Lone Star

On The Tangent’s 14th album, To Follow Polaris, Andy Tillison has embarked on a “one-off” solo adventure that tackles self-doubt and finds him going on a quest for The Truth. Prog catches up with the multi-instrumentalist as he ponders whether we’re better off without the internet and finds out why he still remains optimistic in a world full of turmoil.

- Dom Lawson

One of the most reliable and prolific prog bands of the 21st century, The Tangent are nothing if not adaptable. Two years on from Songs From The Hard Shoulder, these revered veterans are about to release a record with one significant difference. Defying the odds and proving himself to be an even more talented man than his many past achievements might suggest, founder and songwriter Andy Tillison has pulled off the impressive feat of creating an entire album without any help from his bandmates whatsoever. Dedicated fans shouldn’t panic, however, as this cherished keyboard wizard hasn’t fallen out with his fellow musicians. He just couldn’t get them all in the same room to bring his new songs to life, and so he did it all himself.

As he explains to Prog, To Follow Polaris is the product of circumstance and, more specifically, the fact that comrades bassist Jonas Reingold and guitarist Luke Machin are so absurdly talented that they’re nearly always in demand by other bands and projects, including Steve Hackett’s touring band (Reingold) and Karnataka (Machin).