Today, plxntkid (23-year-old Anders Aakerhus) shares a new single, “parasite.” Taking cues from emo bands such as Underoath and Pierce The Veil, plxntkid utilizes the raw, cathartic emotion of screamo vocals to sonically express his anger and frustration. Over a dynamic trap beat, he explicitly tells a story of his own struggles with depression and prescription anti-depressant medications, likening some of the negative side-effects to the feeling of a parasite invading your body.
“Anti-depressants can help some people, but often they do the exact opposite – something I have experienced many times,” plxntkid explains. “They can have a paradoxical reaction, where it doesn’t actually help the original problem at all, but instead adds new problems that didn’t exist beforehand. It’s very frustrating and can literally feel like you have poison in your body (veins).”
plxntkid grew up in the small town of Verdal in Norway, two and a half hours from the nearest big city. It was through this isolation that his creative persona was born, turning to music as an outlet for his anxiety and depression. “It gave me somewhere to talk about [it],” he reflects on finding community online via Soundcloud where he was able to start making music anonymously using the pseudonym plxntkid. “A big part of coping is my music; I think it’s unlikely I would be making music if I didn’t have these problems. Writing lyrics about what is going on in my head is the best therapy for me.”
plxntkid’s lyrical vulnerability has resonated with peers and garnered attention from a burgeoning online fanbase. His Epitaph debut EP, 7650 VERDAL was released in 2021 and with more than 9 million global streams overall, plxntkid is building momentum, infusing trap beats with emo and pop punk influences and captivating riffs.
PLXNTKID BY GITTE PAULSBO // NORA CREATIVES