Loreena McKennitt: Times of Discovery (1991)
After the release of The Visit, her fourth studio album, Anil Prasad interviewed Canadian singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Loreena McKennitt. Questions include her formal training, various influences on her style, interactions with her record company and her work for Amnesty International.
Tori Amos: Drama of the Gifted Child (1992)
Very early in her career, Anil Prasad interviewed Tori Amos after the release of her stunning debut album Little Earthquakes, including her thoughts about several tracks, and related issues such as her work with the band Y Kant Tori Read and her covers.
Fish: Mirroring Influences (1993)
Scottish singer Fish (real name is Derek Dick) rose to fame as the lead singer of neo prog band Marillion. He quit the band in 1988 to embark on a solo career. The interview took place shortly after he released his third studio album Songs from the Mirror, a cover album featuring Fish's versions of songs by artists who inspired him before his career started. Anil Prasad focuses inter alia on the decision to leave the band, and the various influences on his solo work.
David Sylvian: Leaping Into the Unknown (2003)
"David Sylvian’s musical journey is characterized by soul-searching and constant change." I love the first line of the linked contribution. Sylvian is one of my art pop/rock heroes, both as lead singer from Japan and his solo career. The interview includes important questions about interaction with the listener, the influence of spiritual background, and the various cooperations with famous artists. A wonderful piece.
No-Man: Positive Momentum (2008)
No-Man is the two man band Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson. This interview was held after the release of the album Schoolyard Ghosts, their first album after a five years break. It touches upon matters like how the two members see each other's development over that five year period, changes in creative processes, and side projects.
Riverside: Liquid Modernity (2011)
The brilliant Polish progressive rock band Riverside was interviewed after they released the 2009 album Anno Domini High Definition, which got rave reviews, but did not click with me. The interview is short, but still welcome.
Steven Wilson: Past Presence (2013)
Steven Wilson has been interviewed a number of times in Innerviews, I have selected the one done after the release of his masterpiece, his third solo album The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories). In this interview with Anil Prasad he discussed details of many songs, but also his perceived way forward.
Kronos Quartet: Infinite Horizons (2014)
The Kronos Quartet has been a champion for contemporary classical chamber music for decades. For me, they were one of the main gateways into that fascinating part of classical music. In this interview, Anil Prasad talks with the band (current line-up), as well as with people they have worked with such as Terry Riley and Aleksandra Vrebalov.
Richard Barbieri: Exploring Dualities (2017)
Richard Barbieri is/was a key member of two of my all-time favourite bands: Japan/Rain Tree Crow and Porcupine Tree. This interview was held after the release of his third solo album Planets + Persona. Barbieri talks about his solo career, the bands mentioned above, and the related project JBK (also featuring Mick Karn and Steve Jansen from Japan), and the various influences on his work.
Security Project: Looking for a Spark (2018)
Tribute bands are ten a penny, but few (if any) come with such a pedigree as the Peter Gabriel tribute band Security Project. In this interview, band members are asked about their careers, experiences and choices. Of particular interest is drummer Jerry Marotta, who actually played with Gabriel from 1977 to 1986. I loved the background stories about the recording sessions of Gabriel's landmark solo albums from that era, including the anecdote about Kate Bush' contribution to the PG4 album: she did a perfect take the first time, but Peter kept asking her to do it over and over again so they could watch her sing. A very interesting read.
Tony Banks: Beyond the Physical (2019)
Keyboard virtuoso Tony Banks was one of the founding members of Genesis, and stayed in the group until the end. The interview focuses on his solo career, which started in 1979 in parallel with Genesis, and his forays into classical music such as the album depicted above.
Porcupine Tree: Collective Action (2022)
At the occasion of the restart of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, including a new album (Closure/Continuation) and a new tour, Anil Prasad interviewed the three band members (Wilson, Barbieri, and Harrison) for five hours over Zoom. A riveting read.
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