Edison's Children

Edison’s Children are an "Epic" science fiction-oriented progressive rock trio, featuring Rick Armstrong (Son of Astronaut Neil Armstrong), Pete Trewavas (Marillion and Transatlantic) and Eric Blackwood.[1][2]

Edison's Children
Edison’s Children 2011, Pete Trewavas and Eric Blackwood.
Background information
OriginAylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England; Sugar Loaf, New York, United States
GenresProgressive rock, neo-progressive rock, alternative rock, psychedelic rock, acoustic rock
Years active2011–present
LabelsRandom Disturbance Records, Racket Records
Associated actsMarillion, Transatlantic, Kino, Acoustic Industry, Sunblister, Blackwood & Foti, The Eric Blackwood Band, Steve Hogarth, The Wishing Tree, DeeExpus, Robin Boult, Fish, Crimson Steele
Websitewww.edisonschildren.com
MembersPete Trewavas
Eric Blackwood
Rick Armstrong
Featuring:
Henry Rogers
Lisa Wetton

Edison's Children is known for writing "Epic" concept albums with songs that can reach over an hour in length which are divided up into many smaller "movements" or sections. They are considered by many to be in the "neo-prog" genre that combines elements of Pink Floyd, Marillion, Porcupine Tree, Genesis and Rush but are known for having their own unique and distinctive "sound".

Edison's Children have released four albums to date as well as two EPs and one "Making of" release ... the latest being the 68 minute long "The Disturbance Fields" released on July 20th, 2019 on the anniversary of Apollo 11 and Rick's dad Neil Armstrong landing on the moon. A Double-LP 180g Vinyl release of The Disturbance Fields was officially released on October 23rd, 2019, re-mastered by Andy VanDette who was chief mastering engineer of Masterdisc and is known for remastering Rush's back catalog along with Porcupine Tree, Metallica (One), Aerosmith (Living on The Edge), Nirvana, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Muse, Alicia Keys and many others.[3][4]

Edison's Children are an official "side-project" of the Rock band Marillion[5][6] who began in 1979 and have sold over 15 million albums worldwide. Edison's Children's 1st album "In The Last Waking Moments..." is the only album to feature all of the members of Marillion (h, Mark Kelly, Ian Mosley, Steve Rothery and of course Edison' Children founder Pete Trewavas) and not be an actual "Marillion album". (The lead guitarist of their former lead singer Fish appears on that album as well).[6]

Rick Armstrong, Pete Trewavas and Eric Blackwood all play lead and rhythm guitars and synth guitars and bass while Trewavas and Blackwood handle the lead vocals. Drumming is led by Henry Rogers of Touchstone / Mostly Autumn / DeeExpus fame and includes Lisa Wetton (wife of the late Asia/King Crimson singer John Wetton) and Iluvatar's Chris Mack.

Recording engineers include Mike Hunter (producer of Marillion), Jakko Jakszyk (lead singer of King Crimson), John Mitchell (singer of Arena, Kino, Frost*, It Bites and Lonely Robot), Robin Boult (guitarist with Fish (singer) and Pete Trewavas.

Every song the band has ever written has an accompanying piece of artwork (which appears throughout the 20 page "Lyrics and Images" booklets of their CDs and LPs of all of their major releases). These pieces of artwork as well as their Album Covers and interior photographs have all been photographed by Wendy "Darling" who also does backing vocals for Edison's Children.

Between 2007 and 2013 Pete Trewavas and Eric Blackwood with help from Rick Armstrong, wrote approximately 7 albums. The less intensive musical endeavors were released first with In The Last Waking Moments… coming out in 2011. Their single from that album: "A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine)" was released as a single in June 2012 and reached the FMQB Top 40 for 10 weeks, peaking on 18 October 2012 at #32 for most played song on United States Commercial Radio.[7]

The second release was a concept album that was written in 2012 called The Final Breath Before November. The "edge of midnight on Halloween" theme provided a dark canvas and a step away from the more "commercial" sounding In the Last Waking Moments..., The album featured a prominent role by drummer Henry Rogers of Touchstone and DeeExpus. Nineteen-year-old Henry Rogers had won the award for "World's Best Drummer" by England's "Classic Rock Society" for 2 years in a row, beating out Dream Theater/Transatlantic's Mike Portnoy who had long held the honor.

