The clip below features Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess in an interview for ARTmania Festival 2019. He discusses the band's new album, Distance Over Time.

On the lack of trademark epic songs on the album

Rudess: "We were in the headspace or in the mood to write some things that were a little bit shorter. There's things like 'Pale Blue Dot', which is pretty epic in size and also in scope, but we didn't feel any particular desire to write something that was especially long. We wanted to make this album's songs that were a little bit more dialed in, a little bit more to the core. It was more of a goal, actually, to focus on writing things that were a little bit more concise. 

On his favourite songs on Distance Over Time

Rudess: "One of my favorite songs on the new album is 'Pale Blue Dot'. I feel like it has that epic feeling to it and it does a lot of changes and weaves through a lot of interesting sounds and feelings. For me, it satisfies that part of what we do. It doesn't need to be longer than whatever it is... nine-plus minutes long. It's pretty long for a song."

Dream Theater has announced the next leg of the acclaimed The Distance Over Time Tour - Celebrating 20 Years of Scenes From A Memory. It will kick off at the end of September and run through mid-November. The 27-date trek will see the band making stops in Louisville, KY; Cleveland, OH; Baltimore, MD; Long Island, NY; and San Jose, CA to name a few. Information on tickets for all upcoming shows as well as VIP packages can be found at dreamtheater.net.

The first leg of tour gathered plenty of critical acclaim and fan praise due in large part to the diverse setlist the band created. Dream Theater featured tracks from their latest release Distance Over Time (InsideOutMusic /Sony Music) and selections from their 30-year career along with a nightly celebration of the 20th Anniversary of their seminal concept album Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory that the band performed in its entirety. The band will continue that trend on the fall tour to create an evening of over 2 hours and 45 minutes of Dream Theater at their masterful best making this a concert event to not be missed.

The world has now had a chance to experience the latest release, Distance Over Time. After landing at the #1 spot on the iTunes Top Album Chart the day it was released, the album has gone on to be an instant classic among fans and critics alike. The album landed at #5 on the Top Current Album Chart and debuted at #24 on the Billboard 200. It also found a home at #2 on the Hard Music Chart and #3 on the Rock Chart. The band also garnered over 10 million total streams for Distance Over Time through release week, a career high for the band in the streaming age. The latest addition to Dream Theater’s impressive catalog is now available to purchase in various configurations, here.

Tour dates:

September
26 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace
27 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
29 - Canton, OH - Canton Palace Theatre

October
1 - Peoria, IL - Peoria Civic Center
2 - St. Louis, MO - Stifel Theatre
4 - Baltimore, MD - Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center
5 - Raleigh, NC - Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
6 - Richmond, VA - Dominion Energy Center
8 - Charleston, SC - North Charleston Performing Arts Center
9 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
11 - New Brunswick, NJ - State Theatre New Jersey
12 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre - Albany
15 - Brookville, NY - Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post
17 - Chattanooga, TN - Tivoli Theatre
18 - Memphis, TN - Graceland Soundstage at Elvis Presley’s Memphis
19 - Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi
22 - San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre - San Antonio
23 - El Paso, TX - Abraham Chavez Theatre
24 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Arts Center - Ikeda Theatre
26 - Tucson, AZ - Tucson Music Hall
27 - El Cajon, CA - Magnolia Performing Arts Center
28 - Riverside, CA - Fox Performing Arts Center
30 - San Jose, CA - San Jose Civic

November
1 - Reno, NV - Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
4 - Omaha, NE - Orpheum Theater - Omaha
5 - Madison, WI - Capitol Theater - Madison
6 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
9 - Syracuse, NY - Crouse Hinds Theater
11 - Kitchener, ON - Centre In The Square

(Photo - Mark Maryanovich)