This page last updated: 2 Jun 2020
Sherwood is in Yes: news on the main
page. Following John Wetton's death, he also joined Asia:
see under Asia
for details. Billy Sherwood
and Tony Kaye continue as CIRCA:,
covered on its own page.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sherwood is
doing online clinics and teaching, as he explains in this Apr
2020 Facebook post and this
one, but most of all this
one.
| Solo
work Sherwood is working on his next solo album. On 22 Sep 2018, he said on Facebook that he had, "Started working on another solo CD… The 1st track is called "pushing into the wind".... its early going of course but I'm feeling that creative wave coming on and so it begins". On 10 Oct 2019, again on Facebook, he said, "Working on my own new song , material for what will become my next solo cd. Recording guitars". A sequel to 2015's Citizen (details in the Yescography), Citizen—In the Next Life (Frontiers) came out 26 Jun 2019 in Japan and 12 Jul elsewhere. In early Jan 2018, he mentioned on Facebook working on a new song called "Sky Writer". The next month, he described on Facebook recording drums himself for what was then called Citizen 2. Asked about it in a mid-Mar 2018 interview, Sherwood replied, "I'm writing feverishly. The whole album is basically written and I'm now working on the production side. I've tracked all the drums myself, and got all the tracks cut. I'm sprinkling overdubs on things now. It's sounding really cool as a really interesting collection of songs and ideas about where the Citizen character is now." On 3 Apr 2018, he announced on Facebook that he had started mixing the album, including a song entitled "Sophia" about the robot of the same name, saying, "The song speaks to the uneasy nature of the Human to A.I. Relationship.... the more human they become the more mankind has to rethink its own position." The next day, he was mixing "Monet", about the painter. 6 May, he was mixing "Sailing the Seas" about Christopher Columbus. He announced he had "Just finished mixing" the album on 10 May, with the title In the Next Life and tracks:
Unlike the multiple guest appearances of the first, this album was an entirely solo project. This sequel, and doing it all alone, was suggested by the label; Sherwood said in a Jul 2019 interview that he's up for further Citizen albums. Sherwood said in a Jul 2019 interview: "I think Yes fans who buy the album will understand the last track being "Amazing Grace" was Chris' solo piece during the 80s. And so I remade "Amazing Grace" in that style that Chris did and then just altered the words to sort of represent his passing, if you will. And in that way, he sort of bookends these two records. He's on the first track on the first album and is on the last track on the last one." |
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Project with Ciago & Goodsall
On 9 Jun 2015, Ronnie Ciago (ex-CIRCA:, worked with Brand
X, Patrick Moraz, Jaco Pastorius, Bill Ward, Mick Taylor)
announced
on Facebook that he was recording that week a project with
himself (drums, composing), Sherwood (bass, composing), John
Goodsall (ex-Brand X; guitar, composing) and Franz
Pusch (ex-Brand X; keys, engineer, producer). I presume this either was or was related to what
became Pusch's album Lustig and Munter, released Jul
2016; tracks:
Tribute
albums & related
Sherwood's A Prog Rock Christmas
is covered
on the main page given Davison and Moraz guest.
In an Apr 2008 interview, Sherwood said he was working on a tribute to The Police, saying, "I was planning on kind of inviting just like great guitar players to come on and play some great solos and play over the top of the stuff and keep the music kind of pure." However, further news on this did not emerge.
The Human Experimente is a King Crimson-related project from Jeffrey Fayman (Globus, ex-Empire) with Robert Fripp (King Crimson). They released a digital single of "21st Century Schizoid Man" with Maynard James Keenan (Tool; lead vocals) in late 2009. An album appears to be forthcoming, with Sherwood joining the collaboration. In Jun 2011 on Facebook, Sherwood said he had just finished mixing "21st Century Schizoid Man" with Fripp, Keenan, Gregg Bissonette (ex-Steve Vai, ex-David Lee Roth, ex-Toto, ex-Ringo Starr; drums) and Matt Bissonette (ex-Brian Wilson, ex-David Lee Roth, ex-Ringo Starr; bass), presumably a new mix of the prior single. Then in Jul 2011 on Facebook, he talked of mixing a version of "Epitaph" with Fripp, himself on drums and 5-string bass, and Fayman (drums).
Other news
Tony Kaye,
Sherwood and Jay
Schellen finished off an incomplete Peter
Banks recording for the new compilation of his music, Be
Well, Be Safe, Be Lucky... The Anthology. All 3 also
guested on Crossover by David Cross & Peter Banks. See under
Banks for details.
Sherwood sang lead vocals for "The Covid
Kid", a comedy education song (in the style of Steely Dan)
by The Fabiani Bros. for the MusiCares
COVID-19 Relief Fund (to help musicians affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic). The Fabiana Bros. are Steve
Porcaro (Toto, worked with Yes,
Conspiracy) and David
Kamp. The music was written by Porcaro and the lyrics by
Kamp. Guitars were by Denny Dias (ex-Steely Dan)
and Marc Bonilla (worked with Keith Emerson, Eddie
Jobson), drums by Shannon Forrest
(Toto) and keys by Porcaro. The song was produced by
Porcaro/Kamp, and mixed by Mike Ging. The accompanying video was
produced and directed by Ted Kamp.
Sherwood has also done a remake of The
Police's "Don't Stand So Close to Me" at Alan and Gigi White's
request. The song is being used as for a public
service film by Newcastle, WA Police Department.
Sherwood and Jon Davison join Leon
Alvarado for a new project called White Car: see
details on main page.
