Progressive Rock has always thrived on ambition, storytelling, and intricate musicianship. Myth Of Logic’s latest release, “The Memory Of After,” embodies all of these qualities, weaving a narrative that is both imaginative and profoundly engaging. In this interview, we explore the band’s creative process, the album’s concept, and the vision behind their evolving sound.
“The Memory Of After” unfolds as a conceptual journey centered around Mercy. Can you tell us more about her story and how it shaped the album’s narrative?
Mercy’s story is quite complex. But at its heart, it is a story of discovery, both within and without. She is sent to Earth because of her ability to speak and understand earth languages. But she was never allowed to form attachments to others. She was taken from her parents shortly after she was born and she never knew them. Upon arriving on Earth she begins to blend in and assimilate as instructed. What could not be predicted was that she would fall in love with our home and it’s people. This is what drives her to her final horrible decision. She knows that her people are coming. She also knows that they will invade and enslave humanity. She cannot bear this thought so she takes matters into her own hands and uses the Shadow Box to lay waste to the Earth. I was fascinated with the idea of her feelings of complete isolation and yet her devotion to and affection for the Earth. She assumes that she will perish along with every other person on the face of the Earth. What she doesn’t understand at the time she makes this decision is that the Shadow Box will keep her alive at all costs. So in the end, she is this tragic figure who has learned love on a cosmic scale and ultimately is left entirely alone.
How did the idea for this concept come to you, and what were your primary inspirations, both musical and literary?
Well, as is the case with most of my ideas, they are a product of everything I’ve ever read or heard. In the case of the “Here & There” Trilogy, it sort of developed as I was working it out. It didn’t start out as a trilogy of albums, but it became that by the time the first chapter was complete. As for “The Memory Of After” the initial seeds of inspiration were a desire to tell a different story. In addition to a need to progress musically. Literary influences are obviously from a bunch of different sources. I’ve always been very influenced by fantasy and Science Fiction from a very early age. A lot of how this story has unfolded comes from that. I knew fairly early on in the writing process that I really wanted to lean into my Kansas influence. I grew up becoming a musician in Topeka, Kansas. It was a very fertile time from the late 70s through to the early 90s. There were many talented musicians, and hardly any bad groups in the area. You were expected to be good and people expected to hear at least a little original material. Coming up where and when I did you live in the shadow of Kansas, it just gets into your blood. Other than Kansas, I was definitely channeling some Genesis influence across the whole album. On the song, “The Sky Is Falling” I had in mind the album Avalon by Roxy Music. That’s one of a handful of albums that I consider to be perfect in every way. I was trying to create a mood and Mr. David Pate helped me to realize that goal.
The album spans multiple genres and eras of Progressive Rock. How did you approach blending modern sounds with classic Prog influences?
Honestly, it’s not something I’m really conscious of. In addition to all of my classic progressive rock influences, I’m a huge fan of a number of more recent artists. The influence of Spock’s Beard, IQ, Echolyn, The Flower Kings, Glass Hammer and others all play a role in what rattles around in my head before it comes out. In particular where keyboard sounds are concerned, I tried to stick to classic sounds like grand piano, Minimoog and Hammond organ. For the most part, I tend to shy away from big modern polyphonic synthesizer sounds because they eat up so much frequency range that it leaves little for things like guitars and bass guitars to have their say.
Can you describe the role of each band member in shaping the album’s intricate arrangements?
Up to now all of the other band members have had little input into the arrangements. I write the music and develop the arrangements. For the drum parts, Louis will add his own flourishes but adheres largely to what I give him to play. In the case of Jerry Outlaw on this album, he came in and improvised over the sections I gave him to work with on “Mercy Paradox”. I think he did an absolutely outstanding job. On the next record, Jerry will become more intimately involved with composition and arranging. David Pate who played tenor saxophone also came in and improvised his contributions. What you hear David play is one take – no edits. He just came in and played over the sections I asked him to play on. All of the other guys in the band made important contributions to the overall sound of the songs they played on. But the arrangements are my domain.
Violin and saxophone play significant roles in certain tracks. How did you decide where to incorporate these instruments, and what effect did you hope to achieve?
By the time I had completed the writing process, it had become very clear that violin was needed. Both sections of “The Memory Of After’” were simply crying for it. I reached out to my good friend Jerry Outlaw, who recommended Chris Barbosa for that role. Chris completely hit it out of the park. He is an extremely talented player and a wonderful human. I really enjoyed working with him and I foresee that we will do it again. In the case of the saxophone, I had not originally envisioned that “The Sky Is Falling” would have saxophone. I had planned for the piano to carry those sections. And when you hear the demos of the song it does. But in a moment of self reflection when I figured out where the influence for that song was coming from, it was clear that a saxophone part would give it the perfect atmosphere. And David delivered that in spades.
