the new music journey

Journey's Neal Schon says he and Steve Perry are 'in a good place' before band's 50th anniversary

On the cusp of turning 50, the band that etched “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” and “Faithfully” into lighters-up lore is entering “a cleaned-up chapter of Journey.”

That’s according to Neal Schon, the band’s ace guitarist, lone original constant and de facto CEO.

Despite decades of fluctuating lineups and snarly lawsuits among band members , Journey endures.

On July 8, the band released “Freedom,” its first new album in 11 years that also presents the return of Randy Jackson (as in "American Idol") on bass. The 15-song collection is steeped with vintage-sounding ballads (“Still Believe in Love,” “Live to Love Again”) and soaring melodic rockers (“United We Stand,” “You Got the Best of Me”).

Journey – including longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain, peppy singer Arnel Pineda , drummer Deen Castronovo and keyboardist Jason Derlatka, adding bassist Todd Jensen for live shows – will hit Resorts World Las Vegas this month for shows backed by a symphony orchestra before rolling through more arena dates this summer and in early 2023, the band’s official 50th year.

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Journey in pop culture: Quarantined family perfectly re-creates 'Separate Ways' music video at home

Regular road warriors who consistently pack arenas and stadiums – their 27 shows this year grossed $28 million, according to Billboard Boxscore – Journey relies on a solid catalog of mega-hits and a devoted fan base that appreciates the familiarity.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers also received a boost from Netflix’s ’80s-centered “Stranger Things” when the show used “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” in the trailer for the just-ended season, launching the song onto Billboard’s Rock Digital Songs chart. The affable Schon, 68, talked with USA TODAY about the band’s complicated legacy, his relationship with former frontman Steve Perry and plans for Journey's golden anniversary.

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Question: Are you amazed at how the Journey train keeps rolling after almost 50 years?

Neal Schon: It’s quite an accomplishment and I’m very proud of what we’ve done and how we’ve gotten through emotional and personnel changes and survived. It’s pretty mind-boggling but also a lot of hard work.

Q: Does the title “Freedom” refer to anything specifically?

Schon: Our ex-manager Herbie Herbert wanted to call the (1986) “Raised on Radio” album “Freedom” because he always came up with these one-word titles. Steve (Perry) fought him on that and got his way, so we sat on it for many years. When we got through the lawsuit with the ex-bandmates, we made the new LLC Freedom (JN) and when we were tossing around album titles said, why not just call the whole thing “Freedom?" It's for the times right now.

Q: There’s been a bit of a revolving door in the rhythm section. Deen Castronovo is back for the live shows, but Narada Michael Walden played drums on the album, and Randy Jackson is back in the band, at least on record?

Schon: Deen is singing and playing his butt off. He’s such a musical sponge, this guy. He’s been like my little brother for close to three decades and is such a joy to work with. Randy, he’d been working with me diligently this whole time. He’s so many things beyond being an amazing musician and bass player.

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Q: Will Randy play at any of the upcoming live shows or is Todd Jensen handling those duties?

Schon: Randy is still recovering from some surgery and he stays very busy and Todd fits like a glove. Having said that, I think with our 50th anniversary next year, there’s room for everybody to jump in if they want to participate. We did go through an ugly divorce with (Steve Smith and Ross Valory) with the court proceedings (in 2021, Schon and Cain settled a $10 million trademark lawsuit with the band’s former drummer and bassist). But definitely, if Steve Perry wanted to come on and sing a song, yes. If (original Journey singer) Gregg Rolie wanted to come sing a couple of songs, yes. Randy Jackson (can) come sit in on some of the material – he played on a lot of hits on “Raised on Radio.”

Q: Do you talk much with Steve Perry?

Schon: We are in contact. It’s not about him coming out with us, but we’re speaking on different levels. That’s a start, even if it’s all business. And I’m not having to go through his attorney! We’ve been texting and emailing. He’s a real private guy and he wants to keep it that way. We’re in a good place.

Q: Do you think, after 15 years, that people have accepted Arnel?

Schon: I was diligent in that I wanted to show the massive size of our audience, so I hired photogs to come out every show and shoot the audience and show the size of the crowd to make everybody see, what am I missing? From putting up the different photos every night and the reviews from the fans online, I saw very little of “This is not Journey, man.” I think we just shut everybody up.

Journey Returns With First New Song In Ten Years 'The Way We Used To Be'

By Taylor Fields

June 24, 2021

Journey has returned with their first new music in ten years via their new single "The Way We Used To Be."

"The Way We Used To Be" follows Journey's 2011 album Eclipse , and the first studio release with the band's new lineup: Randy Jackson on bass and Narada Michael Walden on drums, joining Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Arnel Pineda and Jason Derlatka. The new song begs the question of getting back to how things used to be as the chorus says: "Can we ever get back?/ To the way we were doin’ it/ To the way we were livin’ it/ Back to the way we used to be."

Along with "The Way We Used To Be" is the song's official music video, which features the band animated in cartoon form as they rock out to the new song in front of a stadium full of fans.

"The Way We Used To Be" is only the beginning of what's to come from the band as they are working on more new music, and are heading back out on the road, as a press release explains, "The band are excited to announce new music and their imminent return to touring."

Journey is set to perform during this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas in September. Fans can tune in to watch the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival both nights on September 17th and 18th via an exclusive livestream on The CW App and CWTV.com . The festival will also be broadcast live on iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets. The CW Network will also broadcast a two-night television special on Saturday, October 2nd and Sunday, October 3rd from 8-10pm ET/PT.

Journey is back with a new lineup and new music

Updated: Sep. 14, 2021, 3:11 p.m.
| Published: Sep. 14, 2021, 5:49 a.m.

Arnel Pineda, left, and Neal Schon of the band Journey perform on day three of the Lollapalooza music festival on Saturday, July 31, 2021, at Grant Park in Chicago. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP) Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP

Gary Graff, special to cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Journey’s members have a simple message for those who figured it was a band least likely to headline at Lollapalooza, a festival that’s long celebrated the current and cutting edge.

Don’t stop believin’.

The group, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in 2017, indeed won raves and a big Hulu TV audience for its July 31 performance in Chicago’s Grant Park, which had tens of thousands singing along to “Don’t Stop Believin’” and the group’s parade of other hits. It’s part of a series of post-pandemic shows Journey, debuting a new lineup, has been playing this summer, with a Las Vegas residency slated for December.

And all that has been accompanied by new music. A single and animated video, “The Way We Used to Be,” came out in June, and Journey has recorded a new album -- its first since “Eclipse” in 2011 -- though it hasn’t yet announced a release date.

It’s safe to say that despite some harsh critics still out there, the journey goes on and on and on and on...

“Journey has become a crossover with kids, more than people realize,” says Jonathan Cain, keyboardist and guitarist since 1980 and a chief architect behind Journey’s nine-times platinum “Escape” album, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. “There’s a lot of factors there. ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ was in ‘The Sopranos’ (finale), and on ‘Glee.’ It’s the most-performed karaoke song, one of the top five wedding songs, and then you have ‘Open Arms’ and ‘Faithfully’...

“We have permeated the young culture, and we still have the fans who were with us back when everything happened. We’re very blessed in that way.”

This Journey resurgence, in fact, comes after one of the darker chapters in the band’s 48-year history.

It was only a few years ago, back in 2017 that guitarist and co-founder Neal Schon was sniping at his bandmates, primarily Cain, via social media, even as the group was touring together. The issues, other than a band visit to the White House (Cain’s wife, televangelist Paula White, was one of Donald Trump’s advisers) were unclear and seemed to have little effect on the band’s performances.

Now Schon -- who formed the band in 1973 after a tenure with Santana -- acknowledges that “there was a period there where some things weren’t really right, and it took time to figure out what was going on and what to do about it.” And those things became clear on March 3, 2020, when Schon and Cain announced they’d fired co-founder and bassist Ross Valory and longtime drummer Steve Smith for an alleged “attempted corporate coup d’état” to take over the Journey and all of its trademarks.

Valory and Smith were supported in a countersuit by former frontman Steve Perry and former manager Herbie Herbert, but Schon and Cain moved forward while the matter was being litigated.

“Everybody wanted to own the brand, and I felt there was a takeover going on,” says Schon, who had started another band, Journey Through Time, that included Santana bandmate Greg Rolie, another Journey co-founder. One of the group’s old managers, in fact, even suggested Schon should quit the band he started, which only strengthened his resolve to establish new order to the group, which has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide.

“The ship is not going down. No one’s stealing the brand,” declares Schon, 67, who’s limited by the legalities from talking about too many specifics. “Things took a turn, businesswise, that I didn’t like, and that Jonathan didn’t like and we decided not to go along with it. There were a lot of unrealistic statements that were being made by different people and us not really talking and just believing what others were saying.

“Once I actually sat and talked to Jonathan, we cleared everything up and got rid of the divide-and-conquer scenario and realized we had a lot more to say musically together, as brothers.”

Journey also changed management and did some other housecleaning and legal reshuffling, as well as working on settling trademark issues that hadn’t been firmly established in the past.

“It was sort of a shocking thing, that brothers had come to that,” Cain says. “We had to sort it out. You get lemons, you make lemonade -- what else are you gonna do? It’s probably not that out of the ordinary for bands to do this kind of stuff, and it’s usually based on greed or whatever. I really am glad it’s behind us, that’s all -- and I wish everybody well, really. I have no ill will towards anyone.”

Journey now comprises Schon and Cain, as well as Arnel Pineda, the Filipino singer who joined in 2007 after Schon saw his performances of Journey songs on YouTube. Randy Jackson of “American Idol” fame returns in the bass slot, which he filled from 1985-87 -- though Marco Mendoza is filling in while Jackson recovers from back surgery. New to the lineup is Narada Michael Walden on drums, while Jason Derlatka, who’s been a hidden adjunct member for live performances, is now a full-time member on keyboard.

And, in a surprise move last month, Deen Castronovo, drummer from 1998-2015, is also back in the fold.

