Trey Anastasio Reveals The Phish Song That Was Shelved After It ‘Didn’t Get Legs’

Phish has a close relationship with the community forged in grassroots fashion over 41 years, yet sometimes there’s a disconnect between the band and fans. Guitarist Trey Anastasio detailed one such situation in a new interview.

Anastasio sat for a lengthy chat with journalist Alan Paul featured in the October 2024 issue of Guitar World magazine. The full text of the cover interview was published on GuitarWorld.com today. The guitarist gave a brief state of the union on Phish, spoke about the making of the band’s new Evolve album, coming out of the pandemic “like a fireball of creativity,” his intense practice regimen and several other topics.

“This feels like a renaissance period for Phish,” Anastasio told Alan Paul. “We don’t feel stagnant at all. This is a very vibrant period in our band’s life.”

As Trey approaches age 60, he “feels like a kid again” and feels as passionate as ever about his music. “It’s a new era in my life, and I’m loving it,” explained of a period in which he’s firing on all cylinders and his daughters have forged their own path as adults.

Over the past 41 years, Anastasio has written hundreds of songs, and some have been embraced more than others by fans. Trey doesn’t always know which songs will become favorites but he gives a lot of weight to the fanbase’s reaction.

“I’m now so enmeshed in the magic that our community has a lot more impact on where this band goes than they think,” Anastasio explained. “I find so much joy in writing that I’ve gotten comfortable accepting that if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. I can’t push an agenda.”

The 59-year-old musician picked a song that demonstrated his point. “‘Let Me Lie’ is the big example. I really thought it was gonna be the best Phish song, but it wasn’t,” Anastasio said. “I think it’s on three different albums, but it didn’t get legs, and when one does, you have a visceral, tangible feeling of communication when you play it live.”

Trey Anastasio unveiled “Let Me Lie” with his 70 Volt Parade ensemble on April 26, 2006 in Atlanta. The first studio version was released on Anastasio’s 2006 solo studio album, Bar 17.

When Phish reformed in 2009 after a five-year break, the band recorded “Let Me Lie” during the sessions that yielded both Joy and the companion album Party Time. “Let Me Lie” was featured on the latter and was played live by the quartet seven times over the course of 2009. The song was trotted out again on August 10, 2010 and then disappeared from the Phish repertoire outside of two performances in 2016.

“Let Me Lie” remained in rotation with TAB through 2015. Anastasio reimagined the song in the studio for the third time with co-producer Peter Katis for inclusion on his 2012 solo LP, Traveler. The guitarist thought enough of the version to release it as an advance single. By the end of 2015 “Let Me Lie” was gone from the TAB rotation as well.

“Let Me Lie” was never embraced by the community and Anastasio picked up on those feelings. However, it’s possible the song will return in some form down the road. “Time Turns Elastic” suffered a similar fate and was trotted out during a livestream originating from The Ninth Cube on New Year's Eve 2021 after 11 years on the shelf.

Phish finished a 26-date summer tour on Sunday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park near Denver. The only future shows confirmed as of press time is the band’s Phish: Riviera Maya 2025 destination event in Mexico.