Their most recent release, their epic fourth album was The Disturbance Fields, an ecological album about our overuse of the earth's resources leading to a battle with Mother Nature to take back the earth from Human Nature. "The Disturbance fields are the physical manifestations that mother nature's wrath can take against the human race due to our mistreatment of the oceans, rainforests and overdevelopment of urban landmasses, This has resulted in dramatic climatic changes in the temperatures of the earth and the sea and is the cause of far stronger and more violent storms and destructive natural events. "[The album] is a 68 minute epic piece of music that takes you on a journey of a man fighting all of the forces of Mother Nature's wrath. It is also personally based on the fact that during these recording sessions of all of Edison's Children's current and upcoming albums that they were hit by a hurricane, a 6.0 earthquake, a tornado and a massive blizzard which caused a state of emergency. Having experienced first hand much of what Mother Nature's wrath can deliver... It was natural for the band to write a concept that maybe... We've crossed that line and perhaps Mother Nature has come to purge the world of what has become its biggest liability... human nature." Pete Trewavas. [5]

There had been several years when Edison's Children went dormant (not releasing an album for 4 years after their "bridge album" Somewhere Between Here and There). Eric had suffered a debilitating and permanent injury to his arm and shoulder while on set as a Major Motion Picture Special FX technician. A bout with Lyme disease also left Blackwood in a wheelchair and tethered to an IV for over a year. Eric Blackwood stepped away from any further recording and concert activity. Rick Armstrong however finished up anything left undone by Blackwood on Edison's Children's 3rd CD "Somewhere Between Here and There" featuring songs that were not part of any upcoming "Epic's" before tackling the intricate back catalog of over 100 pieces of songs that Pete Trewavas and Eric Blackwood had written during the "In The Last Waking Moments..." and "Final Breath Before November" sessions in Maryland, Massachusetts, the United Kingdom, Quebec Canada and "Castle Edison" (located in the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania).

Rick's father's 50 anniversary concert celebration of Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11 landing on the moon (with the Alan Parsons Project) brought the band out of its concert playing retirement with John Wesley and Mark Prator (both of Porcupine Tree fame) joining Armstrong, Trewavas, Blackwood and Lisa Wetton together on stage for the first time in 7 years. This co-insided with the release of their new CD "The Disturbance Fields" on that day.

History

All of Edison's Children's current albums and future album releases were written and recorded in and around Pete Trewavas' recording and touring sessions with Transatlantic and Marillion and was recorded during 7 major sessions from March of 2010 until February of 2013 and included sessions at Black Dirt Studios in Sugar Loaf, New York (leased from Brad Morrison who founded the band Phish),[8] in between the Atlantic and European legs of Transatlantic's Whirlwind Tour.

  • March 2011 at Saint-Sauveur, Quebec and Montreal, Quebec at "Le Chateau" in the weeks before and after the Marillion Montreal Convention of 2011.
  • August 2011 at two separate beach houses in Ocean City, Maryland.[9]

Edison's Children opened for Marillion's prestigious "Brave" show at the Marillion Weekends in Port Zeilande Netherlands, Montreal Quebec and Wolverhampton England from March til April 2013 and played a 2-hour show in Montreal in addition to the evening show on the main stage.[10] All three shows were recorded and the Montreal show has been released on the "In The Last Waking Moments..." [EP SINGLE] CD [11]

Edison's Children released their second album "The Final Breath Before November" on 1 January 2014 [12] featuring Pete Trewavas, Eric Blackwood and Henry Rogers on drums. The album features only 3 songs but is 79:28 long. Edison's Children also featured Rick Armstrong on guitar/bass/keyboards and Lisa Wetton on drums/percussion for live performances along with Henry Rogers.

