Geddy Lee Interview

What are some of the ways you keep your voice in shape?

Gigging is tough on my voice, so I have to make sure I’m in good physical shape before a tour starts. Touring in the summer has proven to be much better, not having to contend with such dramatic temperature changes. I’m more durable in the summertime. II’m on a pretty strict diet on the road; I have to avoid anything that’s mucalitic—dairy, spicy food. It’s basically a cleaner diet. I have to limit the kinds of wine I drink—I’m not so good at that part. White wines dry you out more, and you create more mucous to compensate. I’m a pretty big food nut, so when I’m off the road, I eat and drink like a fool!

Have you changed the keys of any songs?

Just “2112”—we’ve taken that down a step. But it doesn’t feel any easier to sing! I like the way it’s made it sound heavier.

How do you like to record your vocals?

I like to set up in another room while Alex is working on overdubs so I can do the vocals on my own. That’s how I like to work these days—it’s a lot of fun to just sit with a mic and my computer and lay the vocals down. I get our engineer to set me up with a great vocal sound, and I just track my voice on my own. It’s a nice way to work, because I know my own voice pretty well these days, so I can experiment with different things. It’s peaceful and fun to not have to wait for someone to rewind the tape and do a whole “performance.” This way I can get inside my voice. Before I know it, I’ll have gone for hours.