King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Formation

The band members all grew up and went to school in the Deniliquin, Melbourne and Geelong areas. The band started off as a group of friends jamming together, before a mutual friend asked them to play at a show. The band's name was created 'last minute'. Mackenzie wanted to name the band "Gizzard Gizzard" while another band member wanted to reference Jim Morrison's 'Lizard King'. They eventually compromised with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.

Early EPs to 12 Bar Bruise (2011-2012)

The band's first extended play, Anglesea, was released on 18 March 2011 as a 4-track EP on CD. It is named for the town where Mackenzie grew up, and is not available for purchase, physically or digitally. The band's second release Willoughby's Beach EP was released on 21 October 2011 on Shock Records. Beat Magazine described the garage rock, 9-track EP as "filled to the teeth with consistently killer hooks." In December 2011, the band appeared at the Meredith Music Festival for the first time.

Their first full-length album, 12 Bar Bruise, was released on 7 September 2012. The 12-track garage rock album was self-recorded, and several tracks used unconventional recording methods. For example, the vocals for the record's title track were recorded through four iPhones placed around a room while Mackenzie sang into one of them.

Eyes Like The Sky and Float Along - Fill Your Lungs (2013)

Their second full-length album, Eyes Like the Sky was released on 22 February 2013. This album is a 'cult western audio book' narrated by Broderick Smith and tells the story of outlaws, child soldiers, Native Americans and gun fights, all set in the American Frontier. The album was written collaboratively by Broderick Smith and Stu Mackenzie, Mackenzie saying 'I love Western films. I love bad guys and I love Red Dead Redemption. Oh and I love evil guitars' when asked about the influences for this album.

Their third full-length album, Float Along - Fill Your Lungs, was released on 27 September 2013. King Gizzard shifted from garage to a more mellow folk and psychedelic influenced sound on this 8 track album.

Oddments and I'm In Your Mind Fuzz (2014)

Their fourth full-length album, Oddments, was released on 7 March 2014. In this 12-track album, the band takes a more melodic approach, and Mackenzie's vocals are more prominent. Oddments has been described as being 'recorded through a woolen sock in an adjacent room'.

Their fifth full-length album, I'm In Your Mind Fuzz, was released on 31 October 2014. The 10-track album touches on elements of fantasy and lyrically delves into the concept of mind control. This was the first time the band took a 'traditional' approach to writing and recording an album; the songs were written, the band rehearsed together, and they recorded the songs 'as a band' in the studio. Pitchfork described the album as "open[ing] with a sprint" and ending "with some of their best slow jams."

Quarters and Paper Mâché Dream Balloon (2015)

Quarters, their sixth full-length album, was released on 1 May 2015. The album features four songs, each running for ten minutes and ten seconds, making each song a quarter of the album. Drawing upon jazz-fusion and acid rock, Quarters' more laid-back sound was described as 'unlike anything they’ve released before' and as 'an album more likely to get your head bobbing and hips shaking as opposed to losing footwear in a violent mosh'.

Their seventh full-length album, Paper Mâché Dream Balloon, was released on 13 November 2015. This 'concept-less concept album' features only acoustic instruments and was recorded on Mackenzie's parent's farm in country Victoria. The album features 'a collection of short unrelated songs' described as 'mellow, defuzzed psychedelia'.

Nonagon Infinity (2016)

Their eighth full-length album, Nonagon Infinity, was released worldwide on 29 April 2016. Described by frontman Stu Mackenzie as a 'never-ending album', it features nine songs connected by musical motifs which flow 'seamlessly' into each other with the last track 'linking straight back into the top of the opener like a sonic mobius strip'. On 8 March the band released a video for the first single, "Gamma Knife". It contained a riff from the song "People Vultures" which was premiered on April 4. The album was released internationally on 29 April 2016.

Flying Microtonal Banana (2017–present)

Their ninth album, Flying Microtonal Banana, was recorded in the band's own studio and released on 24 February 2017. Three tracks were issued in advance: "Rattlesnake," the opening track, in October 2016; "Nuclear Fusion" in December 2016; and "Sleep Drifter" in January 2017. The band has said that they plan to release a total of five studio albums in 2017.

Band members

Albums

EPs

Gizzfest 2015

In April 2015 the band announced an Australian wide festival tour named 'Gizzfest' to coincide with the release of their next album. The festival went to Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane. Each event had a unique lineup headed by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.

Gizzfest 2016

After completing their Nonagon Infinity album tour, King Gizzard announced that Gizzfest would return in 2016.

Gizzfest 2016 lineup

^{*appeared in Sydney and Melbourne only}

^{**appeared in Melbourne only}

^{***appeared in Adelaide only}

Gizzfest once again travelled to Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane.