Possum Belly

Possum Belly is a Detroit-based grungy hard rock band with dusty Americana undertones that explores esoteric curiosities. The band was founded in 2018 when singer and primary songwriter Stephen Rahrig showed his demo of “As Above, So Below” to former bandmate, lead guitarist Mike West. Stephen and Mike had previously written and performed in folk metal band Valdyr, and were interested in a project that had pop sensibilities while weaving in their deeply-rooted influences of underground music. Having a life-long fascination with "weird Americana," the duo looked toward early 20th century circus and sideshow culture to discover the name "Possum Belly", which is a term used for the undercarriage storage space on a traveling circus train car. Stephen and Mike recruited Michigan-based musicians Peter Ebaugh (drums) and Tim Pearson (bass) to complete the lineup.

Possum Belly's unique sound draws from each member’s varying backgrounds (primarily grunge, post-rock/metal, and American folk), creating a hard edge with big melodic hooks, atmospheric passages, and folk/roots sections throughout. The band explores the usual personal themes of rock 'n roll, but with an arcane perspective—oftentimes delving into fringe science, paranormal, and sci-fi themes.