Beyond Shadowland: An Exclusive Interview With ROBERT BERRY Of SIX BY SIX
By
George Dionne,
Podcaster
Tuesday, May 21, 2024 @ 7:33 AM
"Ian Crieghton [SAGA] is playing more guitar on SIX BY SIX than he's ever played"
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Photo by Dave Lapori
The music world got its first taste of musician Robert Berry on the self-titled debut by HUSH in 1978. In 1988, Berry was recruited to be a part of the latest project formed by Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer, simply dubbed 3. Their only studio album To The Power Of Three has been praised as an AOR classic, but also criticized for being too radio-friendly for Prog Rock die-hards.
Berry would go on to release a handful of solo albums over the years, and also form the band ALLIANCE with Gary Pihl (BOSTON) and David Lauser (SAMMY HAGAR). Word has it, ALLIANCE is currently working on their next album. In 2015, Robert reunited with Keith Emerson to keep the spirit of 3 going. Sadly, Emerson would pass in 2016, temporarily shelving the project.
Robert Berry took what he and Keith created in their short reunion together and released two albums under the 3.2 moniker, The Rules Have Changed (2018) and Third Impression (2021). Both albums serve as a great send off to a talented musician that had so much more to offer.
As that chapter closed, a new opportunity arose. Berry reconnected with SAGA guitarist Ian Crighton after having run in the same circles back in the late '80s. As the duo began writing they started to realize that this was becoming more than just a collaboration. SAXON drummer Nigel Glocker was brought into the fold, and SIX BY SIX was born. Their self-titled debut was released in 2022 and became a bit of a surprise success, as there was little promotion of it early on.
SIX BY SIX is back with their sophomore album Beyond Shadowland. It was released on April 26, 2024 through Inside Out Music. I had the chance to catch up with Robert Berry to find out more about SIX BY SIX. Together we discuss their latest album, how the project formed, the stories behind the singles, signing with Inside Out Music, the vinyl version having more tracks than the CD version, the artist responsible for their throwback artwork, upcoming live performances, the origins of the band's name, and much, much more.
