When the heavy, dreamy alt-rock band Fleshwater started in 2020, they were pretty much just a side project of the heavy, freaked-out Massachusetts hardcore band Vein. Since then, they’ve blown the fuck up, especially after the release of their 2022 full-length We’re Not Here To Be Loved. Writing about Fleshwater’s demo almost five years ago, I said that there was “a whole lot of Deftones” in their sound, and now Fleshwater are gearing up for an arena tour with Deftones and the Mars Volta. Today. Fleshwater have a new standalone single that, helpfully enough, is called “Standalone.”

Fleshwater have been playing “Standalone” live since 2023. It’s a short song, just over a minute, and it makes a great set opener — a super-heavy and energetic riff, a few vocals, and then we’re out. It could almost be a Vein track. Even with that title, I would’ve expected Fleshwater to use “Standalone” as an album intro, but instead they’ve dropped it as a surprise-release single. It’s their first new music since We’re Not Here To Be Loved.

“Standalone” doesn’t quite stand alone. Instead, Fleshwater have shared it alongside “What The F#%! Was Said,” a recorded-live version of their demo track “What Was Really Said.” Listen to both tracks below.

“Standalone” is out now on Closed Casket Activities.