Forming in 2014 from Albany, New York, Prince Daddy & the Hyena fused gallows humor with precisely assembled slacker punk that incorporated elements of power pop, emo, post-hardcore, and indie rock. After two EPs came their first full-length album, I Thought You Didn't Even Like Leaving, in 2016. Greater ambition surfaced on the concept albums Cosmic Thrill Seekers in 2019 and the self-titled Prince Daddy & the Hyena in 2022.
Kory Gregory handles vocals and guitar, with Cameron Handford on guitar, Daniel Gorham on drums and vocals, and Adam Dasilva on bass. The original lineup of Gregory, drummer Alex Ziembiec, and bassist Zakariya Houacine issued the debut EP Skip Cutscenes! Blow Loud! shortly after the group formed. A 2015 deal with Broken World Media yielded the Adult Summers EP, followed by I Thought You Didn't Even Like Leaving the next year. Ziembiec exited in 2017 and Daniel Gorham stepped in, making his recorded debut on Cosmic Thrill Seekers, released through Counter Intuitive Records in 2019. Inspired by the punk world-building of My Chemical Romance and Green Day, the mental health-focused album traced a three-act story that paralleled the structure and certain themes of The Wizard of Oz. Adam Dasilva assumed bass duties before the third album. The 2022 Pure Noise release Prince Daddy & the Hyena delivered another concept record rooted in frontman Kory Gregory’s acute fear of death and featured the singles “Curly Q” and “A Random Exercise in Impermanence (The Collector).”
