Billy Howerdel: 'A Perfect Circle Is Done For Now'

A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel has told MTV.com that he is not so sure what the future holds for the band. "We don't know what's happening," he said. "[A Perfect Circle frontman Maynard James Keenan and I have] talked about it lightly. A few months ago, it was like, 'If we did A Perfect Circle again, I'd want to do this or that.' It was a benign conversation. I think we both entertain the fact that it could happen again, but for right now we don't have any plans to do it again. We're focusing on what we're doing now. A Perfect Circle is done for now."

In the meantime, Howerdel has begun sculpting and recording material on his own, bouncing ideas off session drummer Josh Freese. He's written 14 tracks, nine of which he's content with.

"I'm doing the same thing I've always done, which is writing songs from the heart, doing what comes naturally to me and writing songs that wouldn't be hard to fit into the A Perfect Circle mold," he explained. "In the beginning, when I started writing this stuff, I set out to do something very different. But if this is going to be my main focus, I want it to be what feels really right to me, and not just a side project or whatever you want to call it. It's not a huge departure. It just feels like I'm working on music the way I always have, with the difference being I don't have my partner Maynard coming in and singing lyrics over it; I'll be doing all the singing. It feels a bit lonely right now, because you get used to something and you want to go back to that comfort space. This is making me look at music in a different way."

Read more at MTV.com.

Comments

[xCompanyCalls]

...i'm sad.

[fadetoblack89]

TOOL > APC

[Let it Happen]

fadetoblack89 wrote:

TOOL > APC

true, but nonetheless, apc was amazing in it's own way.

[goon316]

They were totally different bands with different styles. You can say you like Tool better but saying which band is better is totally subjective, especially since they are VERY different. I for one am pretty bumbed out about this.

[AVAincuCHAIR]

APC > TOOL

[Metalingoose]

Its sad, APC are amazing, i love their style.
Atleast its good to hear that its not entirely over.
Maybe we will see APC again in the future.

[Mik3_D]

Uh... Old news? I thought they already said this.

[bigboi82]

APC is a great band,they'll be back sooner or later

[SLASHfan01]

Tool maybe better, but APC is better than most bands that we have now. Of course except for fallout boy and panic at the disco, lol.

[bunyard]

MACHINE HEAD >APC
:p

[forty-six_and_2]

SLASHfan01 wrote:

Tool maybe better, but APC is better than most bands that we have now. Of course except for fallout boy and panic at the disco, lol.

That's a matter of opinion. They are both pretty much equal. It's sad to know they're gone. They should've went out with a bang, not with the dissapointment of Emotive. Nonetheless, I hope they reconsider this because they really were amazing. If they do get back together, I hope they get Twiggy to play bass. Err...Jeordie White. And yeah...
SLASHfan01 you're strange. You should at least learn to spell 'Fall Out Boy' and Panic! At The Disco has a "!" in there too. Just so you know...

[forty-six_and_2]

fadetoblack89 wrote:

TOOL > APC

AVAincuCHAIR wrote:

APC > TOOL

bunyard wrote:

MACHINE HEAD >APC
:p

Who cares who's better? That's a matter of opinion. They're too different to compare. It's like compaing socks to hats (Of course we all know the hats would win there). I'm kidding. Don't take me seriously.

[[NIN]_ROCK!]

APC≠Tool,but they're both great!Stop trying to compare the damn bands,it's so ******* pointless!

[John_Petrucci92]

i personally think socks own...

[Clarkinator]

Does this mean Iha might join Corgan's Smashing Pumpkins reunion? That be ace

[Flyleaf]

Yeah a perfect circle is awesome, but Maynard knows what he be doing, Tool has to go through their tour rotation so it is easy to say for now the band can't do anything...which i believe they will be back sometime because there will be alot of free time for Maynard since Tool drops an album like every 4years, and it helps Maynard express more than Tool and reach a higher level of lyrics, but both are muh-f-ing great

[Brennos_37]

i hope they release other cd

[silentsteeples]

NOOOOO.

[i_am_metalhead]

this is sad news

[smb]

Their first album is really really good and I can listen to it all day. Nothing they did after was in the same league. The new Tool album is amazing. I'm sure these musicians will have kickass new music coming our way soon, under whatever name.