“We’re moving forward -- that’s all I can tell you, man,” says Schon, who put out an instrumental solo album, “Universe,” last fall and last month auctioned 112 of his guitars for more than $4.2 million. “It still sounds like Journey, but there is definitely a different strut in the rhythm section with Randy and Narada. It’s bombastic. It’s rocking. It’s majestic, and it’s soulful.

“I believe we got in a bit of a rut, for me, in the latter years of just playing exactly the same thing every night. It doesn’t have to be like that. We have so much material, and I think it’s great music and can all be brought to life in a new way and an updated way. That’s what we’re pursuing now.”

Journey has more than 20 songs it’s been working on for the new album, much of it being worked on remotely between Schon and Walden on the West Coast and Cain in Nashville and Florida. “The Way We Used to Be” is a case in point, growing from a piece of music Schon and Walden constructed and then sent to Cain for lyrics and additional melody.

Jonathan Cain of the band Journey performs on day three of the Lollapalooza music festival on Saturday, July 31, 2021, at Grant Park in Chicago. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP) Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP

“The lyric has a sort of angst to it, and the question was ‘can we ever get back?’” explains Cain, 71, who also released a new Christian rock single, “Oh Lord Lead Us,” last month. “There’s that frustration of being separated, by the pandemic, and a little fear in it. It just had enough for me to go, ‘OK, then we’ll just put a little R&B thing on it and story tell it and get to that chorus, which fit right into what (Schon) had.”

Both Schon and Cain say the new album is in its finishing stages. It has a tentative title that they’re not revealing yet, but the package is being designed by Jim Welch, who worked with the band on several albums, including “Infinity,” “Departure” and “Escape.” “It’s typical Journey, I think,” Cain says. “We’re back to our old sound, but it’s got a little bit more on the bottom end. It’s got fire. It’s just a little bit more edge to it. Neal’s playing his butt off, and it’s very driven, very cool. The songs came very interestingly. I like it a lot.”

For Schon, meanwhile, “I’m just all about moving forward right now. I’m making so much music and there are so many positive things happening. I’ve bought a lot of new guitars and I’m having a blast playing. We’ll get all this other (stuff) taken care of and behind us, and then it’s just full speed ahead. I can’t wait.”

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How Steve Perry Recorded a New Version of a Journey Deep Cut

Steve Perry has enjoyed revisiting songs from his time with Journey in recent years, updating " Only the Young " and " Separate Ways " in an innovative fashion. Sometimes, the opportunities present themselves in unusual ways.

That was the case when he found out that his longtime friend Trev Lukather had plans to record an updated version of " It Could Have Been You " -- originally a deep track from 1986's Raised on Radio -- with his band, The Effect . The California band has a finished album in the can and they've already released several singles, including " Toxic Envy " earlier this year.

Still, Lukather found himself thinking about "It Could Have Been You." He decided he wanted to take a crack at it. But he also wanted to know that Perry would approve of what they had done. Before he knew it, Perry was in the studio with them, adding his legendary voice to their new version . It was a moment which gave the singer a chance to go back to a song from his past that he terms as " a diamond in the rough ."

"He surprisingly mentioned 'It Could Have Been You' is one of his favorite tracks," Perry recalled on social media, and "I told him I felt the same. I then said, 'Why don't you record it?' He asked if I would sing on it if they did, I said, 'Of course, my most precious!'"

With The Effect heading out on tour with Billy Idol this week, Lukather and the band's vocalist, Emmett Stang, told Ultimate Classic Rock Nights host Matt Wardlaw about the experience -- and why Perry is where he is in the song's final mix.

People are freaking out about getting new music featuring Steve Perry. As you and I have talked about, Steve is a longtime friend of yours. How did you develop the arrangement for this new version of "It Could Have Been You" that we're hearing now? Trev Lukather: I knew for it to be something that would sound like our band, we wanted to play with the chorus a little bit. Because the chorus, to me, was the only thing from the original that I was like, “Well, does that sound like something we would do?” We love the lyrics and all of the great hooks, so how do we make that us? It was one of those really scary moments. It’s like, there’s two ways this is going to go. When Perry hears this, he’s either going to love it or he’s going to hate it. And it’s the same thing with my father-in-law [ Jonathan Cain , who co-wrote the song with Perry and Neal Schon ].

There’s no in-between. What was so great is that they accepted our tweak. Perry was like, “Man, that’s so fresh and modern.” What I love about Perry and Jon, they’re open-minded [and realize] that we’re in the year 2024, we’re not in 1986 anymore. It’s like, “You guys brought this to 2024 in a fresh way.” The changes and everything came naturally for us. We put it together, literally, the night before we saw Steve and we did the drums. Production-wise, I knew I really wanted to present him something that he’s going to be able to listen to as a listener. We wanted to build it up. So Emmett actually sang the lead vocal. It was done when Perry heard it.

Wow. Lukather: Emmett really just channeled his own voice, but also gave some serious love to Steve’s original [performance]. You know, there’s certain parts that even Steve said, “There’s too much of me,” like in the breakdown of the original. So we were like, “No, let’s make it more what Em would do.”

Emmett Stang: That was Trev looking out for me. Because I was stuck on, I mean, just his voice and what he does with it. I was walking to our session, having that in my mind. And Trev was going, “Dude, I want to hear you in this spot. Let’s make it The Effect.” The fact that Perry was hip to that? I mean, just to see his face listening to it for the first time…

Lukather: It was the best. I still bottle up that reaction every time.

Stang: Oh yeah.

Lukather: Obviously, you have Steve Perry in the room and he sounds like a million bucks, you want more. You’re like, “C’mon, man, do a verse!” But you know, what’s so cool about Steve -- he said, “I don’t want to step on what you guys are doing. I love what you’re doing [with the song]." We were able to get him to do as much as he felt comfortable doing -- he didn’t want to overstep what Emmett had done, because he loved his lead vocal. We tried and he was like, “No, man. Emmett sounds too good. Let me do this, then.” Then, he does the cool add-ons -- like, the second verse where Perry continues with two harmonies in the back and holds it out. It almost sounds like a reverse vocal, but that’s Perry’s technique and it was so killer! The fact is, this is something that we did something out of respect, love and fun. We [got] to work with the G.O.A.T. on vocals, which is really amazing.

Steve’s been doing something similar recently in the past few years with a couple of the Journey songs he’s updated like “Separate Ways” and “Only the Young,” so this fits really well in that vein. I think it’s probably very freeing, artistically for him to be able to do something like this. Lukather: It was really cool, because even his ad-libs, you know, after the breakdown, when it comes in, you’re hearing him go in-between Emmett. He had this really cool idea he was messing with when he heard back the drums. I was like, “Well, why don’t we do that?” Like I said in my social media post , he shook the house.

Stang: It was incredible.

Lukather: One thing that people need to know is that Perry can still sing his ass off, okay? He doesn’t need to prove anything to anybody. People think they deserve [that] in a weird way. He doesn’t need to prove anything to anybody. He still has it and he gets excited working with younger artists, because it gives him that energy and that buzz to want to do [things like this].Who knows what he wants to do? More music? Another record? Whatever -- that’s up to him, man. People have to respect those boundaries and respect whatever he wants to do. But he’s still a powerhouse, man. I think that shows on this track. What’s so cool is Emmett channeled that. They worked so well together. Because Perry was in the mixing session too, by the way -- people should know that. Perry was there with us and [mixer] Will Brierre. All of the vocal balancing is the stamp of the man himself.

He was like….”It’s about The Effect, it’s not about me.” He believes in our band to want to do this and loved what we did. That’s his gift to us, being like, “I believe in you guys” and saying, like, “You guys deserve more than just being my backup band on a song.” So people should understand that this is something that wasn’t intended for Steve to be the lead singer. It was always, “Let me sprinkle my legendary fairy dust on this and make it something really cool for both the new fans and the old fans.” Like, younger people. We also chose a song that isn’t a greatest hit. It’s a deep cut, that’s one of my favorite Journey songs. It deserved to be heard. I think the younger crowds are going to hear it and go, “What is this?” But we are seeing a lot of love, with people accepting it. Because it’s a very drastic change from the original, too. We love the fact that people are digging it too.

Watch The Effect's Video for 'It Could Have Been You'

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Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff

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Steve Perry Gives His Honest Opinion on New JOURNEY Singer Arnel Pineda

August 20, 2021
1 minute read

During a recent conversation with SiriusXM, classic Journey vocalist Steve Perry talked about the band’s new singer Arnel Pineda , who’s been a member of the fold since 2007.

Steve reached the topic while discussing Journey ‘s 2017 Rock Hall induction, saying (via Blabbermouth ):

“When I walked out there, that was a real thrill. They had a whole worked-up thing – they had a big teleprompter, and I said, ‘F that.’ I pulled out my piece of paper. I said, ‘I got some things to talk about here,’ and I just sort of did my thing. The fans, they were so wonderful.”

Asked on why he didn’t perform at the ceremony, Steve replied:

“I’m not in the band. I haven’t been in the band for quite some time. Arnel’s been in the band for almost 10 years, I think. He’s a sweet kid – he’s a wonderful kid. He sings his heart out every night. It’s his gig.

“There was a gentleman who we recently lost named Harry, part of the management team. Harry was there with me and he said, ‘Steve, listen, I don’t know if you know, but Arnel’s running up and down the halls. He heard you’re here, backstage.’

“I said, ‘Well, where is he?’ He said, ‘I think he’s outside.’ I said, ‘Okay, I’ll come out.’ I walked out and he was there, and he comes up to me… there was something endearing about the way he looked at me. He was meeting, like, a grandfather. [Laughs] He’s got the gig. It’s his gig. He’s doing great.”

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49 comments.

Bring Steve back, ideots

the idiot is the one who can’t spell idiot

Why couldn’t Paul Rogers be a man like Steve Perry. Paul treated Brian Howe like sh*t.

