The Dial (song)
"The Dial" is a song by British band Squid. It was released on 21 September 2018 through Speedy Wunderground on 7" and streaming services. The song saw the band get "much bolder and louder" than their debut EP, Lino. The song is about a loved one suffering from illness. Critics reviewed the song positively.
Background
Squid is a British band made up of Ollie Judge, Louis Borlase, Arthur Leadbetter, Laurie Nankivell and Anton Pearson. The band would release their debut EP, Lino, in 2017 and a debut single, "Terrestrial Changeover Blues " in 2018.Music and lyrics
"The Dial" has been described as post-punk. The track was produced by Dan Carey and recorded in under 24 hours. According to the band, the song's lyrics revolve around "a dear loved one suffering a horrible illness in hospital". While the patient's blood is being taken, the nurses turn into vampires and suck the blood from the other patients. The track begins with "a tight drum beat and relatively taut, funky guitar strut". As the songs continues, the instrumentation grows more intense. Judge's vocals "plunge in and out of a forceful, rasping screech" throughout.Release
"The Dial" was released on 21 September 2018 through Speedy Wunderground. The song was released on streaming services and on a limited edition 7" vinyl record. In June 2019, before the release of Town Centre, Judge called the song a "big, massive step" in their music, and that "everything before was more us finding our feet."On 1 December 2020, as part of an effort to prevent the Windmill from closing, the band put up a signed copy of "The Dial" for auction in order to raise funds.