A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel has confirmed that new music is actively in development following the late May release of their single “Starless.” He cautioned fans that he cannot set a definitive release date due to the grueling exhaustion and scheduling challenges of their ongoing concert tour. Speaking candidly about the creative process while on the road, Howerdel explained the toll that constant touring takes on album production.
“There’s more music underway. And in the spirit of soft deadlines, I’m not gonna give you the date, but we’re working toward something,” Howerdel stated. “We’re on tour. It’s hard to get solid things done when you’re out here. I sometimes optimistically think that’s gonna happen, and, like today, we’re six shows in, so we’re about two weeks in, and this is the first day I really slept, even though I might not look like it. I just slept, went to the gym, ate a meal, got on with you, and it’s not been like that. So to get real cracking on to the new album, it’s gonna be… I need a couple more of these days to line up over the next tour.”
The band is currently in the midst of their first European tour in seven years, which began in June 2026. The tour spans the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Austria, Italy, and other European venues. Additional dates are scheduled for later in the year, including performances in Australia and New Zealand set for December 2026.
“Starless” marks the band’s first standalone single since their 2024 Sessanta EP, which featured collaborative material from A Perfect Circle, Puscifer, and Primus. The single was produced by Howerdel himself, reflecting his hands-on approach to the band’s sonic direction.
Howerdel’s candid remarks about the difficulty of balancing touring and album creation highlight a common challenge facing established acts in the modern music industry. The physical and mental demands of performing multiple shows in consecutive weeks leave limited time and energy for the focused creative work that album production requires. His acknowledgment that he needs “a couple more of these days to line up over the next tour” suggests that the band is strategically planning studio sessions around their performance calendar rather than rushing the creative process.
The band’s last full-length album, “Eat the Elephant,” was released in 2018, making the anticipated new material a significant event for fans who have waited nearly a decade for fresh studio work. With “Starless” serving as a preview of what’s to come and the band’s European tour providing a platform to test new material live, A Perfect Circle appears to be methodically building toward a full album release, even if the exact timeline remains deliberately vague.
