Something new is happening...

And you are the first to know!

I’ve never been particularly comfortable with social media. Over the last few years, it’s drifted so far from what it was supposed to be - a genuine way to stay in touch - that it now feels like an online version of the shopping channel. I’ve largely stopped trusting that my posts will reach the audience who actually matter. The people who follow and support me.

So I’ve decided to do something about it.

In conjunction with a new website, I’ve launched a Patreon and a Substack newsletter (which you are reading now!), and the idea behind both is simple: a direct line between us, without any distractions. It’s a window into my world for anyone who wants one.

What you’ll find on this Substack

This is where I share the ongoing story. You’ll get regular updates on Marillion, what I’m working on, where I’m touring and how the creative process is unfolding. I’ll write about my collaborations, new projects as they happen, and announcements about released music. There’ll be thoughts on songwriting, the craft of guitar playing, and what’s going on in my creative life right now. It’s the direct line, no algorithms in between.

What you’ll find on the Patreon

My Patreon is where things can get a bit more interesting. There’ll be exclusive photos, videos, unreleased music, live performances, and early access to the Tonehenge guitar podcast. Over time, I’m planning to add requested guitar lessons, track breakdowns and a guide to my gear, for anyone who’d like to go a bit deeper.

There’s also a sneak preview of some of the Brave imagery from Postcards from the Road, Volume Two.

You can find the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/cw/steverothery

Tonehenge

The first episode launches today, and it’s a brilliant way to kick things off. It’s the first part of an interview I recorded with Steve Hackett while we were making our new album together. We chat about our early influences and he talks about what it was like growing up in London in the sixties and I talk about what it was like growing up in a small fishing town like Whitby in the seventies. The second episode will cover our early days in our respective bands and Steve has some amazing stories!

More on the album in a moment.

Marillion

Things are moving forward well on that front. Mike Hunter and the band have been hard at work, and we had a very productive session at Real World a few weeks ago - photos are on the Patreon page if you’re curious.

We’ve been debating album titles, which produced one of the more entertaining band meetings in recent memory. Pendulum was suggested but then rejected as we felt it sounded too prog. Lucy looked up the actual definition of the word and came back with Massive Bob as an alternative title! Much hilarity ensued as we all imagined what that album cover might look like. What do you think?

We’re all looking forward to our European Tour, which begins on July 4th in Germany. Of course, at the end of that month, we will play two nights in Pompeii, which is going to be really special. In September, we return to play a run of 14 dates across the UK, before travelling over to the Netherlands and finishing things off in November in France.

Rothery & Hackett - The Roaring Waves

The album Steve and I made together will be released on 28th August. We’ve both been so busy over the last few years that it’s taken a while to get here, but I’m genuinely really proud of it, and I think it’s been well worth the wait. The first track, ‘The Black Sea’ will be released on 26th June.

The Tonehenge episode with Steve gives you a real sense of how great friends we are and how the album came together, and that conversation is one of the reasons I wanted to launch the podcast now.

One more thing

I’m giving a four-day masterclass at the Water Bear music college in Brighton from the 27th to the 30th August alongside my good friend Dave Foster.

You can find out more about that here: https://waterbear.org.uk/short-courses/prog-rock-camp-steve-rothery/

If any of this sounds like your kind of thing, please come and join us. It genuinely means a lot to be able to do this properly, rather than shouting into the social media void.

Best

Steve x