Gnarcissists
ABOUT
Gnarcissists are a New York City rock band formed out of the city’s late-2010s garage underground. Initially conceived as a reaction against the prevailing West Coast “garage revival” wave, the band developed through shared living spaces and long hours in Bushwick rehearsal rooms, building songs designed to withstand pressure rather than chase immediacy. What began with Matthew Orr, Jerome Peel, and Matthew Tillwick has grown into a volatile six-piece featuring James Hernandez (Malice K), Baby Delgado, and Ben Arauz (Pretty Sick, Taraneh).
Their sound is abrasive but direct, with serrated guitars, insistent rhythms, and vocals delivered with confrontational urgency. Frequently compared to the nervous immediacy of Richard Hell and the unhinged sprawl of Butthole Surfers, Gnarcissists have built a reputation for chaotic, high-pressure live shows that prioritize presence over polish.
Through consistent live performance, Gnarcissists became a fixture of New York’s live circuit, sharing stages with James Chance, Richard Lloyd, Walter Lure, Gibby Haynes, The Voidz, Fcukers, Viagra Boys, Amyl and the Sniffers, and more. These appearances positioned the band in dialogue with both the city’s punk lineage and its contemporary international circuit.
Their debut LP Gnarcissists arrived in 2025, recorded in the East Village basement of the former Brownies club, a foundational downtown New York venue, with longtime Strokes producer Gus Oberg. The album presented a more focused version of the band that remained confrontational and physical, sharpened through restraint rather than excess. It captured Gnarcissists not as they first exploded, but as they learned how to hold the fire without extinguishing it.
In 2026, Gnarcissists will release a new EP and expand touring beyond New York, applying that same magnetism to larger rooms and longer routes.
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