The frontman of masked band President has responded to claims that the group was an industry plant, telling Kerrang that the band built itself from the ground up with no corporate backing.
The President addressed rumors that a major label and industry machinery had supported the band from its beginning. He explained what led to these false claims spreading among fans and observers.
“The industry plant thing… People thinking there was this big machine that was backing PRESIDENT from the start, and there was a label involved and paying press and the rest of it. It gets to you because it’s completely untrue,” The President said. “PRESIDENT was completely DIY at the start; the first video we made with friends, I produced the record myself. It was frustrating because it went viral and people couldn’t believe that was something that could happen [in the music industry] without it being bought.”
He went on to explain how misinformation can take hold once people decide to believe it. “This happens in politics a lot as well, when something small that’s incorrect can snowball into something outrageously ridiculous. I’ve realised that when people are intent on believing a lie, when they want to believe a lie, it’s much harder to convince them with the truth. If someone sees something that fits their thought process then they’ll latch onto that. They’d much rather believe that than the truth.”
The President made these remarks during an interview with the rock publication. His comments shed light on the challenge independent bands face when their success is questioned by skeptics.
President emerged in February 2025 when they were announced as performers at Download Festival with no prior music released or public history. The band’s social media campaign began on February 18, 2025, with cryptic images including a dark silhouette in a red-lit hallway, a hand holding a burning cigarette, and a neon cross logo. The band began as a solo project and later expanded into a full band, with development occurring over several years in complete secrecy.
The group released their debut single “In The Name Of The Father” on May 16, following a countdown on their website. The song gained over 520,000 views in just three days. Their second-ever headlining show at Manhattan’s Gramercy Theatre sold out in one minute. At Download Festival in June 2025, they performed a set on the Dogtooth stage with hundreds of fans left queuing outside the tent unable to get inside.
President’s debut album “Blood of Your Empire” was released on September 4, 2026, through Atlantic Records. Much of the album was written and self-produced by The President himself using a mobile recording setup while the band toured with Architects and Bad Omens. The band’s rapid ascension and their management by Future History, the company who also manages Sleep Token, led some observers to label President as industry plants.
Despite these accusations, The President’s account of the band’s independent beginning aligns with the group’s documented early history. From their secret development through their February 2025 announcement and explosive growth, President built momentum through viral success rather than label machinery.
