Steve Hackett on Health, Healing Through Music, New Material—and a “Never Say Never” to Future Work with Genesis Colleagues
I was thrilled to welcome Steve Hackett back to the Now Spinning Magazine Podcast—our fifth conversation together. What followed was a candid, moving and musically rich hour that covered everything from health and headspace on the road, to new studio work, band changes, Dolby Atmos perspectives on classic Genesis, and—yes—the possibility of future collaboration with his old bandmates.
“Music is the healer and the doctor”
Steve opened up about the reality of preparing for a near year-round touring life—US dates through late November, then cruises, Europe, and a UK run with “a gig every day in October” 2026. He’s been dealing with health niggles and asthma, and he chose honesty over rock-god veneer:
“I’m struggling physically… I’d rather be honest and say I’m looking forward—by the time I get on the road—to feeling better… Usually when I’m in the zone, that seems to change me… Music is the subtext of which is to heal people, including myself. By the time I’m on stage, I feel no pain because the music must be prioritized.”
That theme—music as transformation—runs through the entire interview. As Steve put it later:
“If you’ve got joy, that’ll transcend any technical thing… Music can be as deep as anything… People tell me a song saved their life—and I know exactly what they mean.”
New album taking shape (and a change in the inner circle)
In the studio, Steve has about 38 minutes of new material recorded. There’s change behind the scenes too:
“I love the new stuff I’ve been doing… I’ve got about 38 minutes worth recorded… Roger is pulling away from all things musical at this point in time… so I’m forced to look outside the usual solutions.”
Live, he’s been rotating drummers—Nick D’Virgilio in the US, Felix Lehrmann in Europe, and Craig Blundell previously—while bringing a new keyboard voice into the fold:
“Next year… we will have Felix, but also there will be L.A. Lawson on keyboards… He’s part classical and part rock and jazz—an amazing virtuoso.”
Steve’s planning is now orchestral in ambition and timeline:
“I never thought rock musicians planned like this… but I’m already planning next year—and part of the following year as well.”
Genesis: Foxtrot & Selling England, “Supper’s Ready,” and long-form magic
Steve recently met up with the Genesis crew (save for Phil, due to health). The conversation turned to the band’s creative pinnacle:
“Tony was saying the two albums that really engaged what it’s all about were Foxtrot and Selling England by the Pound. I agree—there isn’t a weak track on either.”
On “Supper’s Ready,” he lit up:
“We all contributed… The long-form aspect… that’s where we arrived at the same point as Yes with Topographic Oceans—trying to do a major work.”
It’s clear he still feels this material in the present tense:
“There was a simplicity implicit in it… one guitar… I can do this live… On a good night it’s absolutely lovely—it’s the new classical music in a way.”
The Lamb, Dolby Atmos and orchestral possibilities
We discussed the recent Dolby Atmos playback of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Steve is alert to how format and presentation reframe familiarity:
“It’s strange how something is served up—on what system, in what space. Conditions change how it hits you.”
Then he shared a tantalising orchestral vision:
“One of these days I must transfer the keyboard work over to a symphony orchestra… to become aware of the size of this—this feeling of the march-past of humanity… If this is the classical music of the future, I’d like to deliver that in a meaningful way.”
“Never say never”: on working with Tony Banks and the Genesis family again
Here it is—the part many of you will lean into. I asked whether a classical-leaning project with Tony Banks might ever happen. Steve’s answer was careful, hopeful, and rooted in purpose rather than nostalgia:
“Never say never… In spirit, we’re very much concerned with that. If it ever happened, I’d like it to have something to do with world peace… The idea of including the rest of the Genesis guys—subsuming ego in favour of music—a greater cause… The only thing we can fight it with is music.”
For me, that’s the heart of Steve Hackett right there: art in service of something bigger.
Setlists, audience connection, and the telepathy of great bands
While fans often debate the perfect set, Steve says the audience has a powerful say:
“What I’ll be playing is largely driven by fans… it’s subjective, but interactive.”
And on performance nerves:
“When you’re good, you’ll have nerves… There’s no space for doubt on the most intricate pieces—enthusiasm carries you.”
The through-line: creativity needs room to breathe
When he travels, Steve doesn’t lean on a ritual album. He leans into the musical future—a notebook full of seeds:
“Thousands of beginnings of great things… When I get them down on paper, they surface.”
That’s Steve: still curious, still moving forward, still shining “a light in the darkness.”
If you’re new to Steve’s recent work…
I strongly recommend The Circus and the Nightwhale (the live Lamb Highlights at the Royal Albert Hall are breathtaking—“The People of the Smoke” is a jaw-dropper). And, of course, if the tour hits your town, go. These shows are meticulously performed and deeply felt.
For dates, news and updates click here
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Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
