Performer Page
Megafauna
Music
Austin, TX
Jolting from headbanging math rock to an ethereal wash of psychedelia to grungy, garage riffage in an instance, Megafauna blend angular rhythms with beautiful melodies in a way unlike their Austin, TX rock and roll peers. Led by the ethereal vocals and guitar wizardry of Dani Neff, Megafauna draw from progressive powerhouses like Rush and The Mars Volta, avant-indie instigators Radiohead and Unknown Mortal Orchestra and contemporary shredders King Gizzard and Mastodon. The band has evolved over the years to the current lineup of Zack Humphrey on drums, Will Krause on bass and Winston Barrett on guitar/keys, each bringing a precision and edge to the outfit.
Megafauna releases its sixth full length album, “Olympico” in April 2023. The band worked with producer/engineer Charles Godfrey (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, …Trail of Dead, Swans, Holy Wave) and have collectively shaped an energetic and diverse record that adds to the Megafauna canon. The opening line sets the tone as Neff curiously sings “Say goodbye to normal people” on the track “Sunday Saturday”. The following tracks pulse with their signature rock sound before giving way to lighter moments like the psychedelic bossa nova of “Sometimes Island” and the indie math rock number “Dozer”, highlighting the band’s wide palette and sonic range. The album confidently meanders through touches of shoegaze, doomy stoner rock, sludge and various corners of the heavy, progressive and alternative rock esotera. Megafauna once again venture to provide “a psychedelic excursion” (SPIN), “[steal] all the gnarly riffs in the world” (NOISEY), balance “the perfect mix of brainy and brawny” (Pop Matters) to blow your mind and “shatter your car windows” (Consequence of Sound). Fittingly the album ends with “Rage of the Queen”’s final lines - “Make waves. Don’t wait. Choose fate. Checkmate.”
Performing at Levitation Festival, curated by The Black Angels and The Reverberation Appreciation Society, Megafauna flexed their latest material alongside French psych-rockers Slift- a show that was lauded by the festival community. No stranger to touring, they have sharply cut their chops across US, European and Japanese stages, performing alongside Unknown Mortal Orchestra, All them Witches, and Cursive at Treefort Festival, SXSW, Joshua Tree Music Festival, Norman Music Fest, CMJ and more.


