President: An Election Without a Campaign

Encore Echos EditorialMusic SceneContributor Hot TakesArtist Spotlight

Jul 31

An overnight sensation with zero past, a built-in fanbase, and enough mystery to choke a TikTok algorithm. Something doesn’t smell right, and we’re not just talking about the masks.

I wanted a little time to process President before diving into this write up. I wanted to see if all imploded before it even started. I wanted to see if we would get any transparency.

But let’s get this out of the way: I think President sounds decent. They’re heavy, well-produced, and their aesthetic clearly borrows from the more “cult-like” corners of modern heavy music. I was nodding along on a tour bus when their first single dropped (5/16/25) thinking yeah, this slaps. Think: if Sleep Token and Code Orange had a boardroom baby dressed by a marketing team with a bottomless budget. The problem isn’t what they sound like. For me, it’s how they’ve arrived. After digging some more (thinking I was the only idiot who missed this band) I was taken back to say the least when I saw only one song released at the time.

This band came seemingly out of nowhere. No demos. No grainy live footage from basements. No aging Instagram posts of old flyers stapled to lamp posts. Just instant traction. One day, the timeline was clear. The next, President was everywhere: their own headlining tour (all be it only 13 stops but mostly sold out), an opening slot with Architects while they tour through AU and EU, sold out merch drops, stacking up pre-saves on their first ever EP that hasn’t even dropped. Yes, an EP. Their debut. Slated for late September. As of now, they’ve got three songs total in their discography. That’s it. All of this without a single damn bar show to 12 half-interested hardcore kids. It’s like the Big Bang for a band, everything from nothing. How?

Single Artwork Pulled From President’s Spotify

We’re not talking about building buzz here. We’re talking about skipping the line. President seemingly didn’t grind. They didn’t tour half-empty bars or open thankless 5PM slots at regional festivals and shows. They launched straight into stardom. A full merch line. Amazing looking, movie quality, music videos. Massive press coverage. Good tour slots. And fans. Actual, devoted fans, who speak about them like they’re a known quantity already. Their social media comments are filled with people praising the band and some comments that feel…fishy at best, and disingenuous, bought and fake at worst.

The answer a lot of people are whispering, but not many are saying out loud, is that President feels suspiciously like an industry plant. An experiment. A response to the proven success of acts like Sleep Token, who built a devoted following through anonymity, aesthetic consistency, and an aura of mysticism. But here’s the difference: Sleep Token earned it. There was a build. A slow burn. A genuine sense of curiosity that came from the music and storytelling. President, on the other hand, feels like someone took notes and tried to Adam Sandler “Click” its way to glory.

Look, the metal scene’s no stranger to marketing. But usually, the polish comes after the pain, after years of touring bars and small venues sleeping in a van, failing, rebranding, getting dumped by labels, and finally catching fire. President skipped that part. And people seem weirdly fine with it. Maybe that’s the most frustrating part, my biggest gripe. The acceptance. The rush to elevate a band with no proven track record, no public history, and no real story. Just vibes. Just a mask and a moodboard. No one getting (or having) to say “I knew them before they were cool”. It’s a classic tale of not what you know but who you know that lands you the job.

This isn’t a “they don’t deserve success” rant. It’s a “can we just stop and ask some questions?” kind of piece. Because right now, it feels less like a rise and more like a hype cash grab. And if that’s the case, we deserve to know: Who’s pulling the strings? And what exactly are we applauding for? President could still prove they’ve got staying power. Maybe the songs evolve. Maybe the live shows hit harder than expected. But let’s not pretend this is some organic rise from the ambiguous underground.

They dropped three songs and secured tours, press coverage, and a sold-out merch machine all before their first ever EP even hits. They’re distributed by ADA, a Warner Music wing, and backed by an imprint tied to Charlie Simpson. That’s not a scrappy success story. That’s a calculated campaign. While the unknown masked artists can’t be to blame too much, as anyone playing music would love a record deal, label signings and a sold out tour; I’m even sure they love the music and have some passion for the project. The issue for me is, who is Big Brother and why are they fabricating a poster child? Is it greed or a genuine connection to music? I’ll leave that for you, the readers, fans and skeptics to decide.

The question isn’t whether President deserves attention. It’s about the intent of the attention they’re seeking. We didn’t find President. President found us; fully packaged, pre-approved, and algorithm-ready. No wonder it feels like we’re being sold something instead of shown something. No campaign trail, no ballot boxes, just a President we never voted for.