Mastodon has released an acoustic version of "Teardrinker," a single off the band's latest album, Hushed and Grim.
The original, electric version gave the metal outfit their second-highest charting single in their career, reaching the top 10 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay ranking. As drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor tells ABC Audio, "Teardrinker" became a clear choice to preview Hushed and Grim ahead of its arrival last fall.
"We knew 'Teardrinker' was gonna be one of the singles, if not the main radio single," Dailor says. "I felt like, when everything was said and done, that was probably the closest thing to a commercial-sounding song that's on the record."
Though Mastodon has certainly had success with radio singles -- 2017's Emperor of Sand cut "Show Yourself" peaked at number four on Mainstream Rock Airplay -- Dailor and company have always considered themselves to be an album band.
"I don't like putting out singles, I don't like it at all," Dailor says. "But it's a necessary evil, I guess."
"I get it, you want to get people stoked," he continues. "But for me, it's out of context. It's like taking a conversation and...it's a movie trailer, you know?"
If you want to hear the full conversation and watch the whole film, Hushed and Grim is out now.
Mastodon will launch a U.S tour in support of Hushed and Grim in April.