded it in octaves, giving it a 24-string feel. I had to be careful doubling the 12-string guitar, but the results are rich and orchestral. It also becomes like a Hollywood choir. I added the children’s choir myself, I sang it. It’s hardly a three-minute pop song.
PRESTON FRAZIER: Have you changed up your equipment since the last album?
STEVE HACKETT: No, my gear is the same as we discussed in the last interview. My technique is basically the same, as well. I have started to play a few more songs with a pick. It changes the sound than when I use my finger and nails. I find playing with a pick more difficult, but sometimes it’s worth it for the extra projection. It also sounds a little like a harpsichord. In my Genesis days, I liked to confuse people with the sound. Some thought some of the guitar passages were keyboards.
PRESTON FRAZIER: I remember with the GTR album [with Steve Howe], you used a Roland guitar synthesizer for the keyboard and string parts.
STEVE HACKETT: Yeah, I did but I haven’t used a guitar synth is quite some time. I think I was using a Roland 300. It can make a great brass sound and is quite warm. Guitars are quite versatile instruments. The guitar is the nearest thing to the human voice. Of course, the most important thing is that you produce an end product which is pleasing.
PRESTON FRAZIER: You’re about to hit the road?
STEVE HACKETT: Yes, we are doing the Cruise to the Edge and a cruise out of Europe. Marco Minnemann will be sitting in the drum seat for that. Craig Blundell will cover the rest of the dates in Europe. We also will tour America and Canada. I’m guessing about 150 dates this year. We’ll be doing all of [Genesis’] Selling England by the Pound, and much of At the Edge of Light. I’m looking forward to seeing people on the road.
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