Politics and music often go hand-in-hand. But for Journey, they’re two subjects the bandmates don’t discuss. During a recent interview on the “White Line Fever” podcast, guitarist Neal Schon was asked how he manages to have working relationship with keyboardist Jonathan Cain despite their apparently drastically different political views.
The two have been feuding publicly since 2017 after Cain, singer Arnel Pineda and then-bassist Ross Valory were photographed at the White House with then-U.S. president Donald Trump. A devout born-again Christian, Cain’s minister wife Paula White-Cain delivered the invocation at Trump’s inauguration. This caused Schon to take to social media and voice his displeasure with his bandmate.
Now, the guitarist says he and Cain have moved on from that incident and they don’t discuss politics when they’re together. So how do they do it? “The answer to that question is to leave it alone,” said Schon, as transcribed by Blabbermouth.
“I mean, honestly. I think that everybody is entitled to their opinion or what they think is correct for themselves. None of us ever agree — not just Jon, but many other people that I know. So I keep my political views to myself.
“I obviously have made it very clear, even years back, that I don’t agee with mixing politics with music, or [mixing music with] religion. I think music is for everyone — of every religion; if you’re a Democrat, Republican, whatever. It’s music — it’s for the world. So you have to leave it alone. Your views and your views. And I do nothing but write music with Jon. That’s it.”
Cain insisted that his white house visit wasn’t an endorsement, but many fans didn’t see it that way. You can listen to the full podcast from “White Line Fever” below.
Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado
Leave a Comment