Giants Under the Sun

LIFELONG YES GUITARIST STEVE HOWE WEIGHS IN ON THE BAND'S NEW ALBUM AND HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE 1973'S TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

- Andrew Daly

BEGINNING IN 2011, veteran prog-rockers Yes have been on an incredible run. To some, Fly from Here (2011), Heaven & Earth (2014) and The Quest (2021) rival much of what the London-born band managed to accomplish during its Seventies heyday. Regardless of whether you agree with that bold assertion, it goes without saying that after years of lineup shuffling and early to mid-2000s inactivity, Yes is a band invigorated. Moreover, that late-career renaissance continues in the form of the group’s latest long-player, Mirror to the Sky.

When asked about Yes’ refusal to settle in as a legacy act, guitarist Steve Howe says, “We’ve been on a great run with these last few albums, and that’s been a blessing. Of course, there are classic songs that we want to play and that we should play. But a throughline from the old material to the new carries us along. We’ve never been keen on leaning on what we’ve done; we’re always tweaking things. We’re always searching for any indicators of excitement or interest. So if we have an opportunity not to repeat ourselves on stage, we will take it.”

Some 53 years since he first graced the stage with Yes, Howe is as vibrant as ever. Still following an ever-evolving creative muse, the unassuming virtuoso dialed in with Guitar World to discuss Mirror the Sky and more.

Is making a new Yes record at this stage formulaic for you?

Surprisingly, no.