The album contains tracks of varying lengths, from concise compositions to epic suites over 19 minutes. How do you approach structuring such different formats within a single release?
That’s an interesting question with a fairly boring answer. I always like to say that when I’m writing any given song I write until it’s done. Sometimes it’s four minutes sometimes it’s 19 minutes. It’s really not up to me. The song lets me know when it’s done. Once I have all the material written, it’s just a matter of coming up with a sequence that suits the story lyrically and has a nice flow musically. For instance, the title track is a 35 minute chunk. As I worked on the story and lyrics, it became a sensible thing to break it up into two pieces. I think it works much better this way, although you can download the full 35 minute version from our Bandcamp page. As for the album on the whole, I tend to write very cinematically. That is probably why all four albums we’ve done up to this point are “concept albums”. In most cases, I will start out with an album title and a track list. From there, I start working on a rough outline of the story based on the track titles as the music starts flowing I start deciding which pieces suit which titles and lyrics. For the next record, we will be working a little differently. It will be more thematic than conceptual.
Rhythmically, the album features complex time signatures and shifting grooves. How did you approach these challenges during composition and recording?
For me that is typically not an obstacle. I always try to remain in touch with the melodic flow through of the song and the album in general. I always try to remain focused on that central thought. Always maintain the melody. That should dictate everything else from rhythmic ideas to bass guitar parts and all through the other instruments. It is a challenge for drummers because I sometimes write things that go across time signature barriers. I’ve written things that sound and count like they’re in even time signature, but by the time you come to the end of a passage, you realize they’re in an odd time signature. In more than one instance on the new album in particular, you have to divorce your mind from time signature and go on feel.
Vocals are expressive and narrative-driven throughout. How do you balance storytelling with musicality in your vocal performances?
I try to always push myself as a vocalist. When I’m wearing that hat, my primary job is to convey the emotion of the story that I’m trying to tell. I will select different “voices” to achieve that end. Sometimes a listener will need to pay attention to the lyrics in order to justify how I’m approaching a vocal at any given time. For instance on the song, “Shadow Box” the lyrics are coming from the perspective of the Shadow Box itself. That lyric is at turns self analyzing, lamenting, rejoicing and scaring itself. That character is very complex. His mission statement is very simple. “Keep her alive”. That’s all he has to do. He comes to look on Mercy as his child. But he knows that he must subjugate his considerable power to her will. This is his conflict. And also what I think makes the character interesting. The quiet interlude middle section of “Mercy Paradox” is also told from his perspective. He knows she has made her choice and he can see and feel the pain that it causes her.
Synths and keyboards are central to the band’s sound. Can you explain your approach to layering these textures and creating the album’s atmospheric depth?
Well, as I said previously, synthesizers are a double edged sword. They can make weird & wonderful sounds. But unfortunately, they can also insist on themselves. What I mean by that is they can take up a great deal of the frequency spectrum. So I try to weigh their value against the story I’m trying to tell. I don’t want to cover up guitars for instance with a bunch of polyphonic synthesizer. This is why I tend to opt more for piano and organ. I love to layer piano and organ parts. Kansas were geniuses at that.
The production by Scott G. Davis is detailed and immersive. How did your collaboration with him influence the final sound of the record?
Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Production is something I’ve been training at for the better part of the last 50 years or so. As it turns out most of the skill set I’ve assembled in that time lends itself to music production. I tend to think I’m the perfect guy to produce Myth Of Logic records. And that is mainly because I tend to hear my music as a complete thought. A lot of the songs come to me in my dreams. I’ll hear the whole thing. Chords, melody, rhythmic structure, arrangement, production, quite literally the whole thing. Then I have to take that image in my mind and carve away everything except that. So in a way, I have my producers hat on the moment I start writing. I may one day involve an outside producer or co-producer, but I will tell you I wouldn’t want that guy’s job!
In “Mercy Paradox” and “The Skeleton Flower,” the music reaches its most dramatic and symphonic heights. How do you maintain cohesion across such long, evolving pieces?
Well, to circle back slightly longer pieces are longer pieces because they demand to be longer. I don’t set out to write longer pieces. I don’t sit down and say, “Today I’m gonna write a 20 minute epic”. They just end up how they end up. I tend to be a ruthless editor of my own work. I’ve been known to slave away on a single passage for two solid days and then unceremoniously delete it forever. I could certainly write nothing but massive epic length songs. But that involves forcing your ego on your art. I have learned at least for myself that my best work comes when I subvert my ego to the process.