On 1 August 2015, the group released their 3rd album "Somewhere Between Here And There", featuring Chris Mack and Henry Rogers (drums), Wendy "Darling" Farell-Pastore (backing vocals), Rick Armstrong (lead synth guitar) [13]

Edison's Children released their 4th Album on the 50th Anniversary of Rick Armstrong's father Neil Armstrong, landing on the moon with Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

Lineup

Current line-up:

  • Pete Trewavas – basses, lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, samples and effects, drum programming, VST programming, keyboards, orchestration
  • Eric Blackwood – lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, bass, keyboards, drum programming, orchestration
  • Rick Armstrong - synth guitar / Rickenbacker Bass / lead and rhythm guitars

Drums:

Guest members
  • Steve Hogarth (aka "h") – vocals – "The Awakening"
  • Steve Rothery – electric lead guitars – "Spiraling"
  • Mark Kelly – vocals – "The Awakening", keyboards – "The "Other" Other Dimension"
  • Ian Mosley – drums – "The Awakening"
  • Robin Boult – backing power rhythm guitar – "In The Last Waking Moments..."
  • Andy Ditchfield – vocals – "The Awakening"
  • Wendy Darling – Backing Vocals – "The Final Breath Before November" and "Where Were You (Jakko's "Whisper Ending Mix")" and all official Artwork/Photography
  • Chris Mack - Drums (From Iluvatar and Drummer for the NFL's all Baltimore Ravens Home Halftime Shows)

Live band members

Edison's Children's Live Band is made up of:

  • Pete Trewavas - lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, bass
  • Eric Blackwood - lead vocals, lead synth guitar
  • Rick_Armstrong - rhythm guitar, keyboards, bass
  • Lisa Wetton - percussion, backing vocals, drums (Wife of Asia/King Crimson Lead Singer John Wetton)
  • John Wesley - Guitars (Live Guitarist of Porcupine Tree)
  • Mark Prator - drums (Drummer for Iced Earth/Steven Wilson)
  • Anna Koropchak - violin [Apothocary]
  • Dean Morekas - bass [Iluvatar]
  • Chris Mack - drums [Iluvatar]
  • Henry Rogers - drums [of DeeExpus and Touchstone]
  • Dennis Mullin - guitar [Iluvatar]
  • Mike Gusway - Bass

Mixdown
  • Mike Hunter – Mixdown of Dusk, Fracture, Fallout (Of The 2nd Kind), Outerspaced, Spiraling, The "Other" Other Dimension, Across The Plains, Lifeline, Fallout (Of The 3rd Kind), The Awakening
  • Robin Boult – Mixdown of "In the First Waking Moments…", "A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine)","In The Last Waking Moments…", "Fallout (Of The 4th Kind)
  • Mike Hunter – Mastering
  • John Mitchell – Mastering track 5 on "Somewhere Between Here And There"
  • Jakko Jakszyk (Current Lead singer of King Crimson)– Mixdown of tracks 8, 11, 14 on "Somewhere Between Here And There"

Discography

Studio albums

In The Last Waking Moments…

(11.18.11)

  1. Dusk - 6:42
  2. Fracture - 5:50
    1. Fracture
    2. Fallout (Of The 1st Kind)
    3. The Last Refrain
  3. In The First Waking Moments… - 0:44
  4. A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine) - 5:01
  5. Fallout (Of The 2nd Kind) - 4:55
  6. Outerspaced - 3:14
  7. Spiraling - 5:01
  8. The "Other" Other Dimension - 4:45
  9. Across The Plains - 2:26
  10. In The Last Waking Moments… - 7:25
  11. Lifeline - 3:17
  12. Fallout (Of The 3rd Kind) - 4:00
  13. The Awakening - 15:33
    1. The Awakening (The Dawn)
    2. Slow Burn
    3. The Awakening (The Dusk)
  14. Fallout (Of The 4th Kind) - 1:46

The Final Breath Before November…

(1.1.14)

  1. Final Breath - 4:04
  2. Light Years - 6:05
    1. The Fading - 1:27
  3. Silhouette - 67:23
    1. Silence Can Be Deafening (Part I) - 6:47
    2. Welcome To Your Dreamland - 3:16
    3. Where Were You? - 12:05
    4. The Longing - 7:48
    5. The Morphlux - 3:12
    6. I Am Haunted - 2:51
    7. What Do You Want? - 2:04
    8. Seventh Sign - 7:01
      1. The Wrong
      2. The Acolyte
      3. The Hollows
      4. The Road (Less Traveled)
    9. The Second Coming of the Morphlux - 3:08
    10. Silence Can Be Deafening (Part II) - 5:13
    11. Welcome to Your Nightmare - 3:07
    12. Music for the End Credits of an Existence - 9:10
    13. The Clock Strikes November - 1:41