Maybe he is not as good as Arnel’s voice almost copied almost same voice of Steve Perry that’s all I can say

Savage!!!!!😂😂😂

Both ” Arnel and Steve, and add, ” Taka” the lead singer from,” One O.K. Rock” all three would put on the show of shows!

He really is an edyot…

You’re damn right😁🤪.

You re very right!

Hey Andy, Speaking of IDIOTS!!

Bring back Steve Perry to the group so that Arnel may have substitute for vocal …just like john lennon paul mc cartney combination 🙏🥰💥

Steve doesn’t want to come back. He walked and was done with band. Why don’t you go back to an old job? Idiot

Steve can’t sing anymore. How he can do the things you want?

FUNNY HE JUST CAME OUT WITH A NEW AULBUM . HE CAN’T SING. LMFAO

welll idiot steve does not want back if he did he would be sooooo your the idiot idiot

Steve knew he can’t bring back the voice where the Journey was once before..Great that he recognize Arnel as the new lead singer of the band

Lmafol, how you spell Capital I•D•I•O•T🤣🤣🤣

Before I die, I would love to see the original Steve Perry and Journey together performing we need to do

Are you kidding me? Steve Perry- what grace and dignity you bring with this. Well done. Clearly your spirit, your conscience, is every bit as beautiful as your voice. ???

Got to love a class act like Steve Perry much love and respect ?

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT AND i JUST MET SOMEBODY WHO MET Steve Perry AND SAID HE WAS GREAT AND HUMBLE GUY AND VERY HUMOROUS.

Well done, Steve.

Awe yes, but he’ll never ever be you❤️

Steve Perry can never be replaced!

And can never sing his song exactly the same as what he did when he was at his prime with the band… that’s why he will never want to come back because he can’t do the same thing as what he did before like what arnel do at the present.

I sew him in concert 3 years ago and he was amazing Steve you will allways be number 1 but agree with Arnel is amazing Think journey is in good hands with him I would of like to seen you perform at the rock roll hall fame cearmoney but I think you were varry kind to say this is arnel crow dosin,t want to over well him I think you made a great choice but thir will allways be 1 Steve parry and that’s you. I’m going see them again next month with billy idol I can’t wait.

No one’s trying to replace Steve. He is Steve Perry. He is Arnel Pineda. Immature ppl don’t get it.

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, DID YOU SEE ARNEL PINEDA FACE OF APPRECIATION WHEN THEY MET BACKSTAGE AT THE AWARDS. ARNEL SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOWN ON THE STAGE DURING THE AWARDS SHOW TOO, BUT HE THOUGHT BECAUSE IT WAS FOR THE ORIGINAL GROUP ONLY. HONESTLY IT SHOULD NOT HAVE MATTER, ARNEL IS THE MAN FOR JOURNEY NOW. THERE IS ROOM FOR A NEW HISTORY MAKING MOMENT FOR TWO FRONT MEN FOR JOURNEY AND THIS WILL BRING ON TOGETHER LEGIONS OF NEW FANS FOR JOURNEY OF BOTH MEN AND EVEN THE UNDECIDED UNDER ONE UMBRELLA TO SQUASH THE DEBATE ON WHOSE BETTER.

DID YOU SEE THE REACTION OF ADMIRATION FOR STEVE PERRY FROM ARNEL PINEDA WHO COVERS STEVE PERRY MUSIC DURING HIS YOUTH AND NOBODY HAS DONE IT BETTER THAN HIM AND i HAVE TRIED MYSELF AS MY VOCALS JUST DON’T MAKE THE GRADE TO COME CLOSE TO THE LIVING LEGEND. IF JOURNEY DON’T JUMP ON A HISTORY MAKING MOMENT TO HAVE TWO GREATIST FRONTMEN TO HAVE LED JOURNEY INTO THE FUTURE SOMETHINING IS WRONG IF YOU CAN’T GET THESE TWO TO WORK TOGETHER. SEAL THE LEGACY WITH AN ENTIRE DUET OF THESE TWO ON ANOTHER REBIRTH OF JOURNEY…WE ALL NEED A NEW FRONTEIR. WE HAVE TWO SUPERHEROES FOR JOURNEY. MAKE BOTH OF THEM A LEGEND BY HAVING THE ONLY GROUP TO EVER HAVE TWO FRONTMEN ACTUALLY WORK TOGETHER. UNLIKE THE FAILURE OF VAN HALEN WITH SAMMY HAGAR AND DAVID LEE ROTH. THAT WAS OIL AND WATER MIX.

Perry isn’t coming back. Isn’t that obvious? He felt he was screwed/betrayed. Schon mentions trying to communicate with Perry, just to say hi. Perry won’t answer. Does that sound like someone who would want to return even if the offer was made?

Every time someone says “Bring back Perry!” I just shake my head.

STEVE WOULD COMEBACK IF IT WAS WORTH SAVING JOURNEY, BUT AS HE SAID IT IS ARNEL TIME TO SHINE TO CARRY JOURNEY. ARNEL HAS PROVEN HIMSELF AS THE FAN HAS APPROVED HIM MUCH BETTER THAN THE PAST REPLACEMENT WHO DID A DECENT JOB BUT NOT THE POINT WHERE THEY MATCHED OR EVEN CAME CLOSE TO STEVE VOCALS THE WAY ARNEL VOCALS SOUNDS SO ORIGINALLY CLOSE. WHY WOULD STEVE WANT TO COMEBACK UNLESS THEY INVITE HIM BACK TO PERFORM WHICH JOURNEY MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM LETTING STEVE PERFORM LIVE WHENEVER HE WANTS TO PERFORM AGAIN. IF THIS IS SO TO HAVE TWO OF THE GREATEST FRONTMEN TO REVIVE A GROUP FOR AN EVEN LONGER LONGEVITY FOR FUTURE FANS.

Journey is a great group band but who run the group is stupid. ..we filipinos dont need journey for ARNEL PINEDA..we LOVE ARNEL PINEDA with his GREAT TALENT and his GREAT VOICE n SKILL…if there is no stupidity @ journey why steve perry left the group …🤨🤔

I WANT TO SAY THAT I LOVED HIS STREET TALK SOLO MUSIC AND HIS NEWEST ONE HE RELEASING TO WHAT i HEAR STILL CLASSIC STEVE PERRY. YOU CAN RELATE TO THE WORDS HE WRITE OR SING WHAT WAS WRITTEN FOR HIM. EITHER WAY HIS MUSIC IS ALWAYS GREAT.

Why didnt axl join journey during the nevermind days?

Steve Perry is a real gentleman. I salute him for speaking his heart out.

Schon Lechon is a devil in disguise. He must change his contaminated heart and mind before the Journey becomes NOBODY LIKE HIM.

you are the only ones who think that someone will replace steve even arnel doesn’t think like that infact arnel’s favorite singer is steve perry and he never thinks that he is replacing steve, the only problem is you narrow minded journey fans.

I can’t agree more bro. , a lot of people just keep on complaining and comparing between the which is really non-sense, Steve is Steve no matter what same as Arnel. They are unique in their own way in my opinion. It’s just plain stupid a lot of fans out there keep bashing Arnel for what he is, in reality Arnel has been with the Journey longer than Steve! Since Arnel took over as the front man I think he did the Journey a big favor in joining them as they can’t find any replacement until they discover Arnel on his Youtube channel.

You are one of the greatest artists Please come back to the world The one and only…..no replica No one can ever replace you

Love always B From Canada 🇨🇦

J Cain once said Arnel is not filling in Perry’s shoes. Arnel got his own shoes that shines.

Steve Perry is one of a kind a class act and amazing performer to this day i listen to Journey when Steve Perry sang

THE ONLY SATAN IN THE GROUP IS SCHION. WHO FEELS HE CAN MAKE JOURNEY ALIVE AS IT WERE IF NOT WTHOUT HIM. THANKS TO ARNEL, SCHION WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A NURSING HOME ON ROCKING CHAIR ROCKING HIS WAY TO OBLIVION. SO WATCH UR MOUTH SCHION

People, note that, Arnel Pineda did not replace Steve Perry he replace or took over the position as the lead singer.

Steve Perry really handled that well. Arnel really admires Perry and knows that he’s a legend. Star struck. Steve Perry is not coming back to Journey and can you blame him? It’s a drama and a mess of a band.

Jrny has always been evolving their music, line up ect. Perry was okay with it till it was his turn to take a pause He could have came back after his hiking accident but he didn’t So they moved on and have done well

Steve is Steve and Arnel is Arnel, both are great singers and should not be a topic for a battle of comparison. Steve Perry is done doing Journey and he won’t be back and that’s all there is to it. The international success is just the icing on Arnel’s cake, but with or without Journey he is doing well as a recording artist with his original band “The Zoo”. That “Bring Back Steve Perry” bandwagon is just very immature and silly, to say the least.

Everyone knows that nobody could ever be a “Steve Perry” However, Arnel Pineda—- I must say that you are very impressive and I love the way you came in and Rocked every single Journey song! Arnel, you’re amazingly BLESSED with a powerhouse of a voice, a great demeanor, and swag outta this world! I definitely am super happy that Journey continues!

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The rock legends of Journey are approaching nearly half a century of hitmaking with a new No. 1 album and a Las Vegas residency, to boot! ET was with the icons in Sin City for an exclusive look at their orchestral show and to get the inside story on their first new music in more than a decade.

"Hearing it when it was finished it was definitely emotional," lead guitarist Neal Schon tells ET's Denny Directo of their new album, Freedom , which marks their first full-length release in 11 years. "We had recorded this album in a way different way because of COVID."

The band recorded Freedom entirely separate from one another, laying down their respective parts individually in different parts of the world.

"You get lemons, you make lemonade," says keyboardist Jonathan Cain, revealing the surprising silver lining they discovered through the process. "We were stuck at home. We were supposed to be on tour with The Pretenders and everything got shut down. So we just thought, 'Why not?' And we also made the record for half the price. ... We spent half the money, so we got a blessing from it."

