Former Il Niño frontman Cristian Machado has released a new single. “Die Alone,” according to American Songwriter, is “a love song, but one stitched together from suffering, heartbreak, and a search for meaning and growth in the face of pain, loss, and unimaginable challenges.”
Said Machado in a statement about the song:
“‘Die Alone‘ is a song of hope for anyone faced with unimaginable challenges. Out of all suffering can evolve monolithic personal growth, and I seek comfort in that. If we let go of the painful past, we don’t become the suffering. Shedding skin is sometimes the hardest part but it is why we’re here — to love, to hurt, to feel, to adapt, and, most importantly, to evolve and not make the same mistakes we made in the past.”
“In my head, there’s definitely an endless stream of music to be created,” Machado told American Songwriter. “It’s always been hard picking the right ideas to develop but ‘Die Alone’ felt absolutely right the entire time. At no time did I have to alter anything, or change anything out of doubt or unhappiness.”
“Die Alone” was the only track Machado recorded completely on his own without backing musicians, which he says makes the song more vulnerable. He continues, “It really was an instinctual, almost surreal experience writing that one. I think it’s the more genuine way to introduce myself in this light. It really is just me, as vulnerable as can be. I’d lie if I was to say I am not nervous.”
“Die Alone” is the first single from Machado’s upcoming debut solo album, ‘Hollywood Y Sycamore,’ out September 25 on Coconut Bay. The album is set to feature new compositions, reworked Il Niño songs (“How Can I Live,” “Numb”) and covers of tracks from Pink Floyd (“Welcome To The Machine”), Post Malone (“Blame It On Me”) and Life of Agony (“Weeds”), all with a focus on Machado’s Latin roots and bilingual songwriting.
“There are no gimmicks here, not even copy, pasting of any audio was allowed on the album,” Machado told American Songwriter about the album. “It truly is a completely honest offering with no bullshit, no tricks, no hidden help.”
Earlier this year, Il Niño settled a lawsuit between its members that effectively forced Machado and guitarists Ahrue “Luster” Ilustre and Diego Verduzco to move on to new projects while bassist Laz Pina and drummer Dave Chavarri got to keep performing under the band name.
Check out audio for “Die Alone” below:
