Skip to main content
Entertainment
CNN Europe CNN Asia
On CNN TV Transcripts Headline News CNN International About CNN.com Preferences
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SERVICES
 
 
 
SEARCH
Web CNN.com
powered by Yahoo!
image

Trey Anastasio makes a splash

By Jodi Ross in New York
and Denise Quan in Los Angeles
(CNN)

Anastasio
Trey Anastasio

   Story Tools

more video VIDEO
Former Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio performs live with his band in Los Angeles (September 26)
premium content

NEW YORK (CNN) -- After 18 years as a Phish, Trey Anastasio is swimming solo, sort of. Having released a self-titled album in April, he's currently touring with a 10-piece band he has handpicked to help him make the improvised music he's famous for.

The free-form rock n' roll group Phish has been on a break since 2000 and Trey has taken advantage of the time off, playing an orchestral piece for the Vermont Youth Symphony and being a part of Oysterhead. That trio also includes former Primus bassist Les Claypool and former Police drummer Stewart Copeland.

But what Anastasio is taking on now is something he's been dreaming of doing since he was 20 years old. CNN sat down with the prolific guitarist to talk about his obsession with music and why you'll never see Phish on VH-1.

CNN: We were watching the sound check and you guys were having a great time...

TREY ANASTASIO: It's been great. It's a lot of people who've been wanting to play together for years so this is kind of our opportunity. ... It started as a trio then it became a six-piece, then eight, now we're up to 10 (laughs).

CNN: What did you want to do with your solo project that you haven't been able to do with Phish?

ANASTASIO: Well, when I was talking about playing with a bigger band and there was a certain kind of composition that I was doing when Phish started, and we used to do a lot with Phish ... this is my opportunity to bring all those things I loved back onto the road 'cause Phish has a life of its own. I never expected to get into a band that had -- has -- three people and just the chemistry -- it took on its own path. So this is like going back to my roots in a way -- in a strange way -- I guess.

CNN: You said "had" and then corrected yourself and said "has."

ANASTASIO: We took this hiatus under the assumption that we would go off and play with other people and have a lot of new experiences and then have something to bring back to Phish. After 18 straight years, I think it seems like a healthy thing to do. We don't have any specific plans to do that but I assume that we'll be playing again fairly soon.

CNN: When putting together this band, was there a specific type of musician you were looking for?

ANASTASIO: I wanted people that would put their ego aside. ... I needed a specific type of musician -- one who can read, is very open-minded and willing to try things. And also quick on their feet. But also just someone who would get along with this group of people and exist on the bus. ...

Anytime somebody joins the band I try to get to know everything about them. What's their favorite run, what keys do they like to play in, are they a natural soloist or natural support person? And then create a space in the band for them to be themselves.

CNN: Do you eat, drink, sleep music?

ANASTASIO: I do, I do, I'm obsessed (laughs). All I do is pretty much listen to music. Other than play with my kids. I've boiled it down to two things at this point now.

CNN: You have to have that love of it cause there's a lot of sacrifices you make as a musician.

ANASTASIO: The biggest sacrifice to me is to not be in an atmosphere where I can keep writing and moving forward. I tend to move forward fairly quickly and I enjoy that. I feel like there's something out there and I have felt that way for a long time, that involves all those elements that is very inclusive of the audience but also very deep.

CNN: When Phish went on hiatus, some of the fans felt like the rug had been pulled out from under them.

ANASTASIO: We pulled the rug out with a goal in mind ... all you gotta do is watch [VH-1's] "Behind the Music," ya know. We'd been together for 18 years and it seemed real obvious to the four of us, it seemed like the smartest thing to do and now it's become clear that it certainly was the smartest thing to do, but I don't feel resentful because I think everybody's got their own agenda. My agenda is first -- it's only about music. I want to hear this music that's been flying around in my head -- I want to get it out there before it's too late.



Story Tools

Top Stories
Review: 'Perfect Man' fatally flawed
Top Stories
CNN/Money: Security alert issued for 40 million credit cards
 
 
 
 
  SEARCH CNN.COM:
© 2004 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us.
external link
All external sites will open in a new browser.
CNN.com does not endorse external sites.