Rain Maida has a theory. Or maybe it’s more of a prediction. Either way, he’s been talking to Ray Kurzweil again, which means we’re all in for a ride.
Kurzweil, the famed futurist and inventor, was the inspiration behind Spiritual Machines, Our Lady Peace’s 2000 album that dove headfirst into AI, transhumanism, and a looming singularity. And now, two decades later, Maida and company are back with Spiritual Machines 2, an album that doesn’t just revisit those ideas but lets Kurzweil himself weigh in on what he got right the first time—and what’s coming next.
“I don’t want to give it all away,” Maida teases, “but he’s not a dumb man.”
Maida’s being generous. According to the band’s press release, Spiritual Machines had 147 predictions, and 86 of them were correct. Which means, statistically speaking, Kurzweil is better at reading the future than most meteorologists are at reading the weather. “Even what he got wrong was just timing,” Maida laughs. “Like self-driving cars—he was off by a couple of years.”
The original Spiritual Machines arrived at a time when bands were beginning to grapple with technology’s place in music. This was peak OK Computer era, The Science of Things was happening, and Maida, already deep into Kurzweil’s book The Age of Spiritual Machines, decided Our Lady Peace needed to make a concept album about the rapidly approaching future. It was a turning point for the band, whether or not they realized it at the time.
That same itch for reinvention is why Spiritual Machines 2 exists. “We’ve never been a band to repeat ourselves,” Maida says. “Probably to our detriment.” But this time, they weren’t just revisiting the themes—they were blowing up their own sound. And it all started with one man: Dave Sitek.
Yes, that Dave Sitek. The producer and TV on the Radio architect was Maida’s top choice to push OLP’s sound forward. “He’s always been able to find this balance between organic and electronic,” Maida says. “So when he said, ‘This should sound like future rock,’ I was in.”
Future rock, as it turns out, means OLP making a dance record—at least sometimes. “There are a few moments,” Maida admits. “But it was just time for another big shift.”
It wasn’t just a sonic shift, though. The songs themselves are direct responses to Spiritual Machines. “Wish You Well” is a sequel to “Are You Sad.” “Holes” reaches back to “Superman’s Dead.” “Stop Making Stupid People Famous” is a punchline to Spiritual Machines’ bleakest warnings about technology and media obsession. “It’s what happens when you let ‘Everyone’s a Junkie’ play out in real life,” Maida says.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an OLP album without a little existential crisis. So when asked if he thinks we’re living in a simulation, Maida doesn’t even blink. “No, I don’t,” he says. “Not yet.”
He’s convinced it’s coming, though. “At some point, we won’t even be able to tell,” he says. “Right now, we can, but with the way AI and singularity are evolving, it’s going to get very real, very quickly.”
Which is why Ray Kurzweil is about to go on tour. Well, sort of.
“He’s going to be there holographically,” Maida says, dead serious. “We’re filming some stuff with him so he can appear at the shows. Just to, you know, keep things weird.”
It tracks. Our Lady Peace is embracing the chaos, riding the wave of technology instead of fighting it, and in the process, they’ve created one of their strangest, most forward-thinking albums yet. And if you think they’re stopping here, think again.
“I mean, Spiritual Machines 3 is inevitable, right?” Maida jokes. “Maybe 20 years from now. If Ray’s right about all this, we’ll still be around.”
And judging by the number of pills Kurzweil allegedly took at dinner with Maida, he’ll be here long after the rest of us.
Watch the interview above and then check out the videos below.
