The Antithesis of the Modern Music Industry: Fartbarf

After peeling away the layers of Los Angeles underground band Fartbarf, you'd still be left with intricate synth punk rock that puts you in a daze. The band's odd stage presence, paired with a name that emits a chuckle, has easily attracted a following for the band. Three men in space suits and monkey masks are hard to avoid, and once the first notes ring out across a packed venue, their sound is unmistakable. However, a following is the last thing on the band's mind. 

The band's origins stretch back to 2008, when there were no initial ambitions to make a band in the first place. Josh McLeod, Dan Burley and Brian Brunac got together and bonded over a shared love for analog synthesizers. Originally, the three would mess around in garages with the sole mission of “pissing off girlfriends and parents,” as the band puts it.  

“We were playing for several months, and over the course of playing, we would have people coming and knocking on our doors wondering what instruments were making these sounds.” Brunac said. “We were playing in a different way. Think back to the late 2000s and everything was sounding like dubstep.” 

While the band's initial hobby grew into aspirations to play live, the mission of the band took a completely different direction. Fart Barf stands as an “antihero” to the modern underground music scene. No faces, no fame, and no explanation. 

When questioned on the band's approach to marketing themselves, Brunac responded, “The intent was really to keep the expectations low; with a name like Fartbarf, you would assume that not even a 10-year-old would name their band that.” 

Despite the haphazard development of the band's image, Fartbarf ended up with completely opposite results. Over the course of nearly a decade and a half, the band built a solid following within Southern California and went on tours across the country and to Canada. 

Fart Barf has created a sound that speaks for itself. However, their stage presence makes the band unmistakable. July 31. 2026, the band took the stage at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, in their usual attire - ape mask and NASA-style jumpsuits. Business as usual. 

“We want all three of our faces to be the same. We’re very inspired by Devo, and they kind of looked like cookie-cutters of themselves.” Said Josh McLeod. “For the Neanderthal portion, we had this idea of the future meets primitive. There's an origin story there; we just need to lock it down.” 

By today's standard of music, Fartbarf relies on an older style of playing. Two analog synthesizer players and drums are what create the band's ability to cut through a crowd from beginning to end of their set. While the music is unique, it comes with its fair share of challenges. Older, temperamental equipment is the cornerstone of the band, so much so to the point that the band frequently runs into problems with the humidity of venues affecting the synthesizers. 

No matter the headaches, the band consistently takes a hard stance. 

“We are anti-touchscreen. We had a vision where we are putting these restraints up. It's going to be analog-synth, it's going to be live drums.” Said Brunac. “And it's been kind of a pain in the ass; actually it's been a huge pain in the ass.” 

This approach to making music and performing is what sets Fartbarf light-years apart from other bands. Refusal to cut corners, disinterest in fame, and genuine love for creating music can be few and far between for many musicians. However, Fartbarf is a blueprint for how attention to the craft holds more weight than a lust for popularity.