Biography
Earth Tongue is a Wellington-based duo formed by guitarist and vocalist Gussie Larkin and drummer and vocalist Ezra Simons. The pair carve out a heavy, psychedelic sound rooted in fuzz-drenched guitar work and driving rhythmic intensity, operating in a space that draws from noise rock, garage, and occult-tinged heavy music. As a two-piece, the band generates a remarkably dense sonic presence, with Larkin’s guitar often filling the roles of both melody and low-end weight while Simons anchors the arrangements with forceful drumming.
Gussie Larkin is also known as a member of Wellington outfit Mermaidens, bringing further experience in heavy and alternative music to Earth Tongue’s sound. The duo have also been associated with other projects including Red Sky Blues. Earth Tongue’s lean, two-person lineup is central to their identity, allowing them a high degree of creative autonomy and a raw, live energy that carries through to their recorded output.
The band released The Well Of Pristine Order in 2019 through Bristol-based independent label Stolen Body Records, marking their most widely distributed release to date. The CDr format release carried catalogue number SBR062 and brought Earth Tongue to the attention of international audiences who follow heavy psychedelic and underground rock. Stolen Body Records has a reputation for releasing adventurous, effects-heavy guitar music, making it a fitting home for the duo’s densely layered sound.
Also in 2019, the band released Floating Being, expanding their catalogue and demonstrating a productive period of output. The release continued to develop the themes and textures established across their earlier work, cementing their reputation as one of New Zealand’s more distinctive heavy underground acts. Earth Tongue have consistently worked at the heavier, more experimental end of the local independent music spectrum.
In 2024, Earth Tongue returned with Great Haunting, their most recent completed album at the time of writing, followed by the announced Dungeon Vision projected for 2026. The continued activity underscores the duo’s commitment to their craft and their ongoing relevance within both the New Zealand independent music scene and the broader international heavy underground. Their Bandcamp page remains the primary hub for their recorded work and direct-to-fan releases.
“Earth Tongue create a genuinely massive sound for a two-piece, channelling fuzz and psych into something that feels ritualistic and alive.”
— Stolen Body Records, release notes for The Well Of Pristine Order, earthtongue.bandcamp.com
“Wellington duo Earth Tongue operate with an economy of personnel and a surplus of intensity, their guitar-and-drums format stripped back but never thin.”
— Discogs artist profile, Earth Tongue
Members
- Gussie Larkin (Instruments, Earth Tongue, Mermaidens)
- Ezra Simons (Instruments, Earth Tongue)
Discography
- The Well Of Pristine Order [CDr] (2019, Stolen Body Records, SBR062)
- Floating Being (2019)
- Great Haunting (2024)
- Dungeon Vision (2026)