Legendary keyboardist Don Airey, the master behind the keys for some of rock’s most iconic albums, recently released his new solo album, Pushed To The Edge.
In a new interview with Louder Sound, Airey talks about his new album. A couple of excerpts follow…
Louder Sound: Some of the new album sounds like you’re channelling some of the bands you’ve played with. Like “They Keep Running,” which makes me think of Rainbow.
Don Airey: “Yeah, the riff on the chorus is very Blackmoreish. Ritchie could be very off-the-wall. He was great at putting music together, so it kept surprising you. I’ve always been inspired by that. I’d say to the guys, ‘We’re not hidebound here by length of solos. If you really want to go into one, go into one.’ That was the rule, rather than the exception. I was really trying to make an album that was like a gig, like we were playing in a club.
“There’s only one song that’s three minutes long, the rest are all over four minutes. So musically it stretched out. And I was trying to make it a bit more symphonic, different movements in different songs. Another thing I tried to do is something The Beatles always did, which is when you get to the end of one number, the next number is in a different key, but it’s kind of related. That’s always fun to do”
Louder Sound: Will you be touring the solo album this year?
Airey: “Hopefully. Things have changed now with all the Brexit nonsense. [Financially] it’s quite difficult for a small band to tour if you’re only doing halls and clubs. If you’re a big band, there’s no problem. But there’s reams of paperwork and god-knows what, so we’ll see. I haven’t really toured this band since before lockdown.”
Read more at Louder Sound.
As one of the most recorded keyboardists of all time, with over 300 albums featuring his unmistakable sound, Don Airey’s skills have been valued by nearly every rock ‘n’ roll superstar. The list includes legendary artists and bands such as Ozzy Osbourne, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, Gary Moore, Brian May, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, and, of course, Deep Purple, the band Don Airey has been a full-time member of for over 20 years. After last year’s success, when Deep Purple secured their fourth consecutive number-one album with =1 and a subsequent global tour, Don Airey kicks off 2025 with the same energy in his solo work.
Joining Don Airey on the new album is an all-star lineup featuring Carl Sentance (Nazareth) and Mitchell Emms (The Voice UK) on vocals, Deep Purple guitarist Simon McBride, drummer Jon Finnigan, and bassist Dave Marks. Produced in the finest hard rock tradition, Pushed To The Edge is a raw gem — crafted without tricks or shortcuts, staying true to the pure musicianship of world-class artists.
Formats:
– CD Digipak
– Black 2LP Gatefold
– Digital Download/Streaming
Order the album here.
Pushed To The Edge tracklisting:
“Tell Me”
“The Keep On Running”
“Moon Rising”
“Rock The Melody”
“Flame In The Water”
“Out Of Focus”
“Power Of Change”
“Girl From Highland Park”
“Godz Of War”
“Edge If Reality”
“Finnigan’s Awake”
“Godz Of War” visualizer:
“Moon Rising” visualizer:
“Tell Me” visualizer:
(Photo – Franz Schepers)
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The post DON AIREY Will “Hopefully” Tour In Support Of Pushed To The Edge Album – “Things Have Changed Now With All The Brexit Nonsense,” Says DEEP PURPLE Keyboardist appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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In a new interview with Louder Sound, Airey talks about his new album. A couple of excerpts follow…
Louder Sound: Some of the new album sounds like you’re channelling some of the bands you’ve played with. Like “They Keep Running,” which makes me think of Rainbow.
Don Airey: “Yeah, the riff on the chorus is very Blackmoreish. Ritchie could be very off-the-wall. He was great at putting music together, so it kept surprising you. I’ve always been inspired by that. I’d say to the guys, ‘We’re not hidebound here by length of solos. If you really want to go into one, go into one.’ That was the rule, rather than the exception. I was really trying to make an album that was like a gig, like we were playing in a club.
“There’s only one song that’s three minutes long, the rest are all over four minutes. So musically it stretched out. And I was trying to make it a bit more symphonic, different movements in different songs. Another thing I tried to do is something The Beatles always did, which is when you get to the end of one number, the next number is in a different key, but it’s kind of related. That’s always fun to do”
Louder Sound: Will you be touring the solo album this year?
Airey: “Hopefully. Things have changed now with all the Brexit nonsense. [Financially] it’s quite difficult for a small band to tour if you’re only doing halls and clubs. If you’re a big band, there’s no problem. But there’s reams of paperwork and god-knows what, so we’ll see. I haven’t really toured this band since before lockdown.”
Read more at Louder Sound.
As one of the most recorded keyboardists of all time, with over 300 albums featuring his unmistakable sound, Don Airey’s skills have been valued by nearly every rock ‘n’ roll superstar. The list includes legendary artists and bands such as Ozzy Osbourne, Rainbow, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, Gary Moore, Brian May, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, and, of course, Deep Purple, the band Don Airey has been a full-time member of for over 20 years. After last year’s success, when Deep Purple secured their fourth consecutive number-one album with =1 and a subsequent global tour, Don Airey kicks off 2025 with the same energy in his solo work.
Joining Don Airey on the new album is an all-star lineup featuring Carl Sentance (Nazareth) and Mitchell Emms (The Voice UK) on vocals, Deep Purple guitarist Simon McBride, drummer Jon Finnigan, and bassist Dave Marks. Produced in the finest hard rock tradition, Pushed To The Edge is a raw gem — crafted without tricks or shortcuts, staying true to the pure musicianship of world-class artists.
Formats:
– CD Digipak
– Black 2LP Gatefold
– Digital Download/Streaming
Order the album here.
Pushed To The Edge tracklisting:
“Tell Me”
“The Keep On Running”
“Moon Rising”
“Rock The Melody”
“Flame In The Water”
“Out Of Focus”
“Power Of Change”
“Girl From Highland Park”
“Godz Of War”
“Edge If Reality”
“Finnigan’s Awake”
“Godz Of War” visualizer:
“Moon Rising” visualizer:
“Tell Me” visualizer:
(Photo – Franz Schepers)
Follow BraveWords on social media… Facebook page, Facebook Group, X/Twitter, Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and YouTube.
Visit https://linktr.ee/bravewords
The post DON AIREY Will “Hopefully” Tour In Support Of Pushed To The Edge Album – “Things Have Changed Now With All The Brexit Nonsense,” Says DEEP PURPLE Keyboardist appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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