Here’s a look at a pick for song of the week. This column gives an inside look at a new release with both musical and cultural significance, setting the tone for the week ahead. This week, take a deep dive into a surprise song shared by a band from the UK.
Song of the Week:
Squid – “The Hearth And Circle Round Fire”
Brighton, UK prog rock band Squid are about to embark on a North American tour, taking the group’s outstanding live performances to some of the largest concert halls they’ve ever played in. To mark the occasion, the group has shared the song “The Hearth And Circle Round Fire.” The track is coming to life now, being released as a single, after it was recorded during the sessions which brought Squid’s February 2025 Warp Records issued album Cowards.
“The Hearth And Circle Round Fire” is a six-minute-long song that touches on every aspect of music Squid has been known to take on–and then some. The band has no boundaries and that’s the case on “The Hearth And Circle Round Fire.” The single opens with Squid’s trademark upbeat percussion section, carried by drummer and singer Ollie Judge. But once the head-bopping starts, the band forms a noisy orchestra together. In Squid-like fashion, this track is wild from start to finish. The lyrics also take on a dystopian theme. Book burning is a constant subject. “Ring around those words you wrote // Ring around the flames // The kids look so happy,” Judge sings.
“‘The Hearth And Circle Round Fire’ is a punky tune that came together quite easily but we felt dissatisfied with that ease and decided to record it as a 15 minute jam, rip it apart and tape it back together,” Judge said. “Lyrically, it was inspired by the dystopian worlds of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and Kay Dick’s They, worlds which everyday people succumb to mass censorship and propaganda with only a small amount of people willing to fight against it.”
Squid has released singles to commemorate tours before. In November 2021, the band shared their cover of Bill Calahan’s song “America” right as they began a US tour in smaller venues to support their debut full-length album Bright Green Field. They released the single “Fugue (Bin Song)” in January 2024, right before a North American tour. For years, Squid had performed several versions of that track during their live shows.
Fans can never be certain what tricks Squid have rolled up their sleeves, though they should be accustomed to the group dropping fun songs to bookmark different chapters of their careers. Whether its covers, longtime live staples or b-sides that didn’t quite make albums, Squid has a loaded arsenal, ready to expand their discography at any given moment.
Squid’s North American tour begins Wednesday, April 30. Purchase tickets for all shows here.
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