It's important to recognize where you came from. Asia Featuring John Payne certainly do. Their 2013 full-length, Recollections, reignites classic British progressive rock songs with a fresh fire. It sees the group—Payne [lead vocals, bass, keys], Jay Schellen [drums], Erik Norlander [keys], Jeff Kollman [guitar], and Moni Scaria [guitar]—imbue each track with its own distinct stamp. Recollections makes for musical memories worth treasuring. In 2011, serendipity jumpstarted the project for Payne. While sitting in his Southern California studio one day, he heard the Yes song "It Can Happen" and instantly felt inspired. "I thought it would be a really cool song to record a cover of," he says. "Shortly after, I heard the Jethro Tull track, "Locomotive Breath", whilst driving home. I thought it would be really exciting to put together a collection of these songs. It's something I never thought I'd do in the past. They're such influential songs for me. For a band like Asia Featuring John Payne who doesn't normally do covers, it was an interesting spin." Starting out as a Payne solo project, one by one, his band mates contributed. They tackled classics from the likes of King Crimson, Genesis, Barclay James Harvest, ELP Moody Blues, and more. "I realized that my solo project included every member of the band," continues Payne. "I even played the majority of the keyboards, but it seemed logical in the end to be an Asia Featuring John Payne record". Throughout the sessions, they managed to infuse their signature styles into the originals, while reverentially paying homage to the respective artists. "This band has always been about talented and inventive players," he goes on. "The focus is on great musicianship, and that's why it was such a refreshing challenge. We'd add slight twists so we could do our own thing without ruining the originals. We wanted to show that respect." They certainly did. In the case of "Eye in the Sky", Alan Parsons appreciated the new version so much he even lent a hand. "After we recorded it, I sent it to him," recalls Payne. "I called him, and he told me to get to a keyboard immediately because he loved the song. He was like, 'There's a harmony I always wanted to put in the song that I'd love for you to do in the chorus'. He played me the melody over the phone, and I dropped in the harmony. It was a great moment to get the original artist's input." At the same time, songs like "It Can Happen" veered down a new path in Asia Featuring John Payne's hands. They enlisted the vocal talents of Sharlotte Gibson, adding another dimension to the track with an ethereal feminine counterpoint. He continues, "When I started to deconstruct the song, I realized every famous UK band is reflected in it. You hear the Rolling Stones. You hear The Beatles. You hear The Who. It's a very well-constructed song." Ultimately, there's an important history lesson at the heart of Recollections. "I'd love for people to realize what a deep heritage there is in classic rock and progressive rock coming from the UK," Payne concludes. "It's influenced guys from my era so much. Hopefully, a younger generation will go back and revisit those songs because of this. To hear some of the soundscapes and production sounds that have influenced so much is incredible. This is the culmination of many years of work and a nod to my influences. I hope everyone enjoys our versions of these gems."