Styx singer Lawrence Gowan on new album 'Circling From Above', tour + stops at Budweiser Stage & Pine Knob

Styx will hit the Budweiser Stage in Toronto tonight, August 13, and Pine Knob in Clarkston, Mich., on Saturday, August 16, 2025 as part of their “Brotherhood of Rock” tour with The Kevin Cronin Band and special guest Don Felder. The dates come as the band releases its 18th studio album, Circling From Above. SWOMP caught up with keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan to discuss the new album and tour. The 13-track album, released July 18 on Alpha Dog 2T/UMe, blends themes of technology and nature in a 41-minute set that draws on contributions from all seven members: James “JY” Young, Tommy Shaw, Chuck Panozzo, Todd Sucherman, Gowan, Will Evankovich and Terry Gowan. It’s the third consecutive Styx album to earn praise as a “masterpiece,” following Crash of the Crown (2021) and The Mission (2017). The lead single, “Build and Destroy,” features Gowan on lead vocals and an AI-concept video that has passed 111,000 views on YouTube. Gowan said the title came from a melody that reminded him of a “Star Trek” or “Twilight Zone” motif, and the song was finished in a day and a half with Shaw and Evankovich. Produced by Evankovich, the record was written by the trio of Shaw, Gowan and Evankovich, who Gowan describes as working in a “strange three-way democracy” that keeps the focus on the institution of Styx. The songs range from muscular rockers to theatrical and introspective moments, reflecting the full sweep of the band’s sound. Styx and The Kevin Cronin Band launched the tour May 28 in Greenville, S.C., after sold-out residencies at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas, where Styx performed The Grand Illusion in full for the first time in their 50-plus-year career. Later this year, the band will headline “Rockin’ in Paradise: Styx + Friends,” a three-day festival Oct. 9 to 11 in Miramar Beach, Fla., featuring two special performances by Styx, including the final 2025 full-album performance of The Grand Illusion. The event will also feature Gowan’s solo band, Collective Soul, Loverboy, Cheap Trick, 38 Special, John Waite and Edwin McCain. Follow the band at https://styxworld.com/. Photo credit: Jason Powell