Their EP and first two albums, Willoughby's Beach (2011), 12 Bar Bruise (2012) and Eyes Like the Sky (2013), primarily blended surf music and garage rock, and were released on the band's independent record label, Flightless, founded by Moore in 2012. Their third to eighth albums—Float Along – Fill Your Lungs (2013), Oddments, I'm in Your Mind Fuzz (2014), Quarters!, Paper Mâché Dream Balloon (2015) and Nonagon Infinity (2016)—expanded their sound, including elements of film music, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, folk, jazz, soul and heavy metal.
In 2017, the band fulfilled a promise to release five studio albums within the year: Flying Microtonal Banana in February; Murder of the Universe in June; Sketches of Brunswick East, a collaboration with Mild High Club, in August; Polygondwanaland, which was released into the public domain, in November; and Gumboot Soup in December. The band released its fourteenth album, Fishing for Fishies, on 26 April 2019, followed by a fifteenth album, Infest the Rats' Nest, released on 16 August that year.
On the 19th of April they released their first feature-length film, concert movie "Chunky Shrapnel". Named after a lyric from the band’s 2017 song Murder Of The Universe, The film combines concert footage from the band’s 2019 European tour with documentary style-filmmaking of King Gizzard behind the scenes. While Chunky Shrapnel does also document the band offstage, the film’s director, Josh Angus Stewart, said that it prioritizes music over personalities.
Chunky Shrapnel was originally set to premiere at Melbourne’s Astor Theatre, before the Australian government closed cinemas nationwide to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The film was eventually released and finally available for 24 hours only on vimeo.
In all, throughout 2020, the band released several live albums, a concert film, a double compilation of demos, K.G. , their 16th studio album and a compilation of early singles and all the tracks on the Anglesea EP called Teenage Gizzard . In August, Eric Moore (the band's second drummer and manager) left the band to focus on running his record label, Flightless. In February 2021, the band released L.W., their third microtonal album, which was followed by the synth-based dream pop album Butterfly 3000 in June. These albums were released independently rather than on Flightless. The band's twentieth studio album, Omnium Gatherum, was released on 22 April 2022.
On 24 January 2023, the band released the official live bootleg Live At Red Rocks '22. The 86-track, eight-hour release documents the band's three-night run at the titular Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Several independent labels have created physical releases of the bootleg, including a 12-vinyl boxset and a CD/cassette run.
On 4 March of the same year, the band debuted a new song "Gila Monster" during a live performance in Tilburg in the Netherlands. Following that, on 7 May, the band announced their upcoming 24th studio album, PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation via Instagram. According to bassist Lucas Harwood, PetroDragonic Apocalypse will be one of two upcoming albums that will have a "Yin and Yang" concept, stating that they are "going to be very different sounding to each other, but we're going to try to make them complement each other". The album's first single, "Gila Monster", was released alongside a music video an hour before the album pre-order opened on May 16 and the second single "Dragon" was released on June 6 with its music video. The band then went on tour throughout the United States to promote the album before its release by playing songs from the album other than the singles. One such performance on 3 June was at the Caverns in Tennessee where the band dressed in drag to celebrate Pride Night after a judge turned down a law that intended to ruled drag unlawful. Joey Walker told the crowd, "This ain't no protest, baby. This is a celebration!" PetroDragonic Apocalypse was released on 16 June.
The band members all grew up and went to school in the Deniliquin, Melbourne and Geelong areas. The band started off as a group of friends jamming together, before a mutual friend asked them to play at a show. The band's name was created "last minute". Mackenzie wanted to name the band "Gizzard Gizzard" while another band member wanted Jim Morrison's nickname "Lizard King". They eventually compromised with King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. The artist Jason Galea has created all of the band's album art, and a majority of their music videos.
Sleepwalker
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee
Well I want to, I want to, I want to
I want to walk in the ocean
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee, sleepwalker
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee
Well I want to, I want to, I want to
I want to sleepwalk with you, oh ooh now
I caught you sleeping on the wrong side of the bed
So I got up, wow wow, switched my side
Your voice gets hoarse when you get too cold
I'll warm you up, wow wow, warm you up
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee, sleepwalker
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee, sleepwalker
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee
If you're thinking then you're thinking too hard
So squish your brain, wow wow, numb the pain
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee, sleepwalker
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee, sleepwalker
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee
Well I want to, I want to, I want to
I want to sleepwalk with you, oh ooh now
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee
The song Sleepwalker by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard is a poetic expression of the singer's desire to escape reality and explore new experiences in life. The first verse sets the tone with the repeated lines "Ooh ooh hee hee hee" which create a whimsical and carefree energy. The singer then expresses their desire to walk in the ocean, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for a desire to explore and experience something vast and unknown.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's desire to sleepwalk, which can be interpreted as a desire to escape reality and enter a dreamlike state with a partner. The repetition of "Ooh ooh hee hee hee" further emphasizes the playful and carefree energy of this desire. The second verse adds a touch of romance and intimacy as the singer tells their partner that they'll warm them up if they're too cold, and that they want to sleepwalk with them.
The bridge of the song adds a touch of surrealism with the line "If you're thinking then you're thinking too hard, so squish your brain, wow wow, numb the pain." This can be interpreted as a call to let go of rational thinking and fully embrace the carefree and whimsical energy of the song. Overall, Sleepwalker is a dreamy and playful expression of a desire for new experiences and escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee
Repetitive sounds expressing excitement and energy
Well I want to, I want to, I want to
Expressing a strong desire to do something
I want to walk in the ocean
Expressing a desire for a unique and adventurous experience
Ooh ooh, hee hee hee, sleepwalker
Repetitive sounds reinforcing the idea of being in a dreamlike state
I want to sleepwalk with you, oh ooh now
Desire to share a dreamlike experience with someone else
I caught you sleeping on the wrong side of the bed
Noticing someone else's discomfort or dissatisfaction
So I got up, wow wow, switched my side
Taking action to improve the situation
Your voice gets hoarse when you get too cold
Observing the physical effects of discomfort
I'll warm you up, wow wow, warm you up
Committing to providing comfort to someone else
If you're thinking then you're thinking too hard
Encouraging someone to relax and not overthink
So squish your brain, wow wow, numb the pain
Encouraging someone to find a way to not feel mental discomfort
Contributed by Josiah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.