"It will never be the same," vocalist Arnel Pineda chimes in with a laugh. "So we'll do the same thing again to save money, right?"

Creatively, the band drew on both past and present experiences while striving to stay true to the heart of what fans have come to know and love about them.

"I feel that we encompassed like a lot from Infinity to where we are now in this album," says Schon, referencing Journey's 1978 full-length featuring their first Billboard Hot 100 hit, "Wheel in the Sky."

"It's very diverse, it's very musical," he continues. "I’m happy with that. I think it really represents that band well."

In 2023, Journey will celebrate 50 years in the biz. To commemorate their golden anniversary, the group has planned a slew of upcoming performances into the years ahead, including stadium shows and -- in their words: "More pyro!" and "Firing bombs onstage right, bro!"

With more than 100-million records sold, 19 Top 40 singles and 25 Gold and Platinum albums under their belts, Journey remains one of the best-selling bands of all-time.

Pineda has been a part of that success for 15 years after replacing lead singer Steve Perry in 2007. The 54-year-old says his life went "from black to white" when joining the group. "These guys, I owe so much to them," he says.

As for whether they would bring back former band members Perry and Gregg Rolie for the anniversary shows, Schon is open to the possibility.

"I think that those two guys were a big part of the band," he says, "and I think that, you know, if the city permits, I think the fans would overall love it."

Just last week, Journey rocked two of four planned performances from July 15-23 at Resorts World Theater in Las Vegas alongside Violution Orchestra. Only ET was with them for the soundcheck.

"So much came to life with that orchestra," gushes drummer Deen Castronovo. "I mean, they were already beautiful songs and they have such a life of their own. But when you get that orchestra, it's so lush, man. I mean, it's amazing sounding. It really is."

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JOURNEY Announces New Album, 'Freedom'

Legendary rockers JOURNEY have set "Freedom" as the title of their long-awaited new album, to be released later in the year.

Founding JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon shared the news of the LP's title and track listing in an Instagram post earlier today (Wednesday, February 16). He wrote in an accompanying caption: "Teaser … it's coming and it's loaded @journeymusicofficial @nealschon @bmg_us @frontiersmusicsrl".

"Freedom" track listing, according to Schon :

01. Together We Run (4:49) 02. Don't Give Up On Us (5:23) 03. Still Believe In Love 04. You Got The Best Of Me (5:33) 05. Live To Love Again (5:30) 06. The Way We Used To Be (3:35) 07. Come Away With Me (4:02) 08. After Glow (5:22) 09. Let It Rain (4:40) 10. Holdin On (3:14) 11. All Day All Night (3:38) 12. Don't Go (4:58) 13. United We Stand (5:05) 14. Life Rolls On (4:57) 15. Beautiful As You Are (7:10)

JOURNEY recently completed a month-long Las Vegas residency at The Theater at Virgin Hotels. Filling in on bass for JOURNEY for the six shows was Todd Jensen , a veteran musician who has played for various artists, including the bands SEQUEL , HARDLINE and HARLOW , as well as David Lee Roth , Ozzy Osbourne , Steve Perry , Alice Cooper and Paul Rodgers . Also part of JOURNEY 's current lineup is returning drummer Deen Castronovo , who shared the drum duties in the band last year with Narada Michael Walden . Walden , bassist Randy Jackson and keyboardist/backing singer Jason Derlatka all joined JOURNEY in 2020 following the band's acrimonious split with drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory . Jackson — who previously played with JOURNEY during the mid-1980s — was forced to miss all the recent gigs because he is reportedly recovering from back surgery. Prior to the residency, Jackson had been replaced at JOURNEY 's 2021 shows by Marco Mendoza , who had played several shows in 2019 with Castronovo and JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon under the "Neal Schon's Journey Through Time" banner.

In June 2021, JOURNEY shared a new single, "The Way We Used To Be" . The song was the multi-platinum band's first new music since 2011's album "Eclipse" , and the first track released by the band's revamped lineup. "The Way We Used To Be" marks Walden and Derlatka 's first studio recordings with the band, and Jackson 's first since 1986's "Raised On Radio" . The song was produced by Narada Michael Walden at his Tarpan Studios , with co-production by Schon and Cain .

Since the group's formation in 1973, JOURNEY has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum albums, and has sold nearly 100 million albums globally. Their "Greatest Hits" album is certified 15 times-platinum, making JOURNEY one of the few bands to ever have been diamond-certified, and their song "Don't Stop Believin'" has been streamed over one billion times alone.

JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and 2018's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD was the band's most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than 1 million tickets sold, and earning them the prestigious Billboard "Legends Of Live" touring award. March 2019 saw the release of "Escape & Frontiers Live In Japan" , a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo featuring the band's first-ever performances of the albums "Escape" and "Frontiers" in their entirety. JOURNEY has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and were inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame . Additionally, the band is the subject of the award-winning documentary "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" about the band's resurgence upon adding Arnel Pineda as lead singer after founding member Neal Schon discovered the Philippines native on YouTube .

JOURNEY will team up with TOTO for a North American tour in February, March, April and May.

Last August, Schon gave a college radio simulcast interview to WMSC and WNUW where he discussed the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the band's upcoming studio album. He said: "I learned how to play keyboards better than ever during the pandemic, which I'd never really done before. And that's where our first single [ 'The Way We Used To Be' ] came from. [I sent it to] Jonathan [ Cain , keyboards], and he did the lyrics on it and put a rough vocal on it. And then we had Arnel sing it, and we cut it and re-cut it in the studio, and it was just released. And a lot of people went, 'Wow, man. I love it.' 90 percent of people love it; the other 10 percent went, 'I don't think it sounds like JOURNEY .' I go, 'I never wrote it to be a JOURNEY song.'"

According to Schon , he and his bandmates had written over 30 new songs for the upcoming JOURNEY record. "Some of 'em are unmistakably JOURNEY without sounding like another song that we have; it just sounds like a new version of the band," he said. "It's ballistic, man. And there's no lack of guitar on this record. So I'm excited about it getting out there. I think any guitar player out there is gonna love this record, because I'm just kind of unleashing on this record — like I do a lot live, but sometimes hold back in the studio. I don't think it's O.D.ing on the guitar at all and going overboard, but I like to check out the times and where I see music going. I usually have a pretty good gut instinct about it, and I feel like the late '60s, the time and era of early Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart and [ LED ] ZEPPELIN when they first came out, Jimi Hendrix , the CREAM with [ Eric ] Clapton and Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker , that whole era, there's a lot of younger kids out there, younger generation, that never got to experience that era. So I'm feeling like that is the era that I grew up in and that's what I truly love doing and the type of music I love playing, so I'm going more there and I'm writing for that, to be able to do that on stage. And I think it's really gonna trip some people out, when we finally do get this album out there and can combine it with all the hits that we do have."

He continued: "There's certain songs that are being mixed by Bob Clearmountain , that mixed our 'Raised On Radio' record, and he's made it sound really amazing, really pulled it together. You have mixers out there sometimes that have this incredible ability to take work that you've done throughout a year, even though they were recorded at separate times, and different sounds here and there, and they pull it all together and they make it sound like it's a tight album that has a focus sound-wise."

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THE LEGENDARY ROCK BAND JOURNEY CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY FREEDOM TOUR 2023

October 17, 2022 – One of the most legendary rock bands of all time, JOURNEY, announces the continuation of their highly successful tour with the 50th Anniversary Celebration Freedom Tour 2023 featuring, very special guest TOTO. JOURNEY , Diamond-selling Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will take the stage in 38 cities across North America with their catalog of global chart-topping hits, including "Don't Stop Believin”, "Any Way You Want It", "Faithfully", "Lights" and more.

Presented by AEG Presents, JOURNEY Freedom Tour 2023 begins February 4 in Allentown, PA – making stops in Austin, Montreal, Memphis and more – before wrapping April 25 at the brand new Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA. The 2023 run includes rescheduled dates in Washington DC, Hartford, Toronto and Quebec that were postponed earlier this year due to covid.

Citi is the official card of the JOURNEY 50th ANNIVERSARY Freedom Tour 2023. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets for theU.S. dates beginning Tuesday, October 18th at 10am local time until Thursday, October 20th at 10pm local time through Citi Entertainment (excluding Canada, Washington DC and Hartford shows). For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com. A limited number of exclusive VIP Packages are also available. These exceptional offers can include an amazing selection of reserved seated tickets, custom merchandise and much more.

Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, October 21 at 10am local time HERE

JOURNEY features Founder,Neal Schon (lead guitarist, ), Jonathan Cain (keyboards, backing vocals), Arnel Pineda (lead vocals) Jason Derlatka (keyboards, vocals), and Deen Castronovo (drums, vocals) and Todd Jensen (bass). Neal Schon, 3x Hall of Fame inductee: Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Grammy Hall of Fame. Jon Cain is a recipient of two BMI songwriter awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey.

Neal Schon: “We are all thankful and overwhelmed by the success of our Journey Freedom Tour 2022 this year and have added a new run of dates for 2023” says JOURNEY Founder Neal Schon. “We are looking forward to hitting the road again with our very good friends Toto! Come join us for a special evening full of fun and Rockin’ good memories. See you soon Friends.”

Jonathan Cain adds “Excited to perform for our fans as we tour next year with Toto. The combined hits of both bands represent a couple of decades of excellence that have become a soundtrack for people’s lives. The music of Journey along with the music of Toto is an example of “certain music” during “uncertain times”.

Very special guest TOTO, who have collectively streamed more than 3.3 billion plays on Spotify alone based on hits including “Rosanna”, “Africa” and “Hold the Line”, will join JOURNEY on all dates.

TOTO’s Steve Lukather shares, “'On behalf of myself and the band, we are very honored and excited to do this tour with our old and dear friends JOURNEY. Gonna be a great night of music, and as all the guys are lifelong friends... a blast off stage as well.”

