King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Orchestrate Elaborate ‘Deadstick’ Single

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard shared the single “Deadstick” with an accompanying music video directed by Guy Tyzack. The track was recorded for the band’s previously revealed 27th album, Phantom Island, which will be released through their p(doom) records on June 13.

The songs making up Phantom Island were recorded during sessions for the group’s 2024 album, Flight b741. Inspired by an encounter with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic backstage at KGLW’s 2023 Hollywood Bowl concert, the songs allocated for Phantom Island were deemed worthy of extra attention.

“The songs felt like they needed this other energy and color, that we needed to splash some different paint on the canvas,” said King Gizz frontman Stu Mackenzie, who contacted his friend British historical keyboardist, conductor and arranger Chad Kelly.

“[Kelly] brings this wealth of musical awareness to his chameleon-like arrangements,” Mackenzie stated. “We come from such different worlds – he plays Mozart and Bach and uses the same harpsichords they did, and tunes them the exact same way. But he’s obsessed with microtonal music, too, and all this nerdy stuff like me.”

KGLW previously released the Phantom Island title track in October 2024. The band will support the album on their 2025 Phantom Island Orchestral Tour. Beginning in July, the run will see KGLW joined by different 29-piece orchestras in each city, conducted by music director Sarah Hicks.

“Deadstick,” which has not be performed in concert, features King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard joined by saxophonists Tim Wilson, Lachlan Davidson and Phil Noy; trumpeters Patrick McMullin, Daniel Beasy and Shane Hooton and trombonists Chris Vizard, James Bowman and Joe O’Callaghan.

Watch the Guy Tyzack-directed “Deadstick” music video below: