Planes Mistaken for Stars launched in Peoria, Illinois, during 1997 as a fierce emocore unit built around singer-guitarist Gared O'Donnell, guitarist Matt Bellinger, bassist Aaron Wise, and drummer Mike Ricketts. They first appeared on Deep Elm’s 1999 compilation The Emo Diaries, Vol. 3: Moment of Truth, then saw the label reissue their 1998 self-titled EP. Jamie Drier soon took over bass after prior stints with O’Donnell and Bellinger in Dismiss; the band then relocated to Denver and contributed to a three-way split with the Appleseed Cast and Race Car Riot. Their Knife in the Marathon EP surfaced on Deep Elm in early 2000, followed by the move to No Idea Records for the 2001 debut full-length Fuck with Fire. Further personnel shifts brought Chuck French aboard on bass after Drier’s exit.
Working with producer A.J. Mogis, the group delivered the harder-edged Up in Them Guts in summer 2004, touring extensively across the U.S. and Europe alongside Against Me!, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Cursive. Bellinger left after the 2005 signing to Abacus Recordings to focus on Ghost Buffalo, prompting French to switch to guitar and Neil Keener to join on bass. The long-awaited Mercy arrived in October 2006 and proved their final release before the 2008 breakup. Sporadic performances resumed in 2010, with additional tours in 2012 and 2014, and Deathwish reissued Mercy in 2015 while the band completed its first new album in ten years. Prey emerged in October 2016, showcasing a broader range that mixed hardcore, ’70s rock, and classic punk.
Original guitarist Matt Bellinger died in September 2017 at age 40. Lead singer Gared O’Donnell succumbed to esophageal cancer on November 24, 2021, at age 44, yet finished one final record in his last year; his bandmates issued that posthumous album, Do You Still Love Me?, in November 2024.
