Anika Nilles, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are interviewed in the new issue of Classic Rock

 New Rush drummer Anika Nilles, who performed with the band for the first time at Canada's annual Juno Awards ceremony at the TD Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, over the weekend, has spoken about her first rehearsal with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, and about the man she's succeeding, the late Neil Peart.

"I had a few songs prepared before I flew over, and we played those," she says in an interview in the new issue of Classic Rock. "But during the session, we also talked a lot about Neil – about his view on music and drumming. We spoke a great deal about the feel of the songs. The most important point is simply to capture the feeling – that it feels right for the two of them to play their music again. 

"And ultimately, it will feel right for the fans as well. We talked about that a lot. The first session was really about getting to know each other and seeing how we function together."

Rush open 2026 Juno Awards

Rush, featuring new drummer Anika Miles and keyboardist Loren Gold kicked off last night's Juno Awards with a performance of "Finding My Way".  When asked how they chose which song to play, Alex quipped "it's the only song we know how to play" while Geddy explained management suggested playing "first song, first album".  Check out the performance here.

 

"Grace Under Pressure" Super Deluxe Edition Now Available

The Grace Under Pressure Super Deluxe Edition is now available.  No longer a "40th Anniversary" release, this is now part of what Anthem is calling "the comprehensive Rush albums expanded reissue series".  

"Today, UMe/Mercury and Anthem Records label groups continue Rush’s comprehensive album reissue campaign with the release of the 40th anniversary editions of Grace Under Pressure, available now in a range of physical and digital configurations.

Originally released in April 1984, Grace Under Pressure marked a pivotal turning point in Rush’s evolution — an album that found Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart pushing deeper into a more technologically driven, emotionally charged sound while preserving the adventurous spirit and musicianship at the core of the band’s identity. Across eight tracks including “Distant Early Warning,” “Afterimage,” “Red Sector A,” and “Between The Wheels,” Grace Under Pressure captured Rush in a moment of transformation, resulting in one of the most distinctive entries in the band’s catalog.

Reflecting on that period, Geddy Lee writes, “…our songwriting had taken us to a different musical place, an expansion of our soundscape with a range of new technologies, not just keyboards and samples, but electronic drums too, while getting to know the new dude behind the console with a very different working style.”

At the heart of the release is the limited-edition Grace Under Pressure Super Deluxe Edition box set, which includes four CDs, one Blu-ray, and a 52-page hardcover book. CD1 features the album’s original 1984 stereo mix, newly remastered from the original analog stereo master tapes by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios, while CD2 presents a brand-new stereo album mix by longtime Rush producer Terry Brown, created from the original analog multitracks and commissioned by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. The collection also features Geddy Lee’s first-ever liner notes for a Rush reissue, reflecting on the album more than 40 years later, alongside Hugh Syme’s reimagined artwork and new illustrations throughout.

Also available today is the first-ever complete audio and video presentation of Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live in Toronto 1984, capturing Rush’s September 21, 1984 performance at Maple Leaf Gardens. Newly mixed from the original multitrack audio masters and newly remastered in HD, the full concert restores 37 minutes of previously unreleased performances and offers a definitive document of the band’s Grace Under Pressure era onstage.

In addition to the limited-edition 4CD + Blu-ray Super Deluxe box set, the 40th anniversary editions of Grace Under Pressure are also available now as a 5LP + Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition, Super Deluxe Digital Edition, Dolby Atmos Digital Edition, and Grace Under Pressure Tour: Live in Toronto 1984 at video DSPs.

With newly remastered audio, immersive new mixes, unreleased live material, and fresh perspective from the band’s inner circle, the Grace Under Pressure 40th anniversary editions offer a deeper look at an album that remains one of Rush’s boldest and most enduring statements.

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Click here to order.