Former Asia singer John Payne has resurfaced in a new melodic prog outfit, Dukes Of The Orient, along with Erik Norlander.
The pair will release their self-titled debut album through Frontiers Records . “With Dukes Of The Orient we have dug deep with analog soundscapes, superlative musicians and song-driven epics. Add to this the masterful artwork of Rodney Matthews and a journey that started with the supergroup Asia, we give you the next chapter, one we are extremely proud of,” says Payne.
The pair worked together in Asia Featuring John Payne, along with Guthrie Govan and Jay Shchellen, when Geoff Downes, with whom Payne had been in Asia since 1991, reformed their original line-up in 2007. Both Govan and Schellen appear on the new Dukes Of The Orient album, as well as guitarists Bruce Bouillet, Jeff Kollman and Moni Scaria.
The band have released a promo video for the song Strange Days. The new album can be pre-ordered here.
