Jeff Pilson Talks Foreigner Farewell Tour + New End Machine Album – Interview
Jeff Pilson is a busy guy. Not only is he touring incessantly in 2024 on Foreigner’s farewell tour (more on that later), but he’s also coming up on the release of a new album with the rock supergroup The End Machine. The new set, called “The Quantum Phase,” will arrive on March 8 via Frontiers Music.
In a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, Pilson talks about the deep meaning behind the album’s single, “Silent Winter,” and the album as a whole. It’s about being divided as people. That’s a deep concept, but it makes The End Machine’s music meaningful and complex, especially the themes.
“I think the thing that I’m really pointing to in all of that is that we have these two sets of truths, certainly in this country, and I think it’s getting more and more in other parts of the world, where we have two measures of truth,” he says. “And, as long as we have that, we’re divided, and that to me is a really horrible thing. Because, that’s not how great countries or empires or whatever you want to call it, that’s not how they thrive, is when they’re divided and when there’s no clear focus as to what is true and meaningful and the way forward.”
He adds, “I think, personally, people are starting to feel that and starting to recognize that. Maybe not the people at the top, the politicians or whatnot, maybe they’re not getting it yet. But, somehow, the people are starting to get it. I think that over time, the people are going to have to make the difference and really change things, and that’s the positive message out of this, that people will actually do this. People will rise up and say what they feel is true and make it happen. I think that’s what needs to happen to change things. So, as bleak and grim as that does sound, I do believe that we have the power to change it, if we decide to.”
Elsewhere, Pilson talks about Foreigner’s farewell tour. Even though the guys, in a way, are saying goodbye, the good news is that Pilson says the band isn’t really gone for good. They’re still here.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going away,” he says. “It just means this is the end of the nine months on the road kind of touring, so that’s why it’s a farewell tour. We’ll still be there, and there’s some unfinished music we’d love to finish up if possible, and we’ll perhaps will do other shows. We’re kind of working on that now. But, yes, this is the last time we’re out there for a long tour, which is bittersweet. I’m going to miss it in some ways but happy to not be traveling.”
Pilson even says Foreigner has some new music in the works. It might see the light of day soon, too.
“There’s a couple of songs floating around that I would love to see us finish. Maybe 2025 will give us the time to do that,” he says. “It’s very, very difficult to do that when we’re on the road. It’s just really, really hard. Then, when we have time off, people need the time off. So, it’s very hard to write and record touring as much as we do. But, like I say, maybe in 2025 we’ll have time to do it.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Pilson talks about his favorite Foreigner songs and more. Listen to the full interview with Pilson and watch the video above. Also, listen on the Audio Ink Radio podcast on Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here.
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