Billy Sherwood Talks to Us About His New Project Circa:, Yes, and Other Musical Adventures

Interview date: July 23, 2007

Billy Sherwood rose to fame when he officially became a member of the legendary Yes in 1997. He’d worked with them before, but it took a while for them to take him in. He joined Yes during a transitional period – a few years after Trevor Rabin left and almost right after Rick Wakeman’s second departure. You could say he had a similar effect on Yes as Trevor Rabin – he gave them a shot in the arm. But he didn’t stick around long. After the album The Ladder he left and started throwing himself into other projects (some with members of Yes, too). In 2007 he teamed up with two more Yes guys and an old friend, Jimmy Haun, and soon they’ll be releasing their debut as Circa: – probably the closest thing yet to a new Yes album, which is due out in the near future.

Rockline: How did the Circa: project get started?
Billy Sherwood: After “Back Against The Wall” and “Return To The Dark Side of The Moon,” I started thinking I could start a new project with the guys who’d played in Yes, but with new music. I soon realized that wasn’t doable. I was working closely with Tony Kaye, and I told him this concept could turn into a band. We started writing music with the intention of having a band play it. I called Alan White and asked if he wanted to take part in creating this new music, and he was up for it. I got in touch with Jimmy Haun and asked him the same thing. He was in too. And that’s how Circa: began.

Did you ever think about bringing in Chris Squire on bass, with you on guitar?
I never thought about bringing Chris in, because he had commitments with Syn. He’s also started his own label and lives half a world away.

Would having Chris on board have meant too many Yes guys in the band?
Not really. It was more about building a great band with people who share the same desire, drive and energy to make it work. In our case, all four of us have that mantra.

Why did you decide to play bass in Circa: instead of guitar?
I wanted to play bass because I love playing it, and when I worked with Chris and Yes, I played guitar, so it was nice to get back to bass.

Which instrument are you most skilled at?
I get asked that a lot and I always answer the same way – all of them. I’m not a virtuoso on any instrument, but I’m good enough for what I want to do.

How did the songs for the album come together? Who contributed the most?
The songs grew out of ideas I already had from some ambient pieces. I played the music for Tony and together we reworked it into something more flowing and prog. Once we had a sketch of what we wanted to do, I asked Alan to play the way only he can and add whatever he felt was right. Same thing with Jimmy. So the music got reshaped one way or another, and everybody contributed in their own way.

What label is the album coming out on?
We signed with a local distribution company, but we’re putting the album out ourselves. In this modern age of the Internet and direct communication, that just seemed like the best way to go. If we’d signed with a label, we might have gotten a fair chunk of money up front, but we’d have risked the CD not reaching the people we want to present this music to – in other words, prog rock fans. We feel good about doing it on our own. The more time passes, the more musicians will be doing this kind of thing.

You’ve got a few shows planned in the US. Can we expect a show in Europe too?
Right now we only have one show on the schedule: The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. We’ve also already locked in an appearance at ROSFEST in May 2008. We’re only just starting to work on a bigger vision for the band, so I’m sure more dates will be announced in time.

What do you prefer recording: solo records or band projects?
I like both. On solo records I can do whatever I want without asking anyone’s opinion, while playing in a band takes a more patient attitude and lots of compromises. I like bands where everybody contributes an equal share, like they do in Circa: It’s easier when we’re all pointed at the same goal.

If I may ask a few more things about Yes. When did you first come into contact with them?
I started working with Yes in one form or another back in ’89-’90 (Union). I met Chris Squire, and the rest is history.

How did the album Open Your Eyes come about? I heard one rumor that it was supposed to be a Chris Squire solo album, and another that it was a project of yours and Chris’s.
Open Your Eyes grew out of music that Chris and I had. Alan played the drums, and then we sent the tracks to Jon Anderson, who wrote the lyrics and sang the songs in Hawaii, then sent everything back. It was already 85 percent finished when Steve Howe came on board. From the start we’d asked him if he wanted to be more involved in the writing and production, but he waited until almost the end. It’s no big secret that he wasn’t exactly thrilled about me being in the band. My view was that if I didn’t do something drastic, Yes wouldn’t exist anymore. I watched them fall apart right before my eyes. I didn’t want to see something like that happen, regardless of the politics inside the band. I covered all the recording costs myself, just to bring Yes back to life, and that’s really what happened.

There are a lot of comparisons between you and Trevor Rabin, but from some of your comments I gathered you’re more into the stuff from the ’70s. Do comparisons like that bother you?
If you’re compared to anyone who’s played in Yes, it’s an honor, and I’m proud of that. All of Yes’s music is close to my heart, no matter the era or the members.

Was there ever a chance of you returning to Yes?
Yes is like a revolving door – you never know who’s coming or going. I never say never. Sometimes fate pulls you along in funny ways. Right now, fate is pulling me hard toward Circa:

I’d like to hear a bit about your other projects too. Can we expect another Conspiracy or World Trade album?
Conspiracy 3 is getting renamed and will come out as “Psy-op.” It’s a new project where Jay Schellen and I will pick up where Conspiracy left off. Tony Kaye, Geoff Downes and Gary Green (Gentle Giant) will also play on the record. You might still get something from World Trade, too. I’ve been talking about releasing the demo recordings of the first album (Bruce and I think they’re better than the album itself) and adding some new music to the record. You never know…

Are you already working on a new solo album?
I’m already working on music for my third solo CD. The plan is for it to be in the style of “The Big Peace.” It’s all still in the early stages, but that’s the direction I’m going to take with my solo project.

Which musicians would you like to work with in the future?
There are a lot of them. Gabriel is the first one that comes to mind.

Now, going back to Circa: What are your long-term plans, if you even have any?
Circa will be around, putting out albums and playing live for as long as we can stand it. And we can stand quite a lot, so you might as well get used to us.

Photo Gallery