Planette Automatic talks debut album with WXPN host Mike Vasilikos
Plannette Automatic | photo by Paige Walter for WXPN
Planette Automatic is the new rock outfit from Katie Hackett, AKA The Poet KR. The former frontperson of The Lunar New Year stopped by WXPN to talk about her new project’s first full album with host Mike Vasilikos.
Blue Fascination is out Friday, and Planette Automatic is set for an album release show that same day at DIY venue Dumpster Out Back. (DM the band for details.) So far, three singles have dropped: “Dance Around,” “Couch Fly,” and “Lucky,” all of which have their own music videos.
Hackett is joined by drummer Adam Shumsky, bassist Sam Nobles, and guitarist Dan Ryan on the 10-track album, which features a concept surrounding a character named “Mrs. Blue.”
“She sort of takes the narrator through this blue planet world that is facing extinction and climate devastation,” Hackett said. “It’s very surreal and dreamlike, and there’s all these cool little other characters that are in the story.”
The story is told on the album, as well as on Hackett’s Substack and in a short story that will be included in the insert of vinyl editions of Blue Fascination. Hackett will also be reading the story at the band’s upcoming shows.
Listen to Hackett’s conversation with Vasilikos in the player above.