FREEDOM TOUR 2023 DATES

February 4 Allentown, PA PPL Center

February 5 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena

February 8 Savannah, GA Enmarket Arena

February 10 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena

February 11 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum

February 14 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena

February 17 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boling Arena

February 19 Bossier City, LA Brookshire Grocery Arena

February 22 Austin, TX Moody Center

February 23 Lafayette, LA Cajundome

February 26 Jacksonville, FL Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena

March 1* Washington, DC Capital One Arena

March 3 State College, PA Bryce Jordan Center

March 4* Hartford, CT XL Center

March 8 Montreal, QC Bell Centre

March 9* Quebec, QC Videotron Centre

March 12* Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena

March 13 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre

March 16 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center

March 17 Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk Hall

March 20 Champaign, IL State Farm Center

March 21 Moline, IL Vibrant Arena at The MARK

March 24 Sioux Falls, SD Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

March 25 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena

March 28 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena

March 31 Tulsa, OK BOK Center

April 1 Memphis, TN FedExForum

April 4 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center

April 7 Springfield, MO Great Southern Bank Arena

April 8 Wichita, KS INTRUST Bank Arena

April 11 Casper, WY Ford Wyoming Center

April 13 Boise, ID ExtraMile Arena

April 14 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena

April 17 Eugene, OR Matthew Knight Arena

April 19 Stockton, CA Stockton Arena

April 22 Bakersfield, CA Mechanics Bank Arena

April 23 Fresno, CA SaveMart Center

April 25 Palm Springs, CA Acrisure Arena

*Rescheduled date. ON SALE NOW.

ABOUT JOURNEY

Since the group's formation in 1973, JOURNEY has earned 19 top 40 singles, 25 gold and platinum albums, and has sold over 100 million albums globally. Their "Greatest Hits" album is certified 15 times-platinum, making JOURNEY one of the few bands to ever have been diamond-certified, and their song "Don't Stop Believin'" has been streamed over one billion times alone.

JOURNEY was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017, and 2018's co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD was the band's most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than 1 million tickets sold, and earning them the prestigious Billboard "Legends Of Live" touring award. March 2019 saw the release of "Escape & Frontiers Live In Japan", a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo featuring the band's first-ever performances of the albums "Escape" and "Frontiers" in their entirety. JOURNEY has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and were inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall Of Fame. Additionally, the band is the subject of the award-winning documentary "Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey" about the band's resurgence upon adding Arnel Pineda as lead singer after JOURNEY Founder, Neal Schon discovered the Philippines native on YouTube.

The members of TOTO are celebrating an accomplishment few bands have achieved in the modern era. Cumulative streams of the ensemble’s repertoire

now exceed 3 billion plays. Amongst the most listened to recordings, “Africa” accounts for over one billion streams at Spotify alone. This year the song was recertified by the RIAA 8X Platinum.

Over the past decade, the band has had a major renaissance in popularity like few bands at this point in their career. The audience is truly multi-generational, becoming younger with each passing year. Joining Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams are band members bassist John Pierce (Huey Lewis and The News), drummer Robert “Sput” Searight (Ghost-Note, Founding member Snarky Puppy, Snoop Dogg), keyboardist Dominique “Xavier” Taplin (Prince, Ghost-Note), multi-instrumentalist / vocalist Warren Ham (Ringo Starr) and keyboardist / background vocalist Steve Maggiora,. This line-up marks the fifteenth incarnation of Toto in consideration of band members or sidemen who joined or exited. Individually and collectively, few have had a larger imprint on pop culture than the members of TOTO. The family tree can be heard on an astonishing 5000 albums that together amass a sales history of a half a billion albums. Amongst these recordings, NARAS applauded the performances with hundreds of Grammy nominations.

With now 45+ years together and literally thousands of credits, including the biggest selling album of all time: Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and accolades to their names, TOTO remains one of the top selling touring and recording acts in the world. They are the benchmark by which many artists base their sound and production, and they continue to transcend the standards set by the entire music community, being simply synonymous with musical credibility. They are pop culture and are one of the few 70’s bands that have endured the changing trends and styles continuing to remain relevant.

About AEG Presents

Combining the power of the live event with a focus on true artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across five continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity, and community. Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events — which include the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, and Firefly — continue to set the bar for the live music experience. AEG Presents promotes global tours for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney, and Katy Perry, in addition to — through its network of clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums and renowned partner brands such as The Bowery Presents, Concerts West, Frontier Touring, Goldenvoice, Madison House Presents, Marshall Arts,

Messina Touring Group, PromoWest Productions, and Zero Mile Presents — creating and developing an unmatched infrastructure for artist development and audience reach. More information can be found at www.aegpresents.com.

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Neal Schon on Journey’s ‘New Strut,’ Possible Arnel Pineda Biopic, and His New Solo LP

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

Three years ago, Journey guitarist Neal Schon finished a solo album of instrumental tracks that mixed classic-rock covers like “Hey Jude” and “Voodoo Child” with originals he created with producer-drummer Narada Michael Walden. Since that time, Journey fired drummer Steve Smith and bassist Ross Valory after a bitter business dispute, brought in Walden and Raised on Radio –era bassist Randy Jackson to take their places, and canceled a 2020 summer tour with the Pretenders due to the pandemic.

During his forced downtime, Schon decided it was finally time to share his instrumental album, The Universe , with the world. “This has been a hellacious year,” he says. “There’s some healing music on here. I feel like it’s going to ease a lot of people’s pain and give them something new to listen to and some hope.”

Schon called up Rolling Stone to talk about The Universe (which is streaming right now), the legal battle that split Journey apart, parting ways with manager Irving Azoff, repairing his relationship with keyboardist Jonathan Cain, cutting Journey’s new album while on lockdown, his continued hopes of making peace with Steve Perry, the possibility of an Arnel Pineda biopic, and why he thinks this new lineup of Journey will lead to a whole new era for the band.

Tell me the backstory of The Universe. About three years ago, I ran into Narada Michael Walden. I said, “Narada, why don’t you write me a record?” We’d known each other forever and had jammed and played live together, but we’d never really worked together with him as a producer and me as a guitar player.

I said, “I really want to veer away from anything that sounds like Jeff Beck.” That’s because there’s only one Jeff Beck and only one Jimi [Hendrix]. But I said, “You’ve known me for a long time and you know what I like to play. What I’m hearing is a very majestic, symphonic-type blues-R&B-fusion rock album.”

He goes, “That’s the whole spectrum.” I go, “Let’s just diversify it.” And so he said, “Let me have a few days and I’ll call you when I have some tracks.” Three days later, he calls me and says, “Why don’t you come by the studio? I have some stuff to play for you.”

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Where did it go from there? I went by the studio and he had like six tracks that he had written with drums on them, keyboard bass, and voice singing the main melody of a guitar. He said, “Take this home and get comfortable with it and let me know when you’ve got it down.”

This was something new for me because I usually write my own material. I took it home, listened to it, and worked my way around it. I felt like I was going to improv my way through the melodies and add my own shtick to it.

I went into the first session with him and I started playing something from the heart where I veered away from the melody. He said, “What are you doing?” I said, “I’m just playing what it is.” He said, “No, you have to play that melody exactly like I’m singing it.” I went, “Oh. OK.” He goes, “I’m treating you like you’re a vocalist and your guitar is the vocal.”

After conforming to that, I managed to get things down very quickly on the record. We worked on it in different time periods. We got as much done as I could when I was home and then I’d go tour and come back and work with him when he was available. We finished it over the duration of about a year with three, four weeks in the studio altogether.

Let’s talk about some of the specific songs. Tell me about your version of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” There’s a clip of me on the internet playing it in the Twin Cities right after he passed [in 2016]. I get a few sections in the [Journey] set to do my own thing. And I’ve been looping for years. And so a lot of times I’ll loop some chord changes to a song and improv my way through it.

That night, I didn’t really know what I was going to do. But I felt his presence and I played the chord changes. I overdubbed one of the melodies he did on the end. I put that in there and just blew through it and the audience really came unglued. It was his hometown, but he just passed and I captured the moment.

That stuck with me and I said to my friend Gary Cirimelli, who I did the [2001] Voice record with, “Please do me an orchestration of ‘Purple Rain.'” He did an amazing job and I actually recorded that before I started the record with Narada.

You also tackle “Voodoo Child.” Clearly you weren’t shy about taking on some of the greatest guitarists of all time. You know what? They are in my blood. I grew up with these people and I’ve been playing a long time. I’d actually been jamming with Narada before at Golden Gate Park in front of about 100,000 people. He said, “We’re going to play ‘Voodoo Child.'” I said, “Great, I know it.” I jumped onstage and we jammed for a while and the audience loved it. It actually goes back in time where I played the Crossroads Festival for Eric Clapton. It was Narada, myself, Randy Jackson, and Jonathan Cain. It’s ironic that’s what Journey has become with Arnel.

We did play “Voodoo Child” that day, too. It was a no-brainer for me. I was like, “Why don’t we jam it out and have a live jam in the studio?” That is what we did. We played live, one take. You can tell that it falls apart a little when it goes into “Third Stone From the Sun” at the end. I was lost and playing and I had to find a place to put my arm up and then everyone jumps in a few seconds later. You can tell it was a little loose and we were just finding our way through it. I felt there was some magic there and being real since it wasn’t overdubbed to death. It was just what it was.

Why did you decide to revisit the Journey song “Lights?” That was Narada’s idea. I was not sure about it. I had done, with Gary Cirimelli the year before, a little EP [ Ave Maria ] around Christmas where I had done an instrumental version of “Faithfully,” “Open Arms,” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley. I had done it before with guitar instead of voice, but “Lights” I had never considered doing as a lead vocal on guitar. He talked me into it. I didn’t know what to think of it, but it sounded good for a guitar version. I tried to capture as many Steve Perry melodies as I could and implement them into the guitar in a soulful way. I think it came out well and people are loving it.

