Billy Howerdel

Howerdel is currently actively involved in his new solo project, Ashes Divide. Howerdel handled nearly all the instruments in the studio for the release, except the drums for which he recruited session musician Josh Freese. The first single, "The Stone", gained some radio play, and the band toured for the album throughout 2008.

In a 2008 interview Howerdel said he did not take drugs, drank only occasionally and practiced Transcendental Meditation.

Howerdel has occasionally played live with the band Abandoned Pools. In 2005, he wrote and recorded music for the video game Jak X: Combat Racing, which also features remixes of Howerdel's songs by Danny Lohner and Dean Menta, and musicians Josh Freese and Troy Van Leeuwen of Queens of the Stone Age, Atom Willard of Angels And Airwaves, Joey Castillo of Queens of the Stone Age, ex-A Perfect Circle bassist Paz Lenchantin and Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit. Howerdel also worked on the Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy, specifically the song "There Was A Time".

Howerdel functioned as a guitar technician for Tool during the tour and recording of Ænima, working with Maynard James Keenan, whom he met in 1992. During this time, Howerdel played Keenan some of his songs, and Keenan offered his vocals if Howerdel ever decided to form a band. Despite originally considering a female singer, Howerdel would eventually accept Keenan's offer. In 1999, Howerdel founded A Perfect Circle, and invited Keenan to join.

Billy Howerdel (born May 18, 1970) is the founding member, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and producer for the bands A Perfect Circle and Ashes Divide. He has recorded four acclaimed studio albums with the former, and in 2008, Ashes Divide released their debut album, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright.