Courtesy of Dennis DeYoung

Courtesy of Dennis DeYoungFormer Styx singer/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung has unveiled official details about his upcoming solo album, which is titled 26 East: Volume 1, and will be released in the spring of 2020.

DeYoung previously announced that he’d intended the new album to be his final studio effort, but those plans have changed.

As he explains, “[T]here were so many songs written that Serafino Perugino, CEO of [my record label] Frontiers, suggested dividing it into two albums rather than one.”

Dennis adds, “This is volume 1, which sounds pretentious to me, but the marketing folks wanted you to know there are going to be two of them, so hey kids, there are two of them.”

In October, DeYoung revealed that he’d recorded a duet with Julian Lennon at Mission Studios in Brooklyn, New York. Dennis wrote the song, titled “To the Good Old Days,” specifically for Julian to sing with him.

“The moment we sang together in the studio it felt magical,” DeYoung says. “I had never met Julian previously but I have been an admirer since Valotte.”

Dennis reveals that he was inspired to make the new album by veteran songwriter and musician Jim Peterik, a founding member of both The Ides of March and Survivor.

DeYoung co-wrote nine songs with Peterik for the 46 East project, five of which will be on Volume 1.

Dennis is planning to mount a major 2020 tour in support of 46 East, starting with an album-playback event on April 3 at the House of Blues Chicago. All attendees at the House of Blues will receive a copy of 46 East, and DeYoung will take part in a Q&A with Peterik and also will perform some songs from the record, along with Styx tunes.

Check out his full itinerary at DennisDeYoung.com.

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