I like hearing vocal melodies on the guitar. Jeff Beck does it a lot, but it’s hard to pull off exactly right. Yeah. There’s something very difficult about it. I see a lot of young guitar players today that have dexterity beyond. I can comprehend what they’re doing technically, but I’m not that interested in trying to do it myself because I’ve never been a scale guy. I was listening more to horn players and vocalists.

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To convey a melody and play it very simply is not an easy task, especially when it’s a slow melody. There’s plenty of room for mistakes and loss of feel. You can lose the feel of it in two seconds flat because there’s no lyrics you’re playing along with. That actually helps you dictate the melody when you hear a singer sing. It’s all about placement, phrasing, and how the vibrato goes, where you put it. It’s complicated and it comes much easier to me as a musician than it does to other guys because I’ve always been a melody guy.

Tell me about your version of “Hey Jude” that ends the record. I had played “Hey Jude” back east in New Jersey, I believe, in some theater we were playing. I looped that one night. I played the chords first, just the ending, and then I looped the melody and had the whole audience singing the song. I went, “Wow, this could be a possible way just to end the record.” As a Beatles fan, I loved it.

What’s the status of the new Journey record? We’re deep in it. It’s coming along, man. It’s really shaping up. Narada and I have been working nonstop. Jonathan [Cain] is also working from his houses in Florida and Nashville. Arnel is working from Manila. Randy Jackson is working mostly from L.A. And it’s one of those Zoom sessions and it sounds phenomenal. It sounds like we’re all playing in the room at the same time. I actually can’t wait until we do get together and start putting the show together. The new single should be coming out mid-February.

Working remotely must have been a big adjustment at first. Yeah. It was at first. What I was really grateful for is that I’m willing to get together with Narada and work with just drums and guitar, which is something I’ve always done with drummers working on records. We’re able to map out and get things feeling right. Narada is very accomplished. He can play keyboards and bass keyboards, and we kind of fill out the tracks. And then everyone does their parts. The end result is sounding amazing.

How is Arnel doing? Arnel sounds very, very strong. I think this break has been good for him. He’s back in there, I feel, like when we first got him. His vocals sound very, very good. We’re planning on a full album release in 2021 before we get back to touring. We did book our first show of 2021. We’re going to be headlining Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 31st unless they move it. My fingers are crossed that everyone is going to get the vaccine and feel good and get back to it. I’m just so looking forward to playing with the new band. Post Malone is headlining at the same time as us about a mile away on another stage. It’ll be interesting.

How have the new members changed the band’s sound? Do you have a different groove now? You have to hear it for yourself. It still sounds very much like Journey thanks to the songwriting, my guitar playing, and the vocals. But the rhythm section is definitely a powerhouse. Narada has been known for years, and Randy Jackson is a completely monstrous bass player. Some people may not be aware of his work, but they have credentials that go way, way back. Randy and I have always been pretty in tune, and Narada and I are in tune. And now it’s coming together. It’s got a new strut to it.

There’s nothing we really can’t play. I’ve got a track I laid down with Narada the other day. I sent it to Arnel and he was freaking out. He said, “This sounds like brand-new Hendrix or Prince. Please write more of that.” And I was just messing around. It was just a jam we did and it turned out to be monstrous. We’re creating. We aren’t afraid to go to new places. It’s easy to stay safe and write where we have always been. We have a bit of that so we don’t lose everyone, but at the same token, this is a new chapter of Journey. I want to go where we have not gone before.

Why did you leave Azoff management and sign with Q Prime? It was a long time coming from myself. I had a falling out with old management and just didn’t agree with a lot of things the way they were coming down or the way that things were being treated that I was bringing up. I felt like they made it seem like I was an outcast even though this was a band that I started. Azoff actually said to me, “Why don’t you quit?” at one point. I said, “I’m not quitting. I’ve been here all my life. Why don’t you quit?”

We kind of went at it. Finally, I made the move. I said, “I don’t know what’s going to happen from here, but I feel like it’s time.” I remember that I talked to Peter Mensch over at Q Prime about a year before that, telling him that I really wanted to make a change. He said that contractually we had to get to this point before we could do anything. When we finally got to that point, I called Peter back up. He said, “This is a no-brainer. We’d love to manage you.”

I’m really happy. They understand the guitar. Cliff [Burnstein] is awesome. I’ve only talked to him a few times, but I can tell we’re on the same wavelength. I send him stuff, unfinished and finished, and I’ll crank up the guitar and he goes, “Oh, yeah. That’s it.” Then we’ll get on the phone with Jonathan [Cain], myself and him, and Jonathan will go, “Do you want the softer version?” They’ll go, “No, we don’t want the softer version. We want the heavier version.” I love the guys.

You and Jonathan Cain are clearly in a much better place than you were a few years ago. How did you patch things up? We found out that there was a lot of miscommunication that I felt was coming from management. The divide-and-conquer situation was going on. They were saying I said things that I didn’t say. I heard it had happened with other bands from guitar techs that I had been with. It was happening in the Van Halen camp between Eddie and Sammy. I was just like, “I’m seeing the same scenario.”

Once we got past all the crap and we talked everything out, we found out that a lot of it was just b.s. and we were actually good. Him and I are still very tight as songwriters. There’s still magic there. He’s still creating amazing music, even without me, but us together, we create something that really sounds like Journey.

Some fans were surprised to see him play in the house band at the White House during the RNC a few months ago. What did you think about that? You know what? I learned to just stay in my music lane through that whole fiasco. I think everyone knows my feelings about politics and religion in music. I just decided that I was going to keep my friendship with him and the music with him. We’re still creating great stuff. I got to a place where I said, “It’s a free world. Everyone has the right to do whatever they want to do.”

In a way, it’s like Mick and Keith. They are two very different people, but they come together in a band and it works. Exactly. That tension leads to great music and not agreeing … Jon and I always have been like that. We’re like bookends with all the music in between. Where we start from is two completely different places. He usually starts from music, melody, and piano. I start from a rocking track. There’s a lot of melody on the new songs we’ve been laying down. We’ve gotten very comfortable with singing on it right afterwards with Narada helping me, giving me the confidence, and so I have a lot of the melodies. I recall even in the old Journey with Steve Perry when I’d hum a few things and he’d go, “Oh, I like that.” Then he’d do his own thing to it. There’s a road map there if you aren’t afraid to put it down.

How about tour-wise? The Pretenders 2020 tour was called off. Might you go out with them in the future? I don’t know what management has planned. We love playing with the Pretenders, but I don’t know if that’s where they are going or even if they are available. I definitely enjoy playing with them. They have so many great songs. Chrissie [Hynde] was very nice. The whole band was. I felt that it was complementary to our show, even with Def Leppard. I don’t know what Peter and Cliff are thinking over at Q Prime, but I’m definitely open to that. And I love the Def Leppard guys. I’m open to that, too. But this time we have to bring our PA. [ Laughs ]

I’ve heard rumblings about a biopic about Arnel. Do you think that’s going to happen? I think it’s something that will come down. The story of me finding him on YouTube is sort of unbelievable. I remember when I first told people I had found him. They were like, “Come on, man. Did you just make this up?” It was like a Cinderella story that was too good to believe. We made the documentary [ Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey ] off the fact we found him in Manila, not New York or L.A., and I heard his voice and went, “This is the guy. I know it’s the guy.” Apparently Warner Bros. thinks is a great story too. I think they are going to make it. I don’t know when. I don’t believe they’ve even started. I think they are still writing the script.

Who would play you? Uh … the only meeting we had took place when we last played in Vegas. They were they talking about Joaquin [Phoenix]. That’s what this director said. [ Laughs ] I was like, “OK!” [ Laughs ]

You could play yourself, I suppose. Have you thought about that? I have not thought about that, but it’s not ruled out. I’d probably prefer not to. It’s gotta be so time consuming. At one point, I was going to try and get into some movie stuff and I was taking some acting classes. Everyone was like, “You look like a young James Caan.” This was way back in the Eighties. There were a couple of producers that were approaching me. But I went on a set and thought about it and auditioned and I was like, “Wow. This is so time-consuming. I can do four albums in the time it takes to do one movie.” I’m too impatient. I like to move quickly, so I doubt I’d be the right choice for it.

Is your Journey spinoff band Journey Through Time something that can get back on the road in the future? Fans loved seeing you back with Gregg Rolie and playing the really old songs. I was met with a lot of resistance from some of the former band members and the trademark guy that was sort of working for Journey, I’m finding out. There were many trademark issues I’ve gotten to the bottom of. I’ve cleaned everything up 1,000 percent. There were too many handshake deals and money deals and no real contracts. I was like, “OK, it’s time for all this to stop and for everyone to get treated fairly and equally.”

They were having a real problem with me using Neal Schon’s Journey Through Time, the name of the band. I don’t see why. It has been my journey from my life and the fans loved it. But to tell you the truth, I foresee us being able to do that with the new band; I foresee us being able to play in two different places. I feel like we can play these outdoor festivals with bands like Phish or for that audience and dive into the older material and play that stuff very well and take it to a new place.

Also, we can play in the 20,000-seaters or the coliseums we were doing with Pretenders and Def Leppard. I feel like it’s two different audience we can play to. The main thing is just playing longer where you can dive deeper into the older stuff and making it all work together.

Do you think you could bring Gregg Rolie into the fold at some point, at least for the jam-focused shows? We might talk about that. I’d have to see what Jonathan thought about that. But it’s not really on my plate right now. It’s something I definitely enjoyed. We were picking up speed very quickly before it was taken down. We had a whole tour that was ready to go. And then Gregg unavailable and then [drummer-vocalist] Deen [Castronovo] wasn’t available. There was a lot of politics involved.

Are you close to resolving the legal dispute with Steve Smith and Ross Valory? Unfortunately, no. [ Laughs ] We will, eventually. I have confidence that we will. It is going to be what it is. We’ve already made that choice and we’re moving on. But we’re not about to get held up, either. We’re going to start playing and ultimately we can settle this and come to a mutual agreement.