[Vans2639]

i agree with those above who said comparing tool and apc is pointless. in my opinion, they are both my favorite bands. their styles are too different to compare in any way, shape, or form. APC being done for now, it sucks, but im lookin forward to howerdels stuff. he didnt seem to bad while singing back up, so im sure it will be good.

[llama_guitarist]

silentsteeples wrote:

NOOOOO.

exactly what i was thinking

Clarkinator wrote:

Does this mean Iha might join Corgan's Smashing Pumpkins reunion? That be ace

i would cry with joy if this happened

[CSguitarvocal]

APC and Tool are both amazing bands... Its sad to see APC go, but I'm glad they're all doing their own thing now.

[aic_rooster]

Maynard can only be in one band at a time....

The pumpkins only need corgan and jimmy c to be the pumpkins. They've had random people play with them instead of d'arcy and iha at various goings ons and they still sounded like the pumpkins....nonetheless...it'd be sweet if the original lineup was there.

[Surrylic]

I agree with aic_rooster... He can only be in one band at a time. Tool just released a new album of course, they're gonna go out and do insterviews and tour and all that good stuff. Maynard can't be doing too many things at once. Here's to hoping that APC do get back together though.

Also, I hate comparing APC and Tool. They're nothing alike. Though they have the same singer... he sings pretty differently in each band. Both brilliant, but not fair to be comparable. I personally don't like choosing between the two because of that, but if I had to I would pick hmm... APC I suppose. Both are in the top 3 favorite bands of mine.

[juniorfr3ak]

I think that bit of news was in the last news article on A Perfect Circle

[priory_of_sion]

TOOL APC??

[deslni01]

Sadface

[(-) Ions]

Flyleaf wrote:

there will be alot of free time for Maynard since Tool drops an album like every 4years,

Yeah, it's not A Perfect Circle released 3 full albums and a dvd in the last five years. Or toured for that matter. I wonder what he'll be doing with all his free time, too bad he doesn't own a vineyard or have a child too look afer, right? Right?

[fiftysteps]

I think this is good, I believed that APC's material was not as good after Mer De Noms. It'd be good for them to take a break and come back with brand new fresh material, cause honestly I didnt like the last album at all.

[DTFatesWarningX]

Oh yeah? Well, Maynard > Maynard!! (Wait a second....)

[GHEGAHEGAMANAME]

forty-six_and_2 wrote:

fadetoblack89 wrote:

TOOL > APC




AVAincuCHAIR wrote:

APC > TOOL


bunyard wrote:

MACHINE HEAD >APC
:p

Who cares who's better? That's a matter of opinion. They're too different to compare. It's like compaing socks to hats (Of course we all know the hats would win there). I'm kidding. Don't take me seriously.

John_Petrucci92 wrote:

i personally think socks own...

Brilliant!

[Blood_Covered]

billy corgan > billy howerdel

[twocenttip]

Mik3_D wrote:

Uh... Old news? I thought they already said this.

no.. Maynard said it. This is worse than high school drama... i miss APC.

[unterNull]

[quote]forty-six_and_2 wrote:

SLASHfan01 wrote:

Tool maybe better, but APC is better than most bands that we have now. Of course except for fallout boy and panic at the disco, lol.

That's a matter of opinion. They are both pretty much equal. It's sad to know they're gone. They should've went out with a bang, not with the dissapointment of Emotive.

With my "inside source", i can offer some insight here.

Maynard, for quite some time (13th Step tour), has been announcing that APC would come to an end to his crew members.
Maynard, never intended for it to be anything more than a "side project", just a form of amusement. And, as Billy said, "But if this is going to be my main focus, I want it to be what feels really right to me, and not just a side project or whatever you want to call it." - there were of course, disagreements.

Maynard's true passion from the start, has always been to play live with Tool, or simply play.

The main reason MJK was announcing the end of APC, is because of the path of demise the band had fallen in.
Maynard, hates to create anything but original, and it seemed that everything that APC had been creating as a whole, was sounding like something already done, which can possibly explain why Emotive was so lacking in creativity. Once he hits a wall, and cannot get past it despite his efforts, is when he feels it should come to an end. Obviously, since APC was never intended to be anything more than a side project it didnt affect him as much as the others.

