Peter Gabriel has released 'Put the Bucket Down,' the second single from his forthcoming album o/i, following January's 'Been Undone.' Dropped on the February 2026 full moon, the track explores mind reading, brain-computer interfaces, identity, and mental clutter, with a Bright-Side Mix produced by Mark 'Spike' Stent.
Peter Gabriel released 'Put the Bucket Down' on Sunday, February 1, 2026, aligning with the full moon. This continues his monthly full-moon single rollout for the o/i album—echoing the 2023 i/o release pattern—with the full LP expected by the end of 2026. The second single after 'Been Undone,' it was written and produced by Gabriel, featuring a shuffle groove, catchy hook, lop-sided loop, and dream-like imagery of thought reading/writing via brain-computer interfaces, where the narrator questions their own consciousness.
Gabriel explained: “As a side project, I am working on a show with the brain as the central core... This is one of those and it’s a point in the narrative where we can both read and write thoughts and the person singing is not sure whether he has his own thoughts or not. Is he inside his own mind or inside someone else’s? The ‘bucket’ is all the crap that goes around our head all the time, so it is putting the bucket down to find your way forward.”
Musically, the band brought it to life, with John Metcalfe adding a simple orchestral part during sessions, and horn players Paolo Fresu and Josh Shpack contributing to the melody.
The single's artwork, 'Cosmic Spider/Web,' was created by artist Tomás Saraceno using webs from Cyrtophora citricola, Nephila senegalensis, and Holocnemus pluchei spiders—who are credited as co-authors. Gabriel said: “I’m delighted this month that we have an artwork created by Tomás Saraceno and 12 spiders who are credited with authorship on this... This work, integrating with nature and co-creating with spiders is fascinating... there seems to be a connection with webs and nature and the brain, so for me, it fits right in.”
A Dark-Side Mix by Tchad Blake follows later in the month on the new moon. 'Put the Bucket Down' (Bright-Side Mix) is available now digitally, with further singles expected monthly through 2026.
