Biography
Formed in New Zealand, Earth Tongue crafts a dense fusion of proto-metal, stoner rock, early prog, and psychedelia that delivers both melodic appeal and overwhelming force. What began as a side project for Gussie Larkin of Mermaidens quickly built its own audience once the 2019 album Floating Being found underground favor among listeners drawn to unconventional heavy rock. Five years of road work sharpened the pair’s sound, yielding a more cohesive yet equally forceful follow-up with the 2024 release Great Haunting.
The name Earth Tongue refers to a dark mushroom from the Geoglossaceae family. Singer and guitarist Gussie Larkin, who launched the indie rock band Mermaidens in 2013 during high school, started the project with her partner Ezra Simons. While visiting Portugal in 2016, the couple attended a festival showcasing various strains of heavy music and drew inspiration from its intensity. They soon formed their own outfit, with Larkin handling guitar and vocals alongside Simons on drums, shaping tracks around thick, distorted riffs, straightforward pounding beats, and themes pulled from classic science-fiction films. Earth Tongue played its debut show in Wellington before the year ended, quickly gaining notice across the Antipodes and later in the United Kingdom.
Signing with the British psych-focused imprint Stolen Body Records, the duo issued Floating Being in 2019 to widespread critical acclaim. Touring increased markedly, with repeated visits to Europe and the UK plus support slots for Ty Segall and Queens of the Stone Age. In 2024 the band made its first trip to the United States to appear at the South by Southwest Music Conference, yet joined a boycott of the event after learning of U.S. military sponsorship amid the conflict in Gaza; Larkin and Simons instead performed at other Texas dates. The American indie label In the Red subsequently offered to issue the group’s next record, Great Haunting, which appeared in June 2024.
The name Earth Tongue refers to a dark mushroom from the Geoglossaceae family. Singer and guitarist Gussie Larkin, who launched the indie rock band Mermaidens in 2013 during high school, started the project with her partner Ezra Simons. While visiting Portugal in 2016, the couple attended a festival showcasing various strains of heavy music and drew inspiration from its intensity. They soon formed their own outfit, with Larkin handling guitar and vocals alongside Simons on drums, shaping tracks around thick, distorted riffs, straightforward pounding beats, and themes pulled from classic science-fiction films. Earth Tongue played its debut show in Wellington before the year ended, quickly gaining notice across the Antipodes and later in the United Kingdom.
Signing with the British psych-focused imprint Stolen Body Records, the duo issued Floating Being in 2019 to widespread critical acclaim. Touring increased markedly, with repeated visits to Europe and the UK plus support slots for Ty Segall and Queens of the Stone Age. In 2024 the band made its first trip to the United States to appear at the South by Southwest Music Conference, yet joined a boycott of the event after learning of U.S. military sponsorship amid the conflict in Gaza; Larkin and Simons instead performed at other Texas dates. The American indie label In the Red subsequently offered to issue the group’s next record, Great Haunting, which appeared in June 2024.
Albums
Singles
