Classic Rock Revisited founder Jeb Wright recently caught up with TRIUMPH guitarist Rik Emmett to discuss his new rock band, AIRTIME, and the future of Triumph in the wake of his reunion with drummer Gil Moore and bassist Mike Levine at the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame induction ceremony earlier this year:

Jeb: One thing that is clear from the getgo is that you have taken amazing care of your voice. This is a different style than jazz or folk. Was getting back to the rock sound easy for you or did you have to do some vocal calisthenics?

Rik: "I don't do vocal exercising, no. It takes me longer to get my voice warmed up - and I don't have the range I used to. I don't have the stamina, either - and I'm glad for Shotton's production expertise [he's a better singer than me, probably], so he coached and cajoled me and babied me and pushed me when he thought he could. When in doubt, there was always his engineering and editing genius."

"There were plenty of comped finals [composite constructions, with different lines in a song edited together from different takes]. It's not like I went out in front of the mike and sang those tunes end-to-end with no punches."

Jeb: Did the induction of Triumph into the Canadian Hall Of Fame and the olive branch between Mike, Gil and yourself have anything to do with relighting the rock torch inside of you?

Rik: "Other way round, I think. Mike Shotton knew Gil - and maybe the process of Airtime, amongst many other things, led me to think about reconciling with Mike Levine and Gil. The induction offer gave us an excuse, a catalyst, for a reconciliation."

"In truth - the biggest thing was that my younger brother got liver cancer, fought it hard for over a year, and passed away. But he and I talked at length about things - every little thing, all the heavy things - and he pushed me to take care of a lot of things because life is short and there's not a lot of time to carry around too much extra baggage. He got to hear Airtime in the last few weeks of his life and that was important to him. And he got to see me reconciled with Mike and Gil and that was important to him. Gil and Mike came to the funeral home - Gil came to the funeral. That was stand-up stuff. It's all part of paying tribute to my brother's extraordinary life."

Jeb: Will Airtime tour? If so will you throw in any songs from your solo career and/or Triumph? Any thought as to what you have not played for a while that you would like to play again?

Rik: "Will Airtime tour? Maybe. If the album meets with enough acceptance and success and fan support, we would consider some live dates, yes. Touring is something that needs to make financial sense. So promoters need to be excited at the prospect. That takes time - and maybe doesn't happen at all."

"Would I throw in any songs from my solo career and/or Triumph? Maybe. Probably. I dunno. Cross bridges if and when you get there, I say."

Jeb: Before ending this interview I do have to ask about the 'other' band. You not only survived the Hall of Fame ceremony, you walked away with some healing of the past. Has that healing process continued? Are you still in touch with Mike and Gil?

Rik: "[We] had a meeting last week. Very nice. Plenty of yack yack and blah blah about offers but nothing solid. Gil is heavily committed to his businesses and family life until at least May 2009, and isn't sure he could face the daunting prospect of getting himself into drummer-shape, after 17 or 18 years away from it. I can totally see that - I'm certainly not going to pressure anybody about anything - I'd really need to see the I's dotted and T's crossed about anything before I'd want to commit, anyway, and Mike and Gil both know that. It's a bit strange, still - there are dynamics of why I left the partnership that have not necessarily been resolved, and may never be, after so many years. But they've become relatively inconsequential, at this point. They wouldn't be if anything as ambitious as a reunion tour was ever attempted. At this point? No pressure, no stress. It's all good. We're casual pals. That's an easy thing to take.

I had 13 years of my life with them: but we were bandmates and business partners - we weren't family, and we didn't hang together much, or grow up together, or any of that stuff. So after almost 20 years of not talking to them, they are still somewhat like strangers to me. It's good to see them and talk again - but I imagine it's much like when professional athletes see teammates from two decades ago: there's been a lot of things that happen in separate lives in twenty years."

Go to this location for the complete interview.