[Cover photo credit to Wyatt Clough]
Silverstein has released new single “Drain The Blood”, featuring Rory Rodriguez of Dayseeker. Out now via UNFD, the track has arrived alongside a new video. The song delves into the anxiety surrounding the use of AI and what it might mean for the future of creative people everywhere.
Guitarist Paul Marc Rousseau says:
Each time I start making an album I have a self-imposed rule: I can’t abandon my first idea. Whatever I start on day one, I have to finish. Usually the song ends up in the trash, but this time it was ‘Drain the Blood,’ which is my favourite song of the entire project – maybe our entire career.
The premise of the song is very simple: keep your AI out of my art. I wanted every part of the song to feel unexpected and a little out-of-context. Irrational and human. Like, an AI would have never made these choices. The lyrics are irreverent and over-dramatic, but only time will tell if they’re completely science fiction.
He continues:
My favourite moment of the song is when Rory enters with ‘Can I be honest now? I don’t see a way we get beyond this hell.’ The line just feels so right with him singing it. It’s like he’s the voice of reason and even he feels defeated by technology. He almost goes through the five stages of grief and recaps the whole concept in 20 seconds.
Frontman Shane Told adds:
‘Drain the Blood’ is our response to the growing fear that machines are starting to replace what makes music (and other art) human. It’s a warning, a cry of resistance, and a reminder that emotion can’t be automated. We wanted the video to reflect that, so Rory and I got together in LA to shoot it in this strange, creepy studio that felt like something out of Severance or Black Mirror. Then we took it to the LA River, channeling the gritty, dystopian energy of Terminator 2. It felt like we were capturing some of the scariest possibilities of the future – the kind where creativity gets stripped of its humanity. Rory brought such a raw energy to the track and the shoot. It made the whole vision come alive.
The song marks the second single from Silverstein’s forthcoming album Pink Moon, the second chapter in their 16-song double album. Conceived and recorded during a stretch in the high desert of Joshua Tree, the album is set to be released on September 12 via UNFD.
This year, fans around the world are invited to join Silverstein in celebrating their silver anniversary with the 25 Years of Noise Tour. These shows offer a discography-spanning performance and give fans the chance to vote on their favorite songs from each record to help shape the setlist. The band recently wrapped up initial legs in North America and the UK/EU alongside Thursday, The Callous Daoboys, Arm’s Length, Split Chain, Real Friends, Broadside, and Greyhaven, including a recent performance at Vans Warped Tour in Washington, D.C.
They’ll bring the show to Australia this summer with Real Friends, and perform at the Long Beach date of the Vans Warped Tour. Silverstein also announced that they’ll conclude the 25 Years of Noise Tour with a final show in Brooklyn on December 20 featuring support from Thursday, The Movielife, Free Throw, and Bloom.
North American Tour Dates:
7/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
7/26-7/27 – Long Beach, CA @ Vans Warped Tour *
10/25 – Ciudad de México, MEX @ We Missed Ourselves Fest *
11/23 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
11/25 – Calgary, AB @ The Palace Theatre
11/26 – Edmonton, AB @ Midway
11/28 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
12/13 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
12/20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
* – indicates Festival Date
Australian Tour Dates:
8/2 – Northcote, AUS @ Northcote Theatre
8/3 – Sydney, AUS @ Roundhouse
8/5 – Hindmarsh, AUS @ The Gov
8/6 – Brisbane, AUS @ The Tivoli
