During the formative years of the band, it would have been accurate to describe King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard as everyone's side project. Born out of loosely organised Carlton house party jams, it has been said that there are upwards of fifty different people who could have ended up as members of the band — now, it is the nexus for a range of solo and side acts, peers, collaborators, and even a new generation of bands who draw influence from them.
Stu is the only member of the band who has been solely dedicated to it since it's formation, and not actively composing music for other projects.
Here is a breakdown of the biggest and most closely related music projects that are linked to King Gizzard:
The Murlocs is a Garage/Blues Rock band fronted by Ambrose, featuring Cook on bass, with Cal Shortal, Tim Karmouche, and Matt Blach playing guitar, keyboards, and drums respectively. Formed shortly before Ambrose joined King Gizzard, as his primary project they have maintained a very respectable and distinctive output between the sometimes apparantly bigger commitments of their band members. The material is a less conceptual, more straightforward reflection of Ambrose; and is guaranteed to be enjoyed by any fan of the idiosyncratic vocal timbre and signature harmonica wail that has come to define his contributions for King Gizzard.
This is the solo project of Cook, who began releasing music under the title in 2015. He typically writes and records all the music alone in his bedroom except drums, which are typically played by Cavs and recorded at King Gizzard headquarters. The music and videos provide an insight into the existence of Cookie, who populates his songs with seemingly mundane topics delivered in a highly idiosyncratic, kooky style that will be recognisable to fans of the handful of King Gizzard songs he has written and recorded vocals for.
Bullant is the solo Techno/IDM production project of Joey. His debut album Tyson, Crying shows the learning process of Ableton in real time, unable to save a project using the free version of the software, each song was completed in a single session under the stairs at the studio. Beginning in 2019, one could infer that this project was the offshoot of the electronic experiments of King Gizzard such as can be heard at the end of Fishing For Fishies, or in Made In Timeland.
In 2021, Cavs released his debut solo self-titled drumming album. A pure expression of his drumming ability, CAVS shows off chops in various percussive styles outside of what he usually gets to play with King Gizzard.
Heavy Moss is a lo-fi band fronted by Lucas. Since the dissolution of his independent record label Dusky Tracks, he has started a new project to develop his musical composition ability, even getting piano lessons for the purpose.
Prior to the formation of King Gizzard, each member had already been in an array of bands and musical projects populated with other locals from the Deniliquin, Barwon Heights, Geelong, Anglesea, and Melbourne areas, but have since become more focused on King Gizzard.
This was a Garage Rock band formed in 2005 featuring Stu on guitar, Cavs drumming, and Lucas on bass and backup vocals. Other members included Blaise Adamson and Tim Richards. They released one EP and the 2008 album Uncle Fever + Aunt Ammonia.
This was a precursor to The Murlocs, a Blues Rock band featuring Ambrose and Lucas, also with Sam Cooper, Cal Shortal and Lonnie Carland. They released two EPs and an album, Beat Boom Soul in 2009.
Almacknjack was a Garage Rock band featuring Stu on guitar, with Almo Troup and Jack Robbins. In 2008, they released their only album Taste of an Orange. 'Al' and Jack went on to make an album together as Morning Morning in 2017.
The Lexies were an Alternative / Garage Rock band featuring Eric on drums, with Shane McGrath, Glen Smith, and Anthony J. Ladson. They released an EP Do You Want Some Money? in 2007.
Formerly known as Goodnight Owl, Love Migrate were a sometimes borderline Ambient Indie Rock band featuring Eric on Drums, Joey on guitar and various electronic instruments, with Edward Alexander, Bella Walker, Casey Hartnett, Monty Hartnett, Pete Sismanes, and Glen Smith filling out an array of other roles. Love Migrate had the distinction of continuing well into the rise of King Gizzard, and were published by Flightless Records and then Dusky Tracks. Monty Hartnett is further associated with King Gizzard having played drums on Crying, and Pipe-Dream from Oddments.
Revolver & Sun were a sixties inspired Folk Rock band featuring Stu and Cook on guitar and bass, Monty Hartnett on drums and Fraser Gorman with lead vocals. Here is a video of them jamming the Blues with 'Dennis', likely the inspiration for Homeless Man In Adidas.
Atolls was a Psych Rock band of Lucas', featuring Oli Grinter and Sam Ingles releasing EPs in 2013 and 2014.
This seems to have been a project of Cook's, little evidence of its existence remains. Two songs were uploaded to a Myspace page which are now lost due to a botched server migration.
Formerly known as Trumpdisco, this was an electronic production and DJ duo consisting of Joey and Alexander Braithwaite, since Joey's apparant departure in 2016 the project has continued under the name SUB-humans.
Buried Horses were a band featuring Eric on drums, Jim Westmore, Tom Westmore, Liam O'Shannessy, and Mark Berry. They released an album, Tempest, in 2011.
Dreamin' Wild were an easy listening Jazz and Blues rock band featuring Cook on bass, Chris Jennings, Monty Hartnett, Sam Cooper, and Tim Karmouche, and released albums in 2016 and 2019.
Members of King Gizzard are associated in various ways with many other musicians, either as collaborators, personal friends, or through contributing to their releases in technical roles. There are many more projects that King Gizzard members have contributed to, but with the limited information available these must be assumed to be one-off collaborations rather than the more meaningful or relevant relationships as listed below.
