Neal Schon wants to make it clear that he has no plans to end Journey, regardless of his disagreement with Jonathan Cain over the keyboardist sharing his religious and political beliefs with the band's audiences.
He tweeted, "Funny how some are manufacturing that I'm ending the band... Did anyone out there hear me say this? I said Protect the Brand we built."
Schon says he's been trying to get the band to record new material. "We were in Vegas for three weeks and I tried to get them interested in going in the studio [but] Cain said no."
While Cain declined to work on new Journey music, he did use the time in Las Vegas to compose three songs for his Christmas album, which will be out in November. "It has 10 original songs for Jesus," says Cain. "I love Christmas and I always wanted to make a Christmas album. God has ended up being the best co-writer I’ve ever had." Cain promises another album next spring. "That’s how productive I’ve been. Our God is a living moving thing and He shifts us. If we don’t shift with Him, we get stale. You have to look for your God."
Schon is also working outside Journey, in a blues trio with drummer Deen Castronovo and John Waite. (The three were all in Bad English with Cain and Styx bassist Ricky Phillips.) Castronovo, who was booted from Journey in 2015 after being arrested for felony rape, assault, sexual abuse, unlawful use of a dangerous weapon and contempt of court, says, "This is gonna be awesome! God is working overtime! Thank you Jesus!!!"