The members of Rush have reconvened after a long layoff to begin work on a new album. Singer-bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart are writing and working on new songs for the band's 17th studio album--its first since Test For Echo in 1996. The project doesn't have a title yet, and no release date has been announced.
One of the things the trio is also doing is trying to decide who will produce the album. Although many veteran acts keep things in-house (Aerosmith is the latest example), Rush has always used an outsider to helm its recording sessions. Lee told LAUNCH there are specific reasons for that.
"It's very helpful having a producer," he said. "It's very educational, and it's impossible to always be diplomatic with each other. It's kind of a psychological role that they play--to keep the atmosphere in the studio amenable and smooth and positive and moving forward in a creative fashion to make a creative environment possible for the musicians and the engineers in the room."