Former Triumph guitarist Rik Emmett has checked in with the following update:

"Y'know what was weird? I had an Adele moment when we started to play 'Blinding Light Show' in San Antonio. Instead of a big surge of energy from the crowd (which the song's intro used to get, big time) ---- instead, everyone, and I mean almost everyone in the crowd, all put their phones up in front of their faces ---- and the energy of the 'electric air' between the band on stage and the audience dropped by what felt to be, like, about 50 to 70%. Instead of being in the moment with the musicians, they were now functioning as dispassionate observers --- camera men & women --- staring at a tiny little image through a viewfinder. I had a flash in my head; it was as if I was suddenly doing something where the crowd had all chosen to turn into peeping toms, getting some kind of muted thrill by spying on the moment through their little digital keyholes and capturing for later instead of being in it, in the moment when the music is floating in the air.

The song is about a singer having a very ambivalent attitude and relationship with an audience. And – how ironic – the dynamic never goes away, but waddayaknow, it sure can morph into weird. Ahhhh well."

Rik Emmet & RESolution9's RES 9 album was released last November via Mascot Label Group. In the 30-minute video below, former Triumph guitarist Rik Emmet discusses all of the tracks on the album.

“This album represents a journey through my life,” Emmett previously revealed, “and the idea behind a lot of these songs is me trying to figure out who I am, and why I’m doing what I’m doing. There’s a common thread of positivity here that ties into the records I was making 30 years ago. What did I learn from making them? You’ll hear all of that echoed in the grooves of this album.”

Order RES 9 at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Stand Still”
“Human Race” (feat. Alex Lifeson)
“I Sing” (feat. James LaBrie)
“My Cathedral”
“The Ghost Of Shadow Town”
“When You Were My Baby”
“Sweet Tooth”
“Heads Up”
“Rest Of My Life”
“End Of The Line” (feat. Alex Lifeson & James LaBrie)
“Grand Parade” (feat. Gil Moore & Mike Levine) [bonus track]

“End Of The Line” (feat. Alex Lifeson & James LaBrie) lyric video:

“I Sing” (feat. James LaBrie):

“Human Race” (feat. Alex Lifeson) lyric video: