Earlier today, UK quintet Squid shared "The Hearth And Circle Round Fire," a previous outtake from their most recent record Cowards, which was released on February 7 via Warp Records. Listen to the new single below:
Lyricist, drummer, and vocalist Ollie Judge explained that the band had written "The Hearth And Circle Round Fire" relatively quickly, but they felt "dissatisfied" by it, according to a press release. They decided instead to "record it as a 15-minute jam, rip it apart, and tape it back together."
Lyrically, the single vaguely fits within the Cowards' universe, which aimed to explore the different shades of evil in both fictional and real-life moments. "The Hearth And Circle Round Fire" talks of censorship, drawing inspiration from the menacing unnamed group that targets and intimidates artists in Kay Dick's They, as well as the visual of burning books in Ray Bradbury's famous dystopic novel, Fahrenheit 451. He sings,
"They know where you live / 'Cos they peak over the hills / Your silence can be loud / You're complicit now / In forty years from now / You write your whole life out / Who you are and what you do / Will not matter in the end."
Squid also released the new single in anticipation for their upcoming Cowards North America tour, which begins next week after their show in London, UK. The band will then be travelling to venues across North America, with FearDorian supporting them for all dates. Check out the dates below:
04/09 Paris, FR @ Cabaret Sauvage
04/10 Cologne, DE @ Club Volta
04/11 Dresden, DE @ Polimagie Festival
04/12 Berlin, DE @ Lido
04/14 Schorndorf, DE @ Manufaktur
04/15 Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
04/16 Antwerp, BE @ Trix
04/18 Rotterdam, NL @ Motel Mozaique Festival
04/19 Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
04/26 London, UK @ Roundhouse
04/30 Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
05/01 Seattle, WA @ Neumos
05/03 San Jose, CA @ The Ritz
05/04 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
05/06 Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
05/07 Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s
05/09 Saint Paul, MN @ Turf Club
05/10 Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s
05/11 Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
05/13 Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall
05/14 Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
05/16 Detroit, MI @ El Club
05/17 Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
05/19 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
05/20 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
05/21 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
05/23 Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
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