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outside . And then some of it is really beautiful , melodic , and comforting . So I ’ m one of those types of players who plays from what ’ s happening around me , and what ’ s going on in the world and what I ’ m looking at . And I believe that music is that much of a healer for the world , the only international language that we all understand . So I think it ’ s important to tap into all those things and get away from a computer and create music on a computer . And that was something that we really didn ’ t do too much of on this album . I mean , we recorded < i > into </ i > a computer . But really , it all started with just drums and guitar , for the most part , with every track on the album .
IE : How big is your guitar arsenal these days ? NS : I haven ’ t counted ‘ em lately , but in my studio downstairs , there ’ s barely any room to walk . I have to be very careful when I ’ m walking down there so that I don ’ t knock anything over , because they ’ re literally stacked on top of each other . They ’ re not only in the long guitar stands like we use live , But I have ‘ em in double rows , all packed in , and then I have < i > more </ i > guitars leaning up against those . So I probably have about 50 or 60 guitars in my studio . And you know , I like to move through ‘ em – I pick up different ones every day , and they make me play differently .
IE : And your style can be sunny and optimistic , as on Journey ’ s catalog classic “ Lights .” Or it can be subtly ominous , even sinister , as in “ Wheel in the Sky .” NS : I ’ ve never looked at “ Wheel in the Sky ” like that . I look at it as kind of a hopeful song . But it ’ s funny that you chose those two to talk about because they ’ ve both become anthems in our live shows , organically . They were not huge radio smashes . I mean , they did get on the radio ; they did get radio play , but not as much as other hits from later albums . But now , in particular , when we play those two songs , they are epic anthems , and for “ Lights ,” the whole place lights up . We just completed the first 38 shows of the 42 that we had scheduled , and one of the highlights of those shows was when I introduce “ Lights ” and the whole place lights up – everyone ’ s holding up their iPhones , and now I ’ m seeing everybody . It ’ s so bright it almost feels like footlights , you know ? And everybody sings it in the audience . Sometimes I can ’ t even hear the band ; the audience is singing so loud .
IE : And what ’ s your signature scarab beetle mascot up to on the album cover ? It looks like he has a pearl or a coin he ’ d like to trade . And if it ’ s not Stanley Mouse doing the art now , who is ? NS : No , it ’ s not a Stanley Mouse . And , of course , it goes back to Egyptian history , with the beetle and its wings . But the beetle actually came from Herbie Herbert , whom I started Journey with in the latter part of ’ 72 , before any other members were brought in . He used to wear this beetle ring all the time , so that became a token of luck , and the first album that Kelley-Mouse did like that was Infinity , and it turned into a thing . Jim Welsh was involved in all that stuff with them for many years , and now Jim is back with us – he ’ s a partner of mine right now , and he ’ s creating all our new artwork . But it ’ s funny – after all these years , I got into this new managerial role because we fired all our ex-managers , fired all the
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