James LaBrie interview-article (excerpt)

Certainly from LaBrie’s perspective, a solo project allows him to become more actively involved in the shaping and feel of an album. His contributions to Dream Theater over the last three decades have been immeasurable, but his input within that band is generally restricted to vocal melodies; penning lyrics and any involvement in the musical writing has been minimal. Given the blank canvas of a solo album, he could steer the music in any direction that he wanted.

“I mean, I may have a riff here or a riff there but no, come on, let’s face it, 99 per cent of that is coming from John Petrucci or Jordan Rudess,” says LaBrie decisively. “They’re so prolific that it’s insane when they’re writing and I’m in the same room with them. But that’s great, because that is what is at the core of Dream Theater. I contribute some lyrics but with this album, I was able to say, ‘Here are my melodies.’”