Somewhere Between Here and There
  1. Light Years (Single Edit) (3:51)
  2. Stranger in a Foreign Land (4:41)
  3. Ever Be Friends (4:56)
  4. Solstice (3:56)
  5. Growing Down in Brooklyn (5:46)
  6. Someone Took My Heart Away (5:43)
  7. A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had a Time Machine) - Live from Wolves UK (6:11)
  8. The Seventh Sign (Jakko Mix) (7:07)
  9. The Longing (Mike Hunter Orchestral Mix) (7:50)
  10. Sinners Minus (2:31)
  11. Light Years (Jakko Mix) (6:05)
  12. Light Years - The Fading (Jakko Mix) (1:28)
  13. The Darkness (3:30)
  14. Where Were You (Jakko's "Whisper Ending Mix") (13:10)
  15. The Second Coming of the Morphlux (John Mitchell Mix) (2:39) - Bonus Download

The Disturbance Fields

(7.20.2019) - CD/Digital release on 5oth Anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11 landing on the moon. (10.31.2019) - 180g Ultra Hi-Fi Double-LP Vinyl release in Gatefold with 16 pg Booklet

  1. Washed Away
    1. Captain's Ledger (3:06)
    2. A Random Occurrence (5:25)
    3. Asphyxiation (4:45)
      1. The Calm Before The Storm
    4. Captain's Refrain (0:49)
    5. The Approaching Front (3:24)
    6. Indigenous (3:46)
    7. The Surge (8:28)
      1. Navigating The Fog
    8. A Cold Gray Morning (5:25)
    9. Into The Dead Calm (4:57)
    10. The Tempest (6:12)
    11. A Random Disturbance (3:32)
    12. The Confluence (10:28)
      1. Convergence
      2. A Rumble in the Distance
      3. Landfall
      4. Emergence of the Eye
      5. Lost at Sea

13. Resurgence (4:07)

      1. Whirlpool
      2. Resurgence

14. Epitaph (3:23)

      1. Into The Abyss

Mixed by John Mitchell Mastered by John Mitchell 24 bit Re-Mastered before release by Andy VanDette 24 bit Vinyl master by Andy VanDette

Single releases and other physical CD appearances

"Dusk" (11.11.11)
  1. Dusk
  2. Dusk (The Rising) [Trance Remix]

(released as a fan promotion, week before album's official release. Single included "Inaugural Fan T-Shirt")

"A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine)" [EP SINGLE]
  1. A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine) [Single Edit 3.47]
  2. Spiraling [featuring Marillion's Steve Rothery on lead guitar]
  3. Haunted Memories [new song]
  4. Fallout (Of The 5th Kind) [new song]
  5. A Moment of Zen [new song]
  6. Dusk (The Rising) [Remixed Trance Remix]
  7. A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine) [Album Edit 5:04]

Mixed by John Mitchell except 1/7 - Mixed by Robin Boult 2 - Mixed by Mike Hunter / Mastered by John Mitchell and Mike Hunter

"In The Last Waking Moments" [EP SINGLE]
  1. In The Last Waking Moments... [Single Edit 4:58]
  2. Through The Ages [new song]
  3. Spiraling [Live in Montreal]
  4. A Million Miles Away (I WIsh I Had A TIme Machine) [Live in Montreal]
  5. In The Last Waking Moments... [Album Edit 7:58]

Mixed by Mike Hunter except 5 - Mixed by Robin Boult / Mastered by Mike Hunter

Live Tracks recorded by Phil Brown during Marillion Montreal Weekend Convention 2013 and Mixed by Mike Hunter

