PRESIDENT: THE BAND THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT HERE TO CONFUSE YOU (OKAY, MAYBE THEY ARE)

A new band called President has entered the chat—sort of. They’ve made a grand entrance by securing a slot at Download Festival 2025 without releasing a single song, revealing their lineup, or even hinting at their musical style. If mystery were a genre, they'd already be headlining.  

President’s arrival has left fans scratching their heads (and possibly consulting their local conspiracy theorist). Is this the start of something huge or just another wild rabbit hole? Fans have already begun speculating about the possible origins and identity of President. Could they be the next big thing, or are we all being swept up in the hype machine?  Their teasers have been cryptic at best, with the number 572 prominently featured. Some eagle-eyed internet detectives believe this corresponds to the letters E, G, and B—potentially hinting at a supergroup featuring members of Emperor, Ghost, and Behemoth. Others argue the B stands for Bring Me The Horizon, because let’s be honest, BMTH loves a surprise more than we love pretending to understand Sleep Token’s lore.  Adding fuel to the speculation fire, Drop Dead—the clothing brand founded by BMTH’s Oli Sykes—randomly posted an image of a woman with a forehead scar and the President symbol at the exact same time President dropped their teasers. Coincidence? We think not. Either Drop Dead is teasing a new clothing line for aspiring cult leaders, or they’re in on whatever President is plotting. 

Supergroup or just super confusing? President’s ability to get booked for Download without a single song has understandably left some local bands questioning their life choices. Insiders suggest that President consists of musicians used to playing massive venues, which supports the supergroup theory. If all that wasn’t cryptic enough, the Download Festival website hasn’t exactly cleared things up. Their artist page for President contains this dramatic, almost dystopian statement:

“Citizens, the time has come.No names. No past. No distractions. Only the mission ahead.At Download Festival, the inauguration begins. Not with words, but with action. Not with empty promises, but with undeniable force.There will be no campaign, no debate, no opposition. Only one truth: President has arrived.The oath will be taken. The people will decide. History will be made.”

Others believe the masked figure in their teasers resembles Sleep Token’s drum tech, Sam Hallett. Maybe President is just Sleep Token’s secret side project for when they want to play arenas without sweating through 15 layers of fabric. 

Then there’s the matter of the EXECUTIVE ORDER (because of course they call it that). When fans sign up for President’s newsletter, they receive a cryptic message: 

“With your endorsement, we move forward together. Thank you. X - President"”

The only thing we know for sure is that President are coming, and they mean business. Maybe they’re a supergroup, maybe they’re an avant-garde art project, or maybe they’re just here to confuse us all for sport. Whatever the case, they’ve already won the award for Best Hype Without Doing Anything At All™. Either way, we’re ready to salute. 

See you at Download!