The Gonzo Daily: ‘I’m still fully realizing what that means’: Inside Jon Davison’s whirlwind ascension as Yes’ frontman

Monday 9 June 2014

‘I’m still fully realizing what that means’: Inside Jon Davison’s whirlwind ascension as Yes’ frontman

So what happens when you are tabbed to front an iconic band like Yes? For Jon Davison, there was no time for contemplation — and, in some ways, there hasn’t been since. He’s been on a whirlwind of tour dates, most of which feature multiple classic albums that he had to learn from scratch, and then the construction and recording of a new Yes project.

Davison admits, in a new talk with Rene Wiborg, that he’s barely had time to take it all in: “I’m still fully realizing what that means now,” he says. “It’s still unfolding, because it’s in chapters. Now, I’ve done an album with the band. I’ve contributed equally with them in a creative setting — and there’s all of the anticipation we share with that. We’re just getting to know each other better as friends. It’s still very exciting, and rewarding.”

You’d think some of that realization might have come right away, when Davison was chosen — after a stint in a Yes cover band, and then making some important early contributions to Glass Hammer — to take over as Yes’ frontman some two years ago. Back then, however, Davison couldn’t contemplate the larger dynamic. He had to reorganize his entire life as quickly as possible, in advance of a Australasian tour that had already been booked.

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