Prog Features

“We have an identity crisis”: Mike + The Mechanics’ history is a bit more rock’n’roll than Genesis’

By Mark Blake published 15 February 26

Spurred on by surprise early success, Mike Rutherford’s band endured a tough time with a demon-haunted singer, then a replacement who expected rehearsals to be all thought and no action

Cool new proggy sounds you need to hear from Crown Lands, System 7, Major Parkinson in Prog's Tracks Of The Week

By Jerry Ewing published 13 February 26

Great new prog from Myrkus, Godsticks, Koyo Bloom and more in this week's Tracks Of The Week

Judy Dyble was always amazed at the quality of her collaborators

By Mike Barnes published 13 February 26

In 2018, Fairport Convention’s first female vocalist found herself inspired by a trapped rainbow, a bad Elvis impersonator and her early work with Giles, Giles and Fripp

Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson on why the early Beatles were so dangerous

By Ian Anderson published 12 February 26

As a young teen, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson fell in love with the mop-top Beatles. But then he dug deeper and discovered something darker, druggier and way more dangerous

“It wasn’t working, whatever we tried. It created a negative association”: Why Rush hated Tom Sawyer at first

By Philip Wilding published 12 February 26

Geddy Lee committed bass heresy, Alex Lifeson fought for a solo sound, and even the mixing desk wouldn’t cooperate as the band struggled to record what would become their signature song

“If I find him haunting me, I’ll know I did something wrong”: How Cardiacs completed late leader Tim Smith’s album LSD

By Dom Lawson published 11 February 26

A brother who took over the band, a singer who struggled to keep the secret and a determination to do exactly what their late leader would have wanted led to the end of an 18-year journey

“I blame The Beatles for me getting a whacking!” Derek Shulman’s path to Gentle Giant

By Sid Smith published 11 February 26

Singer and future A&R icon recalls what the Fab Four meant to him, why Hendrix made him break up his first big band, and the truck stop where he met Syd Barrett, Eric Clapton and others

Prog-metallers Karnivool are back to reclaim their crown – if they don't die on stage first

By Henry Yates published 11 February 26

A 12-year gap between albums would see most bands lose fans and momentum, but not Australian prog-metal titans Karnivool

“It’s no good saying, ‘I’ll be dead by the time this becomes a crisis’”: Jethro Tull – a warning from history

By Malcolm Dome published 11 February 26

Ian Anderson believes he has a duty to tackle global issues, and argues it’s a very folky thing to do

“I felt like the John Lennon of Israel. But this is a ‘failure’ album”: The story of Blackfield V

By Paul Lester published 10 February 26

Aviv Geffen expressed deep admiration for Wilson on their fifth collaborative work – but also his jealousy over the Porcupine Tree leader’s success

Embrace Biffy Clyro’s Infinity Land as a prog album

By Emma Johnston published 10 February 26

The trio’s 2004 release is driven by a bullish, bloody-minded determination to challenge the listener

How to beat fate by scrapping an album, relating to a suicidal pilot and feeling for flat Earthers

By Johnny Sharp published 9 February 26

Norwegian artist makes music for commercials and knows how to hook someone in 30 seconds. That’s why he doesn’t want his band’s songs to be catchy

“I didn’t realise just how prog Genesis were”: When Rivers Meet’s Aaron Bond came late to the prog party

By Julian Marszalek published 8 February 26

Blues guitarist discusses his passion for Phil Collins and co’s latterday work

Jordan Rudess would have been a classical pianist if he hadn’t discovered this prog icon

By Grant Moon published 7 February 26

Dream Theater genius’ musical world includes Steven Wilson, Van der Graaf Generator, Gentle Giant, Leprous, Rick Rubin and Neil Young

Great new prog you must hear from Green Carnation, Magenta, Exploring Birdsong, A.A. Williams and more in Prog's Tracks Of The Week

By Jerry Ewing published 6 February 26

Cool new proggy sounds from Chris Braide & Dean Johnson, HeKz, EchoVerse and more in this week's Tracks Of The Week

If Death is a rabbit and you're on TV as a Womble, you’re probably Mike Batt

By Jo Kendall published 6 February 26

He recalls the chain reaction from the advert that got Elton John signed through missing a Family credit, a fluke Top Of The Pops slot, working with Steeleye Span and Art Garfunkel, to temporarily joining Hawkwind

When Queen pressganged Steve Howe into appearing on Innuendo

By Dave Everley published 4 February 26

Yes guitarist was minding his own business in Switzerland, then found himself in a studio being handed a guitar and told to record for 1991 hit single

“The email said, ‘John is looking for you.’ I thought I was in trouble!” How John Cale voiced a song for Cate Le Bon

By Julian Marszalek published 4 February 26

Michelangelo Dying, which she says is more of an exorcism than an album, was nearly released without Cale performing on the track Ride, because she was too afraid to ask him

“The lyrics were for people on the fringes”: A song that inspired the man who killed John Lennon

By Paul Lester published 4 February 26

1974 album was a deliberate change of approach from a pop-tinged artist known for taking left turns. No one could have predicted how one listener would take it