Toto’s David Paich admitted it was "scary" to be releasing his debut solo album.

Forgotten Toys arrives on Aug. 19 and features contributions from bandmates Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams. It comes 40 years after he wrote Toto's signature track "Africa."

"Honestly, it's pretty intimidating to have my name on the album sleeve for the first time in my career," Paich told Rock Candy in a recent interview. "It's definitely scary." He explained the project was built from "an archaeological dig" that involved "going through hundreds and hundreds of pieces that are stored on Pro Tools and Logic."

He added: "I retrieved the pieces that I kept hearing in my head, the ones that made me feel good whenever I heard them. I kept telling myself, 'If I can only connect these pieces of the puzzle, this conundrum, then I could put together an album that would really sound great.'"

Looking back at his credits, which also include Toto classics "Hold the Line," "Rosanna" and others, Paich reflected: "I've had a decent career. But there are people out there like Paul McCartney and Elton John who are breathing their own rarefied air. Those guys are beyond belief. They've written, what, 50 or 60 Top 10 hits, and that's just unbelievable. They're like the Olympic athletes of music."

Listen to David Paich's 'Spirit of the Moonlight' From 'Forgotten Toys'

He said of his creative process: "I had a big hit with a song I wrote with Boz Scaggs called 'Lowdown' back in 1976 … I was surprised by that, because it was kind of sophisticated. But that always stuck with me in terms of my songwriting. I don't aim to write singles. I just write what I hear in my head on the piano, and I don't worry about musical restrictions."

Paich has suffered health issues in recent years that have limited his ability to perform alongside his Toto colleagues, although he remains an active member of the band. Earlier this month, he played five songs during their set in Amsterdam. "I'm feeling good now, and I think I'll be around as long as I can play the piano and as long as I can get up on stage," he said.

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