Primus is an American rock band from the Bay Area, California, active since 1984. Their music defies easy categorization - critics have variously called it funk metal, alternative metal, or simply 'Primus' - built around the virtuosic bass playing and sardonic vocals of Les Claypool, the band's sole constant member. Albums like Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991) and Pork Soda (1993) brought them mainstream success, and they wrote the iconic South Park theme.
In May 2026, the band unexpectedly released the four-track EP A Handful of Nuggs, whose main novelty is the studio recording 'The Ol' Grizz' - one of the first with new drummer John Hoffman.
Primus launched the 'Claypool Gold' tour, on which they perform together with The Claypool Lennon Delirium and Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade - three Claypool projects in one evening.
In summer 2025, Primus completed the American tour 'Onward & Upward' with 24 stops, for the first time with new drummer John Hoffman as a full-fledged band member.
The band announced John Hoffman as the new drummer - he was selected from more than 6,200 applicants in a worldwide selection process called 'Interstellar Drum Derby'.
In October 2024, longtime drummer Tim 'Herb' Alexander unexpectedly left the band; he explained his departure by physical exhaustion and the need to prioritize health and family.
