BILLY HOWERDEL RELEASES “ANI” VIDEO
https://youtu.be/5YfkQGEO-Lw
LIMITED-EDITION WHAT NORMAL WAS VINYL/NFT AVAILABLE NOW
VIA REVOLVER ICONS SERIES
MORE INFO & PURCHASE DETAILS HERE
Billy Howerdel, the A Perfect Circle songwriter/multi-instrumentalist whose recently released album, What Normal Was (Alchemy Recordings/BMG) is a nod to the music Howerdel was influenced by, post-punk and new wave, has released a Mynxii White (Korn, Andy Black, Tinashe) directed video for the song “Ani” (https://youtu.be/5YfkQGEO-Lw).
The four-plus minute film utilizes low-key lighting, giving the dramatic story line an eerie wash of ambient street lighting. The fiery narrative is juxtaposed with footage of Howerdel recounting the story via the song’s lyrics.
“Ani” is the latest in a series of visually striking videos for What Normal Was. Renowned fashion photographer Jordan Hemingway created the goth-infused clip for “Free and Weightless” (https://youtu.be/vfOY_cogv4s), while Rizz from Vowws oversaw the video for “Poison Flowers” (https://youtu.be/3Z00_1yhahs), largely black and white clip that expanded on the album artwork.
In addition to the release of the new video, Howerdel has teamed with Revolver to release What Normal Was as part of their ICONS Series (nft.revolvermag.com). The Icons series feature six hand-numbered, 180-gram vinyl variants of the album with the limited-edition release including an NFT featuring 360-degree motion album art, and an embedded, scannable NFC tag that has full details on the edition. 330 copies are available now.
The 10-song What Normal Was has earned international accolades. BBC Radio 1 Rock Show host Daniel P. Carter said: “If you’re a huge fan of A Perfect Circle, you’re gonna love it hands down. Has shades of A Perfect Circle in there but also a lot of his early influences really coming through like The Cure, Depeche Mode, Echo & the Bunnymen.” Loudwire noted that Howerdel “paints a haunting visual with a dark palette” and Consequence described the sound as “electronic influences peer through… which percolates beneath ethereal guitar passages and Howerdel’s soothing vocals.”
What Normal Was can be streamed or purchased here: https://billyhowerdel.lnk.to/WhatNormalWas.
New Jersey-born and Los Angeles-based vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Billy Howerdel has quietly asserted himself as an alternative music auteur whose knack for massive hooks belies a keen emotional understanding and sonic acuity. Devoting his life to music after witnessing Pink Floyd live, he acted as something of a behind-the-scenes journeyman, working as an in-demand touring and studio tech for the likes of David Bowie, Guns N’ Roses, and Nine Inch Nails. Striking up a friendship with Maynard James Keenan when Tool opened for Fishbone (for whom Billy served as a tech), he occupied a room in a North Hollywood cottage with Maynard. Billy founded A Perfect Circle with Maynard in 1999. The group’s seminal full-length debut, Mer de Noms, went platinum and made history as the “highest Billboard Top 200 bow for a rock band’s debut.” They followed it with the platinum Thirteenth Step [2003] and gold Emotive [2004]. The group made their return with 2018’s Eat The Elephant, marking their fourth consecutive Top 5 debut on the Top 200. In between, Billy’s music has also appeared in video games and on the big screen. During 2008, he made his first solo statement under the moniker Ashes Divide with Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright. In the next decade, the album quietly pervaded as a cult favorite with millions of streams. On his 2022 proper full-length solo debut, What Normal Was [Alchemy Recordings/BMG], he inhabits a space that’s reverent of his past, present, and future all at once. After all of these years, songs, and shows, Billy is ready to introduce himself.
About Alchemy Recordings
Alchemy Recordings was founded in 2020 by veteran concert promoter Danny Wimmer (Welcome to Rockville, Bourbon & Beyond, Aftershock and more) of Danny Wimmer Presents, the biggest independent promoter in the U.S. and Dino Paredes, President of Shelter Music (A Perfect Circle, Crowded House, Puscifer) and former American Recordings A&R executive. The label, distributed by BMG, is home to Puscifer, Billy Howerdel, The Black Queen, The Neverly Boys and more.
