More than two decades into his tenure with Porcupine Tree, keyboardist Richard Barbieri says the band’s long-awaited return in 2022 turned out to be one of the most rewarding periods of his career.
Looking back on the band’s reunion album Closure/Continuation and its accompanying world tour in an interview with Innerviews, Barbieri described the experience as one of the high points of his life in music.
“I absolutely loved it,” Barbieri said. “It was probably the best time I’ve had in the music industry. That and the recording of the Quiet Life album are probably my two happiest times.”
The Closure/Continuation tour marked Porcupine Tree‘s first live shows in over a decade, and Barbieri said the response from fans set the tone from the very first night.
“The moment we did the first show in Toronto, we had a standing ovation before we even played a note,” he recalled. “And that set the whole tone for the tour. There was such enthusiasm for the group.”
Despite the intensity of touring, the band members largely kept their own routines while on the road, which Barbieri says actually made the experience more comfortable. “We didn’t see that much of each other on the tour, but when we did, it was because we wanted to and it was just so nice. It was so comfortable.”
Barbieri also felt proud that the comeback album stood strongly alongside the band’s earlier catalog — especially following the long gap since 2009’s The Incident.
“I was also happy that we made a really good album,” he said. “I was really glad that we got that out there and that it was different.”
One of the biggest shifts, according to Barbieri, is the way bandmate Steven Wilson now approaches the group after years of building a successful solo career.
“His solo career is so developed and so far along the line now that when he comes back to Porcupine Tree, he just says, ‘Let’s write it together. Let’s make all the decisions together,'” Barbieri explained. “He’s finally reached a point of satisfaction with his own solo career… he can finally find the dividing line there.”
Barbieri also reflected on how personal relationships within the band have improved since the group’s final tours prior to their hiatus.
“I’m a more pleasant person than I was on those last tours,” he admitted. “I’ve managed to gain the confidence back from Gavin Harrison and Steven in me as a friend. That’s a really nice feeling.”
The tour itself wasn’t exactly roughing it either. “In the end, we got to do the tour in complete luxury, and we got to make a lot of money as well. Fantastic.”
As for the future, Barbieri confirmed that the band has already held several writing sessions and is experimenting with new ideas.
“In terms of recording, we’ve had three or four sessions together where we’ve all brought ideas in and they’ve gone well,” he said. “We’re trying to find a different sound. We’re trying to make something that is very different.”
The goal, he explained, is to stretch the band’s creative boundaries without losing the essence of what makes Porcupine Tree unique. “We also say, ‘How far can we push the limits of the band while still retaining something of the DNA of what it is?'”
While the sessions have been productive, the band members’ busy schedules have slowed progress. “There’s something that happens when we get together. And it’s very short and it’s very intense. But it seems to be working,” Barbieri said. “It’s very sporadic at the moment because we’ve all been busy with other things.”
Although another album appears likely, touring plans remain uncertain. “I think we’d all like to make another album,” Barbieri said. “I don’t know about touring. We’d have to see.”
With Steven Wilson working on a new solo record and Barbieri promoting his own material, a new Porcupine Tree release would still take time.
“You’ve got to think a year ahead at least for an album like this,” he explained. “We’re thinking 2027 might be a possibility. We’ll see how it goes, assuming I’m still alive.”
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