Billy Howerdel releases haunting new solo single, Poison Flowers

A Perfect Circle guitarist and songwriter Billy Howerdel has unveiled the debut single from his new eponymous solo project, Poison Flowers.

The track follows a teaser clip that landed two weeks ago, and it seems this is a deeply personal project for the songwriter. Howerdel says the material harks back to some of his first musical loves, and he’s also reported to have recorded all the instruments, with the exception of drums, which have been left to longtime collaborator Josh Freese.

“Poison Flowers began with the bass guitar part and all of the pieces flowed from there,” explains Howerdel. “It’s a rare feeling when the process of writing blocks out all distractions. The upcoming songs reflect back to my earliest influences and Poison Flowers leads well into the rest of the album.”

The song reflects the inner-workings of a musician who grew up on Pink Floyd and darker '80s alternative acts like Echo And The Bunnymen and The Cure. It is purposefully paced, and full of menacing melancholy in its lyrical content yet makes superb use of its space, with reverberating guitar effects and a sort of metro train bass that rumbles beneath the surface.

There’s no further information on the full album yet, but in the meantime you can find Poison Flowers on the streaming service of your choice.