by Jeffrey Moellering, photo by Chaz D Photography

With a joint headlining tour alongside Chicago kicking off July 15, Styx is leaning into both legacy and momentum. By all accounts, it is a pairing that has been a long time coming. Tampa Bay Music News caught up with longtime Styx keyboardist and vocalist Lawrence Gowan to discuss the upcoming tour, his life in music, and what continues to drive the band forward.

We were a bit surprised that Styx and Chicago had never shared the same billing.

“Yeah, it’s kind of surprising we haven’t done it before,” Gowan said. “They’re one of our favorite bands. It’s a great fit.”

For a group with more than five decades behind them, there is no shortage of history, but the conversation quickly shifted from legacy to momentum.

“You’re always going to hear the big songs,” Gowan said. “You can’t go to a Styx show and not hear those. But what’s exciting is, we’re opening with a new track, ‘Build and Destroy.’”

That choice is not accidental.

“It’s got a great tempo, and it just grabs people right away,” Gowan said. “Right from the first note, you can feel that the band is still alive and well.”

Tampa Bay Music News heard the track and the new album and can confirm that it is a great listen and a real rocker. Fans are going to love it.

That idea of forward motion runs through the band’s latest material.

“A lot of the new songs deal with that tension between nature and everything we’re building,” Gowan explained. “We’ve got all this incredible technology, all these advancements, but ultimately, nature wins. It always does.”

Still, the music does not dwell in the abstract.

“We try to take those big ideas and make them entertaining, make them feel like a Styx record,” he said. “That balance is important.”

Another standout track, “Raise the Glass,” leans more into celebration than conflict.

“That one really came together as a reflection of our relationship with the audience,” Gowan added. “It’s a way of saying, look at this journey we’ve all been on together.”

That journey stretches all the way back to the moment music first clicked for him.

“I was seven years old when I saw The Beatles on TV,” he recalled. “That was it. I’d never seen people having that much fun. I remember thinking, that’s what I want to do.”

Even now, that early spark still drives him.

“There’s always something new to chase,” Gowan said. “There’s always another song out there. You’re always trying to write the best one you’ve ever written.”

Part of staying sharp comes from outside the rock world.

“My love of classical music has never gone away,” Gowan continued. “I’m always learning something. It keeps your chops up and brings something new into what you do.”

Then there are the surreal full circle moments, like recording his first album in Ringo Starr’s studio back in 1984.

“That was unbelievable,” he said. “Same rooms, same gear. Ringo would drop in every couple of days and say something encouraging. You don’t forget that.”

These days, the reality is less about looking back and more about the discipline it takes to stay at the top of their game on tour.

“It’s a daily discipline,” Gowan said. “Sleep, taking care of your voice. We’re on the road close to 200 days a year.”

Before every show, the band locks in the same way.

“We all get together about half an hour before we go on and sing,” he added. “We go through some of the tougher choruses, just to get everything lined up and tuned to each other.”

That preparation pays off once they hit the stage, where Gowan said the real fuel comes from the crowd.

“You walk out there and see thousands of people smiling,” he said. “If that doesn’t inspire you, I don’t know what will.”

It is that connection that keeps the creative fire burning, even after all these years.

“That horizon never goes away,” Gowan said. “You just keep chasing it.”

So while fans can expect the classics, this tour is just as much about what comes next.

“Come out to a show,” he said. “You’re getting the songs you love, but you’re also seeing a band that’s still pushing forward.”

With new music in the set and Chicago along for the ride, Styx is not just revisiting its legacy. The band is adding to it.

The tour kicks off July 15 at the MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa.

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