Leah Senior is a solo Folk artist and as the 'Reticent Raconteur' narrating on Murder Of The Universe, and Polygondwanaland, is one of the most prolific musical contributors to King Gizzard outside the core members. Leah is a personal friend of the band members and former label-mate at Flightless Records, where King Gizzard members have contributed technical roles in the production of her albums.
Ambrose's father Broderick wrote and narrated 2012's Eyes Like The Sky. Broderick is a legend of the Australian music industry in his own right as a member of Sundown, Carson, and The Dingoes.
Mild High Club is the hypnagogic-psych project of Alex Brettin, and collaborator on Sketches Of Brunswick East. The Mild High Club live band had been booked for 2016's Gizzfest, and Alex hit it off so well with King Gizzard that he stuck around for a couple of extra weeks and put down a series of demos that later became the album.
ORB are a Melbourne based heavy Psych Rock band led by Zak Olsen, and featuring Daff Gravolin and Jamie Harmer. Stu ocasionally records, mixes or contributes keyboards to their music, and the band have supported and toured several times with King Gizzard. Zak is part of a network of mutual friends in the Melbourne music scene associated with King Gizzard, including Leah Senior who at one stage was his house-mate.
Traffik Island is the solo project of Zak Olsen from ORB. Alternating between Syd Barrett-style zany acoustic Psych Folk, and Plunderphonics dance music, this is a carefree project for Zak to express himself and collaborate.
Stonefield is a Heavy Psych quartet of sisters: Amy, Hannah, Sarah, and Holly Findlay. They are signed to Flightless Records and have toured with King Gizzard. Though uncredited, Amy plays drums on Persistence from Omnium Gatherum, and is Cavs' spouse.
Amyl and The Sniffers were the Flightless Records label-mate of King Gizzard while they went through their own meteroic rise. They are known for their high energy live show, and are a frequent collaborator with King Gizzard friend John Angus Stewart.
Tropical Fuck Storm is the latest Art Punk project from legendary Australian music couple Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin, formerly of The Drones, featuring Lauren Hammel and Erica Dunn. Gareth was an early supporter of King Gizzard, having them open for The Drones and has a song named after him on 12 Bar Bruise. Since the launch of the new project, it was time to return the favour and publish it on Flightless Records, eventuating in King Gizz travelling to Gareth and Fiona's rural Victoria home studio to record Fishing For Fishies (behind the scenes documentary), where they also recorded what would become their Satanic Slumber Party collaboration.
The Babe Rainbow are a Psychedelic Pop band from Byron Bay, New South Wales. Their debut self-titled album was published by Flightless Records and features Stu playing Clarinet.
Rough River is the solo Folk project of Kate Skinner, Lucas's sister and co-founder of Dusky Tracks. Lucas contributed bass for her 2017 album, The Leaving.
Formerly known as Baked Beans, this is the Psych Rock band fronted by The Murlocs drummer Matt Blach, and featuring Jack Kong, Vincent Clementson, Mitch Ric, Lachlan McKiernan (drums).
Aunty Donna are a comedy skit group from Melbourne. They released The Album in 2018 featuring Joey as himself playing the guitar solo for the track Professor Whiskers, and as part of the SUB-humans duo for Aunty Donna Theme. Joey, Ambrose, Cavs, and Lucas also appear as themselves at the end of this Aunty Donna skit promoting their Netflix special.
Forever Son is the solo project of Jack Robbins since the disbandment of Almacknjack. His music is a bold and dynamic mix of Rock styles ranging from Country to Psych, as a vehicle for his earnest lyrics delving into the human experience. Here he is covering King Gizzard with Leah Senior, who's band he also plays in.
Sagamore were a laid-back Funk band featuring Monty and Casey Hartnett, Chris Jennings, Sam Cooper, Sophia and Lubczenko with contributions from Tim Karmouche. They were published by Flightless Records and then Dusky Tracks.
This is the solo project of Revolver & Sun vocalist Fraser Gorman. He has continued to collaborate sporadically with Forever Son (Jack Robbins) and Stu.
The solo project of The Murlocs/Dreamin' Wild's Tim Karmouche. Mouche uses a 'deliberate and necessary eschewing of words' to form highly atmospheric soundscapes consisting of anything from amnesiac Jazz, to field recordings, to worn-out sepia Surf Rock.
In time, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard will become a point of reference for generations of future musicians. Now after more than a decade since their debut, this process is just now beginning to be expressed in newer bands.
Liminal are a Psych Rock band from Lismore, New South Wales, who pick up on distinct King Gizzard references within their deepening bodies of work. Principal member Alako Myles is a professed fan, and can be seen wearing a King Gizzard shirt in their music video for Ettarath. They released their debut album, Place, in 2021.
The Lazy Eyes are a Sydney, New South Wales based Psych Rock band who released their debut album, Songbook, in 2022. Wearing their influences on their sleeve, several tracks on the album sonically nod to other Psych Rock projects, such as The Seaside with Innerspeaker-era Tame Impala guitar tones, hints of ORB on their breakout single Fuzz Jam, and of course the kraut-Gizz inspired Where's My Brain???. The band are very well-practised, which is never more evident than during their joyful and very tight live performances.
Playing into the heavier and looser side of King Gizzard, they use a similar 'all-in' approach creating the appearance of a drastic mythology that is little but post-Gizzverse, such as in their music video for I Am The Vomit.
Words by W.B.T.G. Slinger