Exclusive Premiere: Psychoteria "Way Out"

Today, we're bringing you the exclusive premiere of a new track from Psychoteria, "Way Out." The song is the opening track on the new Psychoteria album, I Think I’ll Just Stay Home, which hits shelves on September 13. "Way Out" also features a guest appearance from Dutch guitar legend Jan Akkerman, who you may remember from the band Focus.

Guitar World also recently got the chance to catch up with Psychoteria mastermind Errol Antzis, and you can check out our interview with him below while you enjoy "Way Out."

GUITAR WORLD: When the decision happen to include vocals on the second Psychoteria album?

My first CD, Psychoteria, was solely guitar oriented instrumental music, but the second, "The Hard and the Soft", included songs with vocals, as I was becoming much more comfortable with my vocal abilities. With I Think I'll Just Stay Home, I sang on virtually all of the songs. Lyrics became very important to me, as I was going through an intense period of emotional turmoil at the time, and I needed the combination of both guitar and voice to adequately express myself.

How did your relationship with Jan Akkerman come about?

I became an entrepreneur in the entertainment business in 2005, and in my travels became friends with Jan's European tour manager, who introduced me to Jan via email, as Jan doesn't travel to the States very often. I inquired about Jan's availability to contribute to my new CD, and he graciously accepted the invitation. He's a true gentleman and has a great sense of humor, and was a pleasure to work with.

Did you write any of the tracks featuring Jan with him in mind?

Interestingly, the CD was actually completed but not released when I was introduced to Jan, and I decided that the opportunity to have him contribute was too great to pass up. I therefore sent Jan a number of songs that were finished, but from which I deleted a number of my own guitar tracks to hear what he would do instead. In the majority of cases, I either used the new tracks that Jan recorded, or mixed a combination of both his and my work on the final CD.

What are your primary guitars on I Think I’ll Just Stay Home?

Almost too many to list. I have a large collection, with some of the more "artful" guitars pictured on the back of the CD. A short list of guitars used include a range of Les Paul's, an electric sitar once owned by Tony Mottola, Flying V's, a Lace Helix, Fender Strats and Teles and a Gus guitar (Google for more info).

What sort of amps and effects are you using on the album?

I again used a wide variety of equipment, ranging from a '70's Marshall head (heavily modded by Harry Kolbe) that I've had since college, to ProTools plug-ins such as Amp Farm and Amplitube. I used effects on many of the songs but only in specific sections, not necessarily overall - everything from Z-Vex overdrives to an old MXR Dynacomp that I've had since grade school!

We’ll be debuting the track “Way Out” on GuitarWorld.com. Talk a little bit about the inspiration/meaning behind the song.

As I mentioned, I Think I'll Just Stay Home was written during a very emotional period of my life. Many things were not going the way I'd wanted or hoped, and I was feeling quite lost at the time. Unlike some of the other songs on the CD, the lyrics to "Way Out" are quite literal - I was completely overwhelmed by life's circumstances at the time, and was hoping that I could find "an exit". The "exit" ended up coming from both inside and outside myself, and I'm glad to say that many - but not all - of the issues I was so distraught about were resolved. That being said, I believe that the tension and grief led to a great degree of creativity.

The new album from Psychoteria, I Think I'll Just Stay Home, is out September 13.