If APC, does come back, estimate it to be in about 4-6 years. When he is with is Tool, that is what he devotes his time entirely to; his passion and will. Creating, recording, touring for Tool usually is about 4 years, also including break time..most likely another two. And in his creative process frame with APC, nothing seemed to be happening after 13th step, and it was after that when he retreated to Tool.
The end of APC is not something abrubt, it has been for quite some time, and would have been later or earlier depending on the time the "wall" came into place.
So once again, they didnt end because of some silly reason, it was because of differances in opinion. It seems everything APC created was sounding like something already done, nothing new. Which got to Maynard, while other's such as Billy thought, 'what's wrong with it?', basically. And now, more than ever that Tool has taken off again, with nothing new occuring in the "side project", MJK was not weary of letting the band come to an end.

If you have questions, comments, etc.
E-mail me.

[imagonaeatu]

TOOL = APC

[unterNull]

It seems there wasnt a sepeartion between quote and comment.

The seperation occurs after "...not with the dissapointment of Emotive. "

[unterNull]

Secondly, it's ridiculous and moronic for anyone to compare, much less consider "Tool = APC".

APC - side project, he didnt much care for what meanings were, more like an expression of his emotions. A glimpse of MJK's "sentimental" side, but none the less throughly expressed in brilliance.

While Tool on the other hand, is just that. A tool, of insight to spirituality and something far greater than the material, superficial binding things that so many are indulged in. Much like, a mass population not giving at all about what went on with Jesus until The Da Vinci Code's release.

If the entire time you've been listening to either band for just the music, than obviously this is news to you.
Neither are just a surface, there's depth beneath.

[(-) Ions]

I think you give Tool too much credit, unterNull. Rosetta Stoned anyone? Maynard has a lot of humor in lyrics with Tool.

I just find Tool to be more personal and APC to be more .. I guess ...secular.

[Encore_God]

Dammit. I do hope APC reform at some point...

[Coverge]

all a perfect circle did was delay a tool album, boo to them

[sum loser]

NOOOOO!!!

Oh well.

[DaBlackE]

Blood_Covered wrote:

billy corgan > billy howerdel

dumbass

[Guitar_Poet]

Let it Happen wrote:

fadetoblack89 wrote:

TOOL > APC
true, but nonetheless, apc was amazing in it's own way.

i agree with both of you

[CSguitarvocal]

Coverge :
all a perfect circle did was delay a tool album, boo to them

And create some truly beautiful music.

[Insolent]

It's a bittersweet moment. Hopefully this will let Maynard focus more on Tool (which I prefer to APC), but no more APC music, which is also rather good.

[obliteratus]

I love A Perfect Circle, but, oh well, just let them do their thing.

[crackedmortar]

Maynerd is a prophet. If one is not too literal in one's interpretations, you will see that the principles are the same in both projects. It just must be hard to try to fit the same principles into two different contexts, but he achieved it with both bands. I just have to wonder if Howerdell got jealous.

[crackedmortar]

Maybe it's a question of one voice with two mouths!

[crackedmortar]

Oops! I only just arrived and I've already f__cked up!
The name is spelled MaynArd not Maynerd. Sorry, my bad.

checked

[Lukeisonfire]

God damn it... one of my favorite bands has broken up! In ways they have surpassed tool and its really hard to accept that they are over!

[catchtherainbow]

lets just wait another 5 or six years and we'll get another album...600 jesus maybe? :P

[Malkavyan]

what about a perfectly circular tool. it sounds oddly suggestive,if you know what i mean. JK. they are my favcrite band. their tabs are the first i ever played. not that i played a lot. i hope they get back. only they know what is going to happen. thats what keeps it so good.they are doing what is best, sothey might have something better up their sleeves. i doubt there can be something better than apc that fits in a sleeve.

[Hash4you]

Actually we should all be a little excited about another project that MAY BE heading our way in the near future... Puscifer, i truly believe it will be a fullfledged band soon enough. Let's just wait and see.

[WileyJames666]

APC has to be heard live to really appreciate, in my opinion.

[WileyJames666]

What kind of an a hole posts to old threads? HA HA