Do you ever see a day in the future where you’d play with them again? Who knows? I’ve known these guys for a long time. I didn’t agree with the way they went about business. I had been in a situation in the band with management and some of them for a long time where I felt like they were trying to make me leave. I was catching on to a lot of things that I’m getting to the bottom of now, business-wise.

I spoke with Steve Perry a few weeks ago. He says he misses playing live. As just a fan of his, are you hoping he’ll tour? I am. I was hoping he would tour when he released his record a couple of years ago. After going through the pandemic, I imagine that most everyone that has ever toured is dying to tour. I miss it so much, that energy you get from the audience that you throw back. I’m totally missing that. I’m sure everyone that has ever been onstage is missing that. I’m hoping that he would really do it. He should. He sounds in good voice and he could do it. I hope he’ll actually do it because he talked about it last time.

Are you still hoping that at some point in the future, the two of you will be able to sit down and be friends again? I’m still trying to talk to him directly on the telephone. For some reason, I don’t know if it’s him or his attorney, they do not want us to talk, or he feels uncomfortable. I’m sitting in the same place where I’m waiting to get on the phone or get together and have some coffee, but it just isn’t happening and it’s not because of myself.

It’s crazy that one rock band can get so complicated with all these feuding factions. It’s just people playing music together that a lot of people love. You know what? There’s a lot of things that get in the way, the conquer-and-divide thing. I believe that that’s been happening with him, too. When we got inducted into the Hall of Fame, I felt really connected to him again where it was emotional to see him after not seeing him for a long time. He was moved too. I felt, “Why is all this other crap happening for so long? Why did I feel like we couldn’t get together and talk?”

But at the end, it went right back to that. I watched him do the first interviews that he did. He talked very highly about myself like I’ve always talked about him and how happy he was to see me and the rest of the guys, but he said it was mainly me he was happy to see. And then all of a sudden, in all the interviews after that, after the first two where I felt like he was speaking from the heart, it took a left-hand turn and I was never mentioned again. It’s very weird, man. I felt like politics, once again, were in the way.

I guess the one constant in the whole Journey saga is you marching forward and keeping it alive. It is the ship I’ve been in from the very get-go. I’m the only guy that’s been there for every show, every record, every date. I’m the only guy. And my heart is still in it. We’re definitely moving forward and I’m happy with what I’m hearing. I’m moving. I’m going forward. I’m not going to sit in neutral and wait for things to settle out.

We’ll soon be approaching our 50th anniversary. It’s kind of mind-boggling to me, even sitting here telling you it’s been 50 years for me. It should be a great one. What I do know is that we’ve hardly spent any time abroad, but we are going to be taking this around the world and playing in countries and cities we’ve never been to before. Anytime we’ve done this before — like our first first show with Arnel [in Chile] when the audience went wild — we’d never been there before, but they went crazy. His audition was in front of 30 million people. He was scared to death. I had to push him out onstage.

I really feel like late 2021 and certainly 2022 will be a celebration of live music. I’ve got butterflies about the vibe I’m getting or what it’s going to be like when we put our show together. We’re not just going to play the same old show. We’re going to be adding a lot of new stuff. I know Randy and Narada, because I’ve jammed with them before.

It’s going to conform into a whole new thing. They aren’t afraid to try anything right on the spur of the moment onstage, which is where I’ve always been. I play by ear. If you go there, I’m going there, man. I learned to do that playing with Carlos Santana and Rolie and all the original Santana guys. I’m from that school and I love it.

I think we’ll construct a set in a way where we’ll have time for all of it and it won’t have to stay the same every night. We don’t have to conform to that. Everyone will be able to carry it and feel strongly about improvising on the spot and going with it.

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Journey keyboardist asks judge to resolve deadlock with band's lead guitarist

The rock band Journey has made many hits over the past 50 years, but the song that might now be resonating the loudest for some band and crew members is “Separate Ways.”

DOVER, Del. -- The rock band Journey has compiled an impressive list of hits over the past 50 years, but the song that might now be resonating the loudest for some band and crew members is “Separate Ways.”

The latest in a series of legal disputes with band founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon , longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain is asking a Delaware judge to resolve a deadlock involving Freedom 2020, a company formed three years ago to oversee tour-related finances.

According to court filings, Schon is president of Freedom 2020, but he and Cain each holds a 50% stake in the company. In a petition filed last week, Cain said he and Schon “fundamentally disagree” on the management and operation of the company. He wants the court to appoint a custodian to act as an independent, deadlock-breaking director.

Cain’s attorneys also asked the judge to fast-track the case amid the band’s current 50th Anniversary Freedom Tour, which concludes Nov. 17 in London. During a hearing Wednesday, Cain's attorney Sidney Liebesman told Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster that the current situation is “dysfunctional.”

“It is in crisis,” Liebesman said. “The damage is taking place during the tour.”

Liebesman complained that Schon is wasting company assets and believes that, as president of Freedom 2020, “he can do whatever he wants.”

“It is his self-interest that is driving his decision-making,” Liebesman said.

In a court filing Monday, Schon’s attorneys said many of Cain’s allegations have no basis. They specifically rejected allegations that the tour’s production company and vendors weren’t being paid on time.

“Petitioner’s allegations that the company faces imminent irreparable harm from a purported inability of the company to meet its financial obligations has no basis in fact,” according to Schon’s attorneys, who will file a more complete response to Cain’s petition on Monday.

“Our client denies that there’s been any mismanagement,” Schon's attorney Jack Yoskowitz told Laster, adding that any dysfunction has been caused by Cain acting in his own self-interest, including making allegations to the press that harm the band.

Laster scheduled a final hearing in the case to begin on Sept. 3, timed with Labor Day weekend, as sought by Cain’s attorneys. Schon’s attorneys sought a hearing in late September or early October, after the North American leg of the tour ends.

Cain’s attorneys say a quick resolution is needed because the deadlock has become “a very much public battle” that also has created a “toxic internal environment” during the tour.

“Rather than focusing on the band’s performances during a major international tour, the band’s business manager, lead vocalist and crew members now find themselves caught in the middle of the directors’ disputes, afraid of performing their job responsibilities, and pressured to align with one director or another,” they wrote.

Cain’s attorneys say the dispute also threatens the band’s reputation, could negatively affect its fan base, and could further strain relationships with vendors and personnel.

“Indeed, the band has lost multiple members of its crew because of such tensions over the past several months,” they wrote, adding that the company’s new business manager, its seventh, was hired two months ago.

Cain says Schon’s desire to take a $1.5 million advance from promoter AEG Presents LLC to cover tour expenses, and his opposition to Cain's proposal for a more modest advance of $500,000, has caused “a major rift.” He also accuses Schon of “exorbitant and wasteful spending” on hotels and airfare for band and crew members. Schon, for example, has ignored the company limit of $1,500 per night for hotel accommodations and has spent up to $10,000 per night for hotel rooms for him and his wife, according to Cain.

Cain also alleges that Schon allows crew members to stay in hotel rooms during tour stops in or near their home cities, and to fly in business class. Schon also has used the company credit card for personal expenses and incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs for private jets for himself, his wife and various crew members, according to Cain.

The dispute also has even spilled over to creative differences, including Cain’s disagreement with Schon’s selection of a substitute drummer for a Toronto performance last week, and whether Cain should play rhythm guitar during performances of the 1978 song “Wheel in the Sky."

"Even if that decision were within the scope of Freedom 2020’s business, which seems highly doubtful, matters of song arrangement are objectively not a type of disagreement that threatens the company with irreparable harm," Schon's attorneys wrote.

The two band members have been at odds for several years. In 2022, for example, Schon sent a cease-and-desist letter after Cain performed the 1981 hit "Don’t Stop Believin’” at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. Schon said Cain, whose wife was a spiritual adviser to Trump, had no right to use the Journey brand for politics. Cain countered that Schon was the one damaging the band’s brand through his bullying tactics and reckless spending.

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Rock band Journey cancels tour dates amid members’ legal battle

S AN DIEGO ( KSWB/KUSI ) — Rock band Journey has reportedly canceled shows in the U.K. and Ireland that were part of their 50th Anniversary Freedom Tour. This comes after the latest issue in the legal battle between keyboardist Jonathan Cain and band founder and lead guitarist Neal Schon.

The U.K. leg of the tour was scheduled to kick off in Cardiff, Wales, at Utilita Arena on Oct. 30. Other shows were scheduled in Nottingham, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham and Newcastle, with a final show at The O2 in London on Nov. 17.

The band, known for timeless classics like “Don’t Stop Believin'” and “Open Arms,” has sold over 100 million albums globally, and earned 19 top 40 singles and 25 gold and platinum albums.

Schon and Cain have, however, been in a feud for years, according to The Associated Press.

In a recent court filing , Cain asked a Delaware judge to resolve a deadlock regarding Freedom 2020, the company that oversees tour-related finances. Cain and Schon each hold a 50% stake in the company for which Schon is president.

Cain and Schon “fundamentally disagree” on the operation and management of the company, the court filing stated.

Cain’s attorneys also asked the judge to fast-track the case amid the band’s current 50th Anniversary Freedom Tour.

A report on iHeart said ticketholders learned via email that the tour dates in the U.K. and Ireland were canceled “due to circumstances beyond the band’s control.” Journey’s Summer Stadium tour in North America , with shows accompanied by Def Leppard, appears to have been unaffected by the cancelations.

During a hearing Wednesday, Cain’s attorney Sidney Liebesman told Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster that the current situation is “dysfunctional.”

“It is in crisis,” Liebesman said. “The damage is taking place during the tour.”

Liebesman complained that Schon is wasting company assets and believes that, as president of Freedom 2020, “he can do whatever he wants.”

“It is his self-interest that is driving his decision-making,” Liebesman said.

In a court filing earlier last week, Schon’s attorneys said many of Cain’s allegations have no basis. They specifically rejected allegations that the tour’s production company and vendors weren’t being paid on time.

