Tiles is a Detroit-based progressive rock band that has been around since 1993. The band has released 4 albums - the latest of which was produced by former Rush producer Terry Brown (2004's Window Dressing). The band is currently working on their 5th album, Fly Paper, and once again are working with Terry Brown. In a posting on the band's website earlier today it was announced that Alex Lifeson would be making a guest appearance on Fly Paper. Guitarist Chris Herin provides the details:

... Terry had approached Alex about making a guest appearance – and played him some of our new songs. Alex liked what he heard and said he would have a chance to do “something” before Rush began rehearsals for their ‘Snakes and Arrows’ tour. The window of opportunity arrived this past March – and Terry went to Alex’ studio where the two proceeded to work their magic on “Sacred and Mundane.” Listening to Alex’ parts for the first time was amazing – and the amount of work he put into the song was beyond what we could have hoped for. He came up with a counter-riff that literally ‘became’ the song; he added acoustic guitars to the refrains; played an acoustic Celtic counter-melody in the bridge; came up with a cool backwards solo in the breakdown section; and added an assortment of guitar textures and effects from start to finish. Terry and Alex spent almost 12-hours recording (well..., they did stop for dinner – as Terry usually insists upon – and who knows how long that took!). Terry has come up with a 3½ minute single edit of "Sacred and Mundane" for which we're hoping to do a video. But now it’s like I’m 15 years old all over again learning to play Alex Lifeson parts”

It’s an amazing privilege to have Alex Lifeson lend his signature guitar style to a Tiles song… along with Alannah Myles’ singing on “Back and Forth,” Kim Mitchell’s lead guitar on “Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds,” Hugh Syme’s keyboards on “Crowded Emptiness,” and our friends Sonya Mastick on percussion & Matthew Parmenter on keyboards… plus a vocal cameo from Nate Mills of ‘Run with the Kittens.’

That’s a lot of noteworthy help – and a lot of liner notes to organize – but we did actually do some of our own playing too...

Many thanks to Tiles webmaster Michael O for the heads up.

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