Experimentation is evident in tracks like “Machine Language.” How do you decide which unconventional ideas to pursue without losing the Progressive Rock foundation?
I think you escape that trap of deciding where a song should go by not questioning where it’s going. At any given instant during the process of writing a piece, my influences can range across the spectrum. For quite a bit of the writing I’ve done over the last five years, I have imagined myself in a room with my old friends from Alchemy. That would be Mike, Joe and Terry. After Myth Of Logic, Alchemy was the most satisfying musical time in my life. The majority of the time I’m working on a new song I ask myself, “What would Mike do here”. And then ask myself about all the other guys in succession. My time in that band really was that formative. It drives me even today. We haven’t been in the same room together since 1992 and yet it’s still lives in my heart. “Machine Language” started with that main punctuating synthesizer at the top. That was an answer to my question to the universe, “What would Mike do?” Elsewhere, inspiration literally strikes. The introductory piano passage to the song “Shadow Box”jumped out of my hands on a Sunday morning before I was even awake to assimilate it. As a songwriter, it’s most important to get out of your own way.
The album’s story has a sci-fi and philosophical edge. How do you see narrative and music interacting in Progressive Rock today?
My own personal preference is for music that tries to tell a story. Even if the music doesn’t have any words. I’m a huge sci-fi fan across the genre. I’m pretty certain that aspects of that discipline will always inform my music. I’m not so much concerned with philosophy. That seems too concrete a term to me. I prefer “good idea”. This covers all manner of sins. A philosophy is hard to argue with. A good idea can be bent in any number of ways. I believe there are many very talented artists today in all styles of music that practice good narrative skills in their songwriting. I think that the nobility in all artistic creation is in the attempt, not necessarily the success. Certain albums and artists throughout the history of progressive rock have created noble experiments that may or may not have been successful for one reason or another. But at least they were reaching. The truly interesting artists I feel are the ones who are always reaching.
Have any live performances been planned for this album? If so, how do you envision translating the intricate arrangements to the stage?
At this point in time, Myth Of Logic is strictly a studio creation. Someday that may change. If there is sufficient demand for live performances, then it could happen. The likelihood that I would be personally involved in such live performances is very slim. I spent decades of my life traveling and performing. At this point in my career I’m much happier writing and recording. If the need arises, I could potentially form a live group to go out and perform this music. But at the present time, it doesn’t seem likely. As they say, “Never say never”.
How has the band’s sound evolved since your previous releases, and what does “The Memory Of After” reveal about the direction of Myth Of Logic?
I think I’m becoming more adept at creating recordings that more accurately reflect my intent. My initial intent. That spark. The moment of creation. As far as how the sound has evolved, bringing in the new instruments and a full-time drummer to collaborate with were bound to bring an evolution to the sound. For the first three albums, I was content to work by myself. It allowed me to work at a certain speed and not have to answer to anyone else. For this newest album I think it has benefited greatly from the contributions of Jerry, Chris, Pate and Louis. And lest we forget, Tara Jennings, who did the voiceover for “the Skeleton Flower”. As far as where we go from here, who knows? I’m writing as we speak, and the ideas are flowing. The new album will have a theme but not so much a concept. I’m feeling more in tune with a bit smaller focus. Jerry and I will be co-writing some things. Chris will certainly be involved as well as Pate. One thing I am certain about is that you will not see a new album in 2026. I’ve released four albums in three years time. I think it will be good to let a little time pass and work on promoting the catalog as well as focusing intently on making the next album the best I can make it.
Are there particular moments on the album that you consider personal highlights or turning points in its development?
Without avoiding the question or sounding cliché, I have to say the entire album is a highlight for me personally. I know that sounds evasive and I really haven’t answered your question, but it’s a genuine response.
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the band and future projects—both in terms of sound and concept?
Every time I make another one I always feel like it’s my best work. I think most artists genuinely feel that way about their own work. I feel like I have advanced what Myth Of Logic is and what it can be going forward. And isn’t that a beautiful thing?
“The Memory Of After” showcases Myth Of Logic at their most ambitious and expressive, merging narrative depth with musical sophistication. Through this interview, we’ve glimpsed the meticulous thought, creativity, and technical prowess behind the album, reaffirming the band’s place among modern Progressive Rock visionaries.
Purchase “The Memory Of After” on Bandcamp: https://mythoflogic.bandcamp.com/album/the-memory-of-after
Read our Review of the album here: [Review] Myth Of Logic – The Memory Of After