“Our client denies that there’s been any mismanagement,” Schon’s attorney Jack Yoskowitz told Laster, adding that any dysfunction has been caused by Cain acting in his own self-interest, including making allegations to the press that harm the band.

Cain’s attorneys say a quick resolution is needed because the deadlock has become “a very much public battle” that also has created a “toxic internal environment” during the tour.

Cain’s attorneys say the dispute also threatens the band’s reputation, could negatively affect its fan base, and could further strain relationships with vendors and personnel.

Cain says Schon’s desire to take a $1.5 million advance from promoter AEG Presents LLC to cover tour expenses, and his opposition to Cain’s proposal for a more modest advance of $500,000, has caused “a major rift.” He also accuses Schon of “exorbitant and wasteful spending” on hotels and airfare for band and crew members. Schon, for example, has ignored the company limit of $1,500 per night for hotel accommodations and has spent up to $10,000 per night for hotel rooms for him and his wife, according to Cain.

“Even if that decision were within the scope of Freedom 2020’s business, which seems highly doubtful, matters of song arrangement are objectively not a type of disagreement that threatens the company with irreparable harm,” Schon’s attorneys wrote.

The two band members have been at odds for several years. In 2022, for example, Schon sent a cease-and-desist letter after Cain performed the 1981 hit “Don’t Stop Believin’” at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Schon said Cain, whose wife was a spiritual adviser to Trump, had no right to use the Journey brand for politics. Cain countered that Schon was the one damaging the band’s brand through his bullying tactics and reckless spending.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos.

NEWARK, NJ – JUNE 15: Bassist Ross Valory, keyboardist Jonathan Cain, and founder and guitarist Neal Schon of the band Journey are seen at Prudential Center on June 15, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for Journey)

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats' 'South of Here' offers raw, soulful rock

Nathaniel rateliff and the night sweats' 'south of here' is the crooner's latest album in a 20-year career..

In the past five years, every major breakout star at the line between Americana, country and folk music has lauded Nathaniel Rateliff as one of the greatest artists of the past quarter century.

However, when speaking to The Tennessean, the rock-tinged soul crooner is two months out from starting a three-month, 11-date run in support of his band the Night Sweats' latest album, "South of Here." For Rateliff, the album represents what essentially has averaged as a release yearly for 17 years.

"I'm sitting in a hotel room — that's the story of my life," he deadpans.

Highlighting the mundanity of his star-made existence rather than making reference to sharing moments with artists like Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan, Willie Nelson, Orville Peck, Margo Price, Robert Plant and Paul Simon pretty much sums up who Rateliff remains, even in light of who he has become.

He's not just a singer, signed to Concord's revival of the iconic soul label Stax Records because of the talent in his tenor. Instead, it's how the St. Louis-born and now Denver-residing artist uses it to draw a through-line between his life's multiple highs and lows that has allowed him to sustain adult-alternative radio and folk album chart success for a decade.

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That process has included struggles with alcoholism, cancer, drug abuse and mental health issues ominously swirling around himself and his friends.

'Heartless'

Though earnest and therapeutic new songs like "David and Goliath," "Get Used to the Night" and "Heartless" are gaining appreciation from the likes of Stephen Colbert and Howard Stern, Rateliff is still using psychiatric help as well as songwriting to achieve emotional freedom.

"I'm trying it all, man," he says. "Understanding what I'm going through is a conscious and subconscious journey."

"Heartless" could be the most autobiographical song of his career. A decade ago, his song "S.O.B." included the lyrics: "Son of a b---- give me a drink / One more night, this can't be me / Son of a b----, if I can't get clean, I'm gonna drink my life away."

On "Heartless," he sings: "I don't recall all things in the throes of the night / It never occurred to me it always, just heard me / And don't be appalled with the fall, it didn't hurt that bad / I've hit the ground harder."

Though the lyrics on paper seem more oblique, listen to the weathered strain in his voice to best tell the story.

"Kids these days still like everything to be so literal, so I'm trying that," jokes Rateliff.

Pause and realize that Bryan and Kahan are 15 years younger than him. Hits like Bryan's "Something in the Orange" and Kahan's "Stick Season" represent over 10 million pop singles sold in the last two years.

Learning from his material as much as his fans do

Heavy humility grounds the power of Rateliff's words in conversation.

Though he has one of modern music's greatest and most unique vocal instruments, he still feels he has much to learn in harnessing and executing its power.

"I still feel like I sing things funny,'" he says about his phrasing style.

"Falling in love" with where Brad Cook's "theology of production" has taken the band differently from where his longtime friend Richard Swift did is notable for Rateliff. (Swift died in 2018 of complications from hepatitis and liver and kidney disease.)

Gaining comfort with perspectives on the sound of himself and his band has allowed for songs like the album track "Center of Me" to resonate so deeply that they brought him "crushed, to tears," while listening to them on his iPhone at his dining room table.

"Why do I wait until this s--- gets harder," he sings about the trouble he has communicating with significant others. Ultimately, the amount of time he's spent alone in his head — even when performing in front of thousands of people — has created incredible doubt and insecurity.

'Time Makes Fools of Us All'

Key as well on Rateliff's album is how songs like the title track and "Time Makes Fools of Us All" reflect where Rateliff has arrived after 20 years of performing.

"Because of the hard awakening I've had (related to losing) my (youthful) sense of invincibility, I'm now in a time of my life where I'm figuring out my next steps," Rateliff adds.

"South of Here," thus, finds Rateliff at a crossroads.

He's preparing to embark on a tour that will find him at Austin's Moody Center, Chicago's United Center, St. Paul's Excel Center and New York's Madison Square Garden.

A quarter century ago, he was in Denver with his friend and current bandmate Joseph Pope III, working odd jobs in his early 20s as a missionary and at a truck depot among many places. That was while drinking at such a heavy clip that, nearing 40, he was presented with his mortality at the end of a liquor bottle.

"I had lost myself," he says. "If I continued drinking at that rate, I was going to die or kill myself."

It's quite the progression.

He's still squarely sitting at a crossroads and battling with equal acceptance and shock at his predicament.

"When my life changes, my emotions change, too," he says. "I still don't know exactly what I'm doing or how to (classify it). I'm still figuring it out. I don't feel like I've ever completely solved anything with (my songs) or that they'll ever have all of the answers. But I do know that I'll keep asking questions that everyone else is also struggling with trying to understand."

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CENTURY CITY, Calif. -- When you step behind the magic door at CAMP Los Angeles, you're transported into an underwater paradise meticulously designed to capture the essence of Ariel's oceanic home in Disney's "The Little Mermaid."

"It is a combination of puppetry, live performance of actual songs sung from the movie, but it's also choose your own adventure," said Ari Levinson, Sr. Director of Partnerships at CAMP, an experiential space known for its innovative, themed events that blend interactive storytelling with creative play.

Guests are invited to participate in various activities that propel the story forward. From scavenger hunts, to slides to magic shows, theres never a dull moment. Whether you're reliving childhood memories or introducing a new generation to the wonder of Ariel's world, this immersive adventure is sure to leave a lasting impression.

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Music Interviews

Pianist chad lawson's new album is an 'invitation to decompress'.

Ayesha Rascoe

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with pianist Chad Lawson about his new album, "Where We Are." It's described as a "journey from solitude to solidarity."

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Julianne Hough Has 'Unfinished Business' After Dropping Songs for New Book: 'Probably More Music Coming' (Exclusive)

"I am writing these songs that really mean something to this journey that I've been on," Hough tells PEOPLE about music written for 'Everything We Never Knew'

Julianne Hough is making her long-awaited return to music.

In an interview about her new book Everything We Never Knew , available on Tuesday, Aug, 13, the 36-year-old dancer shares that the release of her fiction novel comes with accompanying music.

“I’m releasing music for the first time in a really long time, and it's because I felt like I kind of just pivoted during my country career, and I just went to something else because, even though I was doing great, I didn't feel personally successful enough,” Hough, who released a self-titled studio album in 2008, tells PEOPLE. “I'm coming back around in this cycle of feeling like I have unfinished business, but I'm so glad I'm doing it now.”

The music — title track “ Everything We Never Knew ” and four additional songs, “Air,” “Fire,” “Water” and “Earth” — helps tell the story of the book's main character, Lexi, who realizes she can feel other people’s emotions and see into their memories.

“I am writing these songs that really mean something to this journey that I've been on, and each one of these songs ties to one of the lessons that Lexi goes through in the book,” Hough explains.

“For ‘Air,’ she will learn how to speak up for herself for the first time," she adds. "In ‘Fire,’ she’s really connecting to her body, her sensuality and her life force energy. Learning to create more of a healthy anger versus a resentful anger, grief, and losses have to do with the ‘Water’ lesson that she goes through. And then ‘Earth’ is all around the family system and the roots of forgiveness without forgetting… healing that family system after violation and abandonment and betrayal.”

Hough, who says her new fiction novel is based on personal experiences — “I went through a huge transformational time in 2020, and I wanted to share everything, but I didn't want to give all of myself away. So I thought, why don't I write a fiction novel?” she tells PEOPLE — admits that releasing it to the world leaves her feeling “vulnerable.”

“This book is so important to me and my whole life, I've really been a performer where I've taken projects and performed it outward, and with this book, this really felt like it came from me as an artist, and I feel more vulnerable sharing this than with anything else I've ever shared,” the Dancing with the Stars dancer-turned-host says.

Elias Tahan; Sourcebooks

While her title track is now available to stream, Hough is looking forward to releasing the rest of the songs that go along with the novel, whenever that might be. “I feel so excited to share my story and my narrative through a form of creativity and art,” the Rock of Ages star says.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“We're kind of figuring out what the date is right now for the rest of the music because as I've been writing it, I'm continuing to write more. And I'm like, ‘Do I just make an album?’ So in August or September, we will have those pieces of music for the book, but there's probably more music coming.”

Everything We Never Knew , out Aug. 13 from Sourcebooks Landmark, is available for pre-order.

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