Ex-SLIPKNOT Drummer JAY WEINBERG Teams Up With SOFTCULT On New Single 'Drown Fountain'

Revered drummer Jay Weinberg (SLIPKNOT, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, Bruce Springsteen) has unveiled his latest collaborative single, "Drown Fountain", featuring acclaimed Canadian grunge-gaze duo SOFTCULT. Available now, the track marks the newest installment in Weinberg's ongoing series of artist collaborations, showcasing yet another unexpected creative direction from the three-time Modern Drummer "Metal Drummer Of The Year".

A striking departure from his previous releases, "Drown Fountain" trades crushing percussion for layers of shoegaze, drone, and atmospheric texture. The song also marks Weinberg's vocal debut, with SOFTCULT's Mercedes Arn-Horn lending her unmistakable voice to one of his most personal and vulnerable compositions to date.

"'Drown Fountain' is this weird song I started writing back in 2013 that I'd keep revisiting over the years, but I could never figure out how to get it across the finish line," says Weinberg. "It took my introduction to SOFTCULT's music and reaching out to see if they'd be interested in collaborating for the song to finally become what it was meant to be. It's an honor to work with them on this song, especially in that it feels more vulnerable than anything I've created in the past. I've never sang before, I've always had my loud drums to 'protect me' in a way…it's all new and exciting territory, and to have Mercedes and Phoenix help me bring it to life in this beautiful way has been an artistic dream."

"Drown Fountain" follows Weinberg's previously released collaborations "Sandstone", featuring George Clarke of DEAFHEAVEN, and "Drone Operator", featuring NOWHERE2RUN (members of CODE ORANGE). Together, the singles highlight Weinberg's ever-expanding creative vision, with each release exploring a distinct sonic landscape while featuring artwork from acclaimed artist Paul Romano.

With "Drown Fountain", Weinberg continues to embrace an increasingly adventurous artistic path, moving freely between heavy music, experimental soundscapes, and deeply personal songwriting while collaborating with some of today's most compelling artists.

A visual artist himself, Weinberg has also expanded the collaborative nature of this project to its imagery, entrusting legendary artist Paul Romano (MASTODON, TRIVIUM, THE RED CHORD, etc.) with the art direction for the growing collection of singles.

"I've been an avid fan of Paul's work ever since I was in an Ozzfest mosh pit seeing this insane painting of Moby Dick (Romano's cover for MASTODON's 'Leviathan') raised up as a stage banner," says Weinberg. "Ever since then, I've been enamored with the worlds that he creates for the artists he works with. We've become friends over the years, and as I've been creating these songs, I pitched the idea to him about designating one color of the rainbow to each individual collaboration. He's taken that idea, the lyrics and stories behind these songs, and created something I never could have done, on my own. That's pretty much the spirit of this project anyway; not really starting a full-on new band with different groups of friends, where we all have busy creative lives and responsibilities filling our schedules…but rather a low-pressure, single-song way to make something that's eclectic and exciting, that creates a larger, dynamic picture altogether. I'm so stoked to see where it goes from here."

Alongside his solo collaborations, Weinberg will also be heard behind the kit on FUMING MOUTH's highly anticipated new album, "The Ringing Bell", arriving July 17 via Triple B Records. Recorded with producer Kurt Ballou, the album marks Weinberg's first collaboration with the Massachusetts death metal and hardcore outfit and has already generated significant excitement following the release of its first two singles, "A Blaze Of Nihilism" and "Cheat Death".

The collaboration began when FUMING MOUTH frontman Mark Whelan reached out to Weinberg with an unexpected invitation to play on the album.

"Mark e-mailed me out of the blue that his band was going to be recording a new record with Kurt Ballou (CONVERGE, GodCity Studio),and asked if I'd like to play drums on it. I mean, talk about the fastest 'Yes' I've ever responded to anything," Weinberg laughs. "It was easily one of my favorite creative experiences ever, and I'm seriously proud to be a part of the album. It rips."

Reflecting on this creative chapter, Weinberg adds: "I love pursuing this fresh, new feeling I've had in the last two and a half years or so, just making things without limitation. We'll see where it all goes from here, honestly. I feel like creativity begets creativity, activity begets activity — like a deepening rabbit hole, I'm just excited to see where it keeps going."

Tintype: Aidan Higginbotham