UK's Powerplant have come a long way from rocking in the bedroom to playing hard on the world stage, cementing their status with catchy music and striking art from its very beginning. The debut synth-punk album People in the Sun took the internet by storm in 2019, created solely by the band leader Theo Zhykharyev. It captivated the world with eccentric bass lines, fuzzy synthesisers and touching lyrics. It landed on ‘Best of…’ lists by Pitchfork and Bandcamp, receiving nods from Iggy Pop and Henry Rollins.
Zhykharyev assembled a live band consisting of London’s best, featuring Karim Newble (Island of Love), Lloyd Clipston (Arms Race) and Cajm Pickering (ineedsound). Together, they tour the globe relentlessly, going on 10 tours in the past 2.5 years alone. They played far and wide on both coasts of the US, Scandinavia, Europe and the UK. Powerplant performed at festivals, like End of The Road, Outbreak and Fluff Fest. When not headlining punk tours, they open for international cult rockers OSees, Show Me The Body and Ovlov.
Powerplant moves at its own accord, always morphing into something more powerful and mysterious. With each release, Powerplant reinvents itself—from the synth-punk of 2019’s People in the Sun to dungeon-synth with 2022’s hour-long Stump Soup album, from rock of 2023’s Grass EP to black metal inspired release in 2025. With each addition to their catalog, Theo Zhykharyev throws new sonic mutations in the mix. It’s never the same, but always 100% Powerplant.
Powerplant stop by PBS for an intimate Studio 5 Live session on Underground Love. Tune in from 3pm on Tuesday October 21 for this special performance and interview with Jordan.
