Introducing: Four-piece stoner/grunge/alternative rock band Planet Hunter from Wellington, New Zealand!

Photo by Garry Thomas

Planet Hunter is a stoner/grunge/alternative rock band from Wellington, New Zealand.

Drop a pin somewhere in the 90s and you’ll find the roots of Planet Hunter beneath early Melvins and Tool. The band, while adding a progressive, psychedelic voice to stoner rock, is steeped in the early nostalgia of the bands the members grew up with. The result is hard-hitting riffs – doomy but somehow uplifting – with wild tangential moments and structural experimentation.

Planet Hunter’s followers know their live shows are something to behold. Singer Cormac brings an art-house spectacle with his wardrobe of freaky costumes, utility pouches, confetti, lasers, wizard staff and papier-mâché helmets. Meanwhile the band delivers a set that sounds as good live as it does recorded.

On September 23, 2022 Planet Hunter released their debut album, »Moscovium«, named after a highly radioactive and somewhat fleeting element recently discovered in a Russian particle accelerator.

Recorded under the stars inside a converted shipping container in Tawa, New Zealand. Mixed and mastered by Dale Cotton between moon phases using selected analogue monstrosities.

The album takes the diverse influences of its musicians – prog rock, jazz, funk, Balkan dance music, metal, indie pop – and mashes them into a cohesive riff-fueled powerhouse that has garnered airplay in New Zealand (RDU), Australia (Banks Radio), Scotland (Castle Rock) and attracted the attention of rock blogs internationally (DenpaFuzz, Doom Charts).

Get »Moscovium« here: planethunterband.bandcamp.com

Planet Hunter is:
Jedaiah Van Ewijk – Bass
Cormac Ferris – Vocals
William Saunders – Guitars
David McGurk – Drums

Links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well