Robin Boult appears on Rhythm Guitar at the end of Tracks 1 and 5

"In The First Waking Moments..." [Demos, Out-takes, Alternate Versions and Remixes of In the Last Waking Moments...]
  1. Dusk [The Sugar Loaf Sessions]
  2. Fracture 1.0
  3. A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine) 3.1 [Original version with Pete Trewavas on Lead Vocals]
  4. Fallout 2 [Doc Pulse Mix]
  5. Blackwater [Original version of Outerspaced with Eric Blackwood on Lead Vocals]
  6. Spiraling [Pre-Rothers Mix - Original Version before Steve Rothery's addition]
  7. The "Other" Other Dimension [Pre-Mad Jack Mix - Original Version before Mark Kelly's addition]
  8. The "Other" Other Elevator Music ["Elevator Music Version" from the film "DeStressed"]
  9. The "Other" Other On Hold Music ["On Hold Music Version" from the film "DeStressed" featuring Pete Trewavas on Rap]
  10. The Doctors [Solo of "The Doctors" conversation in "The "Other" Other Dimension"]
  11. In The Last Waking Moments... [Alternate Chorus Version. Original Version with Original Chorus]
  12. Taking Aliens Filter [Writing Session of Lifeline]
  13. Squonkie [Original Version of The Awakening with "The Longing" as the Bridge instead of "Slow Burn"]
    1. The Awakening (The Dawn)
    2. The Longing
    3. The Awakening (The Dusk)
  14. Awakening Chorus 4 [Original Version of Fallout of the 4th Kind with different lyrics and a flute solo]
  15. Dusk [Orchestral Instrumental Version]
  16. Fracture [24 Remix from the film "DeStressed"]
  17. Irene [New Song written while Hurricane Irene shut down the sessions. Recorded on Sony Camera's audio by Wendy Farrell-Pastore]
  18. Rolling... [Outtakes of Pete Trewavas breaking into comedy instead of recording his vocals during ITLWM sessions]

Mixed by Pete Trewavas and Eric Blackwood / Mastered by Eric Blackwood.

Limited Edition release of only 500 copies.

Other physical CD releases and CD samplers
  1. Fracture (Fallout of the 1st Kind / The Last Refrain) also appears on the Classic Rock - Prog Magazine CD sampler release for July 2012
  2. The Awakening (Slow Burn) also appears on Marillion's Racket Records release "Playing Around"
  3. Spiraling also appears on the Fireworks UK Magazine CD Sampler for June 2012

Radio charts

(Released to 160 U.S. Radio Stations on 18 June 2012)

  • FMQB reports that A Million Miles Away debuted @ 109 on the Hot-AC radio Charts... the highest debut song for any song on the week of 6/26/2012, (which featured debuts from previous American Idol winners).
  • By Week 12 on 9/12/2012, FMQB reported that Edison's Children's A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine) had reached the Top 40 on the HOT A/C U.S. Commercial Radio Play charts coming in at #39.
  • By Week 17 on 10/19/2012 FMQB reported that Edison's Children's A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine) had reached its peak position of #32 on the U.S. Commercial Radio chart
  • Week 21 11/14/2012 FMQB reported that Edison's Children's A Million Miles Away (I Wish I Had A Time Machine) had maintained its 10th straight week in the Top 40 [14] before dropping out of the Top 40 on 11/21/2012 due to the introduction of the Hot A/C chart's Holiday Music additions.

References
  1. "Edison's Children - Rick Armstrong - Son of 1st Man on the Moon Neil Armstrong)". Edisonschildren.com. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  2. "CD Baby Music Store". Store.cdbaby.com. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  3. "Andy Vandette "Welcome"". Andyvandette.com. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  4. "Edison's Children - "Floyd-y" Pete Trewavas & Rick Armstrong (Son of 1st Man on the Moon Neil Armstrong)". Edisonschildren.com. 11 August 2001. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  5. "Edison's Children will release storm-inspired new album in July | Louder". Loudersound.com. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  6. "FAQ - Edison's Children - starring Pete Trewavas, Rick Armstrong Son of Neil Armstrong". Edisonschildren.com. 11 August 2001. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  7. "Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  8. "Transatlantic - The Official Site". Transatlanticweb.com. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  9. "Edison's Children - Pete Trewavas / Eric Blackwood - "In The Last Waking Moments"". Edisonschildren.com. 11 August 2001. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  10. "Search for setlists: Edison's Children | setlist.fm". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  11. "CD Baby Music Store". Cdbaby.com. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  12. "Edison's Children Album #2 - Coming Soon". Edisonschildren.com. 11 August 2001. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  13. "Edison's Children - Somewhere Between Here And There (2015, CD)". Discogs.com. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 December 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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