Creating The Artwork of RUSH with Hugh Syme

Some of the artwork discussed in this episode can be seen on The Creationists Podcast on Facebook and Instagram.  

Hugh Syme is easily Canada’s most successful and recognizable album cover designer.  If, for some reason, you don’t know the name, you will definitely know the work he’s created for some of the world’s biggest artists including The Band, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Earth, Wind and Fire and Celine Dion, to name just a few.

Over the course of a career that has now spanned 45 years, Hugh has been nominated for 19 JUNO Awards (winning 4) and much of his work has been featured in volumes of coffee table books that highlight many of the world’s best album covers. But, it’s his relationship with Canadian rockers Rush that solidified Hugh’s reputation.  He has designed every Rush album cover since 1975’s Caress of Steel.  Hugh and I spent some time going over many of his career highlights and we began at the beginning…

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Steve Waxman: How did your relationship with Rush begin?

Hugh Syme: I was in a band on the same label and with the same management as Rush and Max Webster and the Larry Gowan project was on at the same time, I think. And, I was doing covers for Max and Ian Thomas, my band, and I was called into the principal's office.  Ray Daniels was the manager and he called me in and asked me if I’d like to do a Rush cover.  And I remember distinctly thinking ‘Well, they’re not Genesis or King Crimson or anything but, yeah, why not. I’ll give them a shot,’ not realizing that 42 years later Neil Peart would coin the phrase “serving a life sentence” which became the subtitle of my eventual book called The Art of Rush. It was some kind of unwitting commitment that turned into a beautiful friendship and musical friendship, artistic collaboration and a lengthy, loyal alliance. 

Steve Waxman: Well, let’s talk about that.  It started with Caress of Steel. What is the collaboration process like and was it a collaboration from the very beginning? 

To see full transcript, visit imstevewaxman.com

I highly recommend that you take the time to visit hughsyme.com to see the wide range of artist styles on display including album covers, original paintings, graphics and drawings.