Machine Head have released a new single titled Circle The Drain.
It’s the band’s first track since 2019’s Do Or Die, with mainman Robb Flynn joined on the song by drummer Navene Koperweis, who is also known for his work with Whitechapel, Animals As Leaders, Animosity and Entheos.
The initial idea for the song came to Flynn back in 2018, with Machine Head also sharing two video clips charting the song’s progress. Both can be found below along with a stream of Circle The Drain.
Vocalist and guitarist Flynn says: "The song is inspired by an acquaintance of mine who returned from Afghanistan only to have his relationship fall apart with his girl.
"She had messed around on him, then got paranoid about him messing around on her, and drove him crazy. We had a conversation on Valentine's Day and he said to me, 'They were just circling the drain.' The phrase struck me.
"A few days later I incorporated it into the song I’d been working on. It was a strange parallel with my life at the time, having recently had two band members quit, and even more bizarrely, two long-time couple friends of my wife and I, also divorce.
"It was break-up season, and it played out with friends taking sides, people not being invited to certain events anymore, social and emotional pressure, and all the typical stuff that happens when a relationship goes bad. Watching this guy pull through it, helped me pull through my own upheaval."
Flynn adds: The lyrics to Circle The Drain came out of that frustrating time. It's a sad song about relationships gone bad, but accepting that it's over, and making yourself move on.
"I wrote it in a more metaphorical tone, as I didn’t want it to be about my life, but to be about anybody’s life who may be going through a rough time like that. It may not be a song that connects with everyone, especially those in a solid relationship, but if the day ever comes when your life goes awry, this song will be a lifeline for you, something to help pull you up out of that dark place.
"The irony that he and I had the original conversation on Valentine's Day, and are now releasing it on Valentine's Day isn’t lost on me, it really is the anti-Valentine's Day song.”
Machine Head are currently on tour across North America and will return to Europe this spring for further shows.
Machine Head 2020 tour dates
Feb 14: Chicago Metro, IL
Feb 16: Minneapolis Skyway Theatre, MN
Feb 18: Denver The Gothic Theatre, CO
Feb 19: Salt Lake City The Depot, UT
Feb 21: Oakland Fox Theater, CA
Feb 22: Anaheim House Of Blues, CA
Apr 19: Zaragoza Teatro de las Esquinas, Spain
Apr 21: Santiago de Compostela Capitol, Spain
Apr 23: Porto Coliseu de Porto, Portugal
Apr 24: Lisbon Coliseu de Lisboa, Portugal
Apr 25: Madrid La Riviera, Spain
Apr 27: Malaga Paris 15, Spain
Apr 28: Murcia Gamma, Spain
Apr 29: Valencia Republicca, Spain
May 01: Barcelona Razzmatazz, Spain
May 02: Toulouse Le Bikini, France
May 05: Ludwigsburg MHP Arena, Germany
May 06: Wiesbaden Schlachthof, Germany
May 08: Hannover Swiss Life Hall, Germany
May 09: Prague Forum Karlin, Czech Republic
May 10: Bratislava Refinery Gallery, Slovakia
May 12: Bucharest Quantic Club, Romania
May 13: Sofia Universiada Hall, Bulgaria
May 15: Thessaloniki Fix Factory Of Sound
May 16: Athens Piraeus Academy, Greece
May 20: Kiev Stereoplaza, Ukraine
May 22: Moscow 1930 Moscow, Russia
May 23: St Petersburg A2, Russia
May 25: Helsinki The Circus, Finland
May 28: Stockholm Fryhuset Arenan, Sweden
May 29: Oslo Sentrum Scene, Norway
May 30: Aarhus Train, Denmark
Jun 01: Hamburg Grosse Freiheit 36, Germany
Jun 02: Utrecht Tivoliredenburg, Netherlands
Jun 03: Lille Aeronef, France
Jun 05: London Alexandra Palace, UK
Jun 06: Birmingham Academy, UK
