A Perfect Circle have released a new video for “Starless,” returning to the night they first played the song live. Released October 13, the clip captures their June 3 performance at London’s O2 Academy Brixton, a sold out opening show for their European tour.
Jon Vulpine and Justin Jones filmed the performance, with Jake Johnston editing the video. The London debut came a week after the single’s May 27 release, when Maynard James Keenan was already looking ahead to playing it for an audience. In the release announcement, he explained that “our songs always take on an expanded personality once we start playing them live.”
The song began with Billy Howerdel following an idea outside his usual studio routine. In an August interview with Guitar World, the guitarist recalled using a small practice amp while watching television. Having it nearby allowed him to start playing when an idea occurred, without first moving into the studio and getting his equipment ready. “It was more about capturing a moment,” he said. He also described concentrating on guitar in his recent writing, setting aside his habit of developing some parts on a keyboard first.
Howerdel subsequently recorded “Starless” at his Lankershim Ranch Studio in Studio City, California. He produced the track, with Matty Green mixing and Josh Freese playing drums. In the original announcement, Howerdel described it as a song that came together quickly, unlike material he might spend years revisiting.
Since that London performance, A Perfect Circle have released another single, “To Whom It May Concern,” which arrived September 29. “Starless” has continued its radio run in the meantime. According to the band’s video announcement, the song is spending its second consecutive week at No. 1 on Active Rock radio.
The band return to the road November 25 at Estadio Fray Nano in Mexico City. Dates across Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Hawaii follow before a North American leg begins April 13, 2027, in Vancouver. Puscifer join the opening portion of that run, with The Cult taking over as support beginning April 27.