Sherwood said in a Jan 2019 interview that he is producing a
solo album by guitarist Sepand Samzadeh, with whom he worked in
Days Between Stations.
Sherwood is producing his partner, Elisa Furr's
debut album. Late Nov 2018, they wrote "Step Out of the
Shadows", the first song for it, as shown
on Facebook. Furr, singing lead vocals, played a Las Vegas
"birthday
bash" on 12 Apr 2019. The set included "Tell Me
Something Good" with Sherwood (bass), Kenny Davidsen
(keys, vocals), Jason Ebs (guitar, vocals), Janea Chadwick
Ebsworth (vocals) and Scott Bihlman (drums). Furr's Tribute to
Celine [Dion] show is available for booking, with a backing band
of Sherwood, Schellen, Guy Allison (World Trade)
and John Thomas (worked with Vixen).
Sherwood and older
brother Michael guested on Kurt Michaels' Stones from the
Garden, due soon. The title track features Michaels (Facebook,
Soundcloud),
the Sherwoods and Len Szymanski. The late M Sherwood appears
on several other tracks.
In Aug 2019, Sherwood was mixing a release by AmuZeum.
Scott Walton, who was in Sherwood's live
band for 2016 shows, uploaded a video to
YouTube of a song called "The Last Flame" in Apr 2018,
written by himself and Sherwood, performed by Walton (keys,
vocals) and Sherwood (drums, bass, guitar), mixed by Walton and
produced by Sherwood. In Jun 2019, Walton uploaded another, "One Step
Back", with both Sherwood (on at least guitar, I think)
and Tony Kaye (keys).
Sherwood guests on David Minasian's The Sound of Dreams. The album is by D Minasian (worked with Justin Hayward, Camel, Andy Latimer; piano, Mellotron, harpsichord, keys, vocals) and Justin Minasian (guitars; David's son) with guests Sherwood (bass, described by Minasian as playing on "a lot of" the album), Justin Hayward (The Moody Blues), Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis, ex-GTR, ex-Squackett), Annie Haslam (Renaissance) and Geof O'Keefe (Pentagram; drums). Songs include a 10 minute opener written by D Minasian/Hayward (Haslam on vocals), a song written by D Minasian/Haslam, and another by D Minasian/Hackett. The album was mooted as being due Oct 2018, but was delayed until 2020. A first single, "So Far from Home" (5:15) featuring PJ Olsson (works with Alan Parsons), was released May 2020. This was performed by D Minasian (keys, 12-string guitar, backing vocals), J Minasian (guitars), Geof O'Keefe (drums) and Olsson (lead vocals). The album's title track is 11 minutes long and includes Sherwood, Hackett and Haslam. Trinity Houston was the executive producer for the album.
Directions is the debut EP from Middlesong, Joe Schneider (vocals, guitar, keys) and Phil Tomczak (keys, guitars). Sherwood produced, mixed and played bass, drums, keys and guitar on the release; Maor Appelbaum mastered. Tracks: "See This Through" (3:53), "Rain to Sun" (4:45), "Directions in D Minor (Make Sure that You Learn)" (5:53). Tracks can be heard on their SoundCloud page. Middlesong are continuing to work on a full album.
Sherwood and Oliver Wakeman both appear on the new album from John Holden.Sherwood co-produced, co-wrote and played on
In Extremis, the second release from Los Angeles prog
band, Days
Between Stations. The band consists of guitarist Sepand
Samzadeh and keyboardist Oscar Fuentes, who have previously
worked with The Pineapple Thief. Peter Banks
also contributed to the album before his death in Mar 2013,
while Rick Wakeman and Tony Levin
also guested. Sherwood is again co-writing/producing their next
album: in a 16 Dec 2014 Facebook update, he described "tonight
we are recording the 2nd song for the record (as yet untitled)."
He talked of mastering the album in a Mar 2016 Facebook post,
and in Apr 2016 listed Days Between Stations as one of the bands
he is currently in. Erik Nielsen said on Facebook in Dec 2017
that he, with Paul Whitehead (worked with
Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator, Le Orme), were
finalising artwork for the third album (both worked on In
Extremis).
Sherwood is working with the Sonic Reality music software development company, founded by Dave Kerzner (working with Steven Wilson, worked with Jon Anderson), including with Sonic Elements, a.k.a. the Sonic Reality Progressive Rock Project. The project entails plans to release various pieces of music with various guests, some covers (including of Yes, Genesis and Rush), some original, but where some of the instrumental tracks are also available through Sonic Reality's sample libraries. With other Yesmen involved, see on the main page for details. Sherwood was also on Kerzner's solo albums New World and Static. In a Feb 2019 Instagram post, Kerzner said, "Making more plans to work with Billy Sherwood this year [2019] including some live shows." In Jun 2019 came news of a new project with Sherwood and Jon Davison, see on the main page for details.
Marty Walsh (ex-The Key, ex-Supertramp, worked with Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, Neil Diamond, Julio Iglesias, LeAnn Rimes, Freddie Jackson) is producing and performing on a covers album by singer Becca Levy, with Sherwood contributing bass. Walsh has also released an instrumental, 10-track, solo album, The Total Plan, out 2014, with Sherwood among other guests including Abe Laboriel, drummer John "JR" Robinson (worked with Rufus, Mike Oldfield, Eric Clapton, Lionel Richie, Madonna, David Benoit), Michael Ruff (keys), Paul Jefferson (tenor sax), Nick Manson and Ian Walsh (his son, keys and some co-writing).Any news, additions or corrections, please e-mail Henry Potts. Thanks.