TREY ANASTASIO TELLS PBS NEWS HOUR THAT

PHISH WORKING ON NEW MATERIAL TOGETHER

Phish front man Trey Anastasio recently sat for an interview that will be aired this summer as part of a feature on PBS NewsHour. The acclaimed show has been running since 1975 and Senior Correspondent Jeffrey Brown conducted the interview.

Our friends at Hidden Track have been tweeting with NewsHour producer Mike Melia, who has revealed some interesting details about NewsHour’s chat with Anastasio. The biggest news that Melia has shared so far is that Trey has confirmed Phish is working on a new album and the band is writing lyrics as a group. Last summer Phish keyboardist Page McConnell told Rolling Stone of the band’s plan, “We’re going to try to create something that really comes from the four of us. As opposed to bringing songs to the table, we’re going to try to create something more in-the-moment together, which we haven’t really done much of in the studio.” At the time, Rolling Stone reported that Phish would enter the studio to record a follow-up to 2009’s Joy but the timeline was delayed.

Melia also shared the following quote from Anastasio: “A lot of the people that come see us have been coming for 20, 30 years…..And I know them. A lot I don’t know by name, but there are people that I look out and see that I really genuinely feel a connection to… people who stand like 10 rows back and dance that I recognize.”

The producer told Hidden Track he expects the feature to air before the band hits the road next month. Melia also advised he’d be sharing more from the interview via his Twitter account.

UPDATE (6/6 6 a.m. PT): Melia has shared this quote from Anastasio about how having the drinking age at 18 in Vermont in 1983 helped make Phish become the band they are today: “There were 53 bars in a small town. Every bar wanted a band so when you got a gig in Burlington in 1983 it was for three nights, three sets. We played for like six hours…We got really good at playing live. I think if we weren’t in the right place at the right time I don’t know if any of this would have happened.”

UPDATE (6/25 1 p.m. PT): Additional details have been shared by Melia regarding the upcoming PBS NewsHour profile of Trey Anastasio which will air Tuesday, July 2. They are listed below.

We will be releasing short video teasers from the interview up until our piece airs and then posting the entire 30 minute conversation with Jeffrey Brown online after the broadcast at 7 p.m. EDT. Today, enjoy a clip where Anastasio talks about his relationship with you, the phans. He discusses how he recognizes and feels a connection with many of the faces he’s seen dancing in the crowd for the last 30 years. We want to hear from you. Send us your pictures and memories from your favorite Phish shows. Visit our Public Insight Network to submit your stories and photos. I’ll also tweet when the other videos are released. You can find them added to this post. Stay tuned!

UPDATE (6/26 1:50 p.m. PT): Another video is shared from the upcoming profile, Trey talks about classical music’s influence on him.

[via Hidden Track, Hat Tip – @LiveMusicBlog]