Powderfinger ProfilePowderfinger have broken their silence following speculation surrounding a potential reunion.
This week, a mysterious Instagram account, @thereturnoftheelectrichorsemen – referencing the song (The Return of) The Electric Horseman, the last track on Powderfinger’s 1996 album Double Allergic – started posting cryptic posts featuring ciphers that appear to point to Powderfinger’s storied career.
It also shared images and videos of billboards in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane featuring the ciphers. The account has five horse emojis in its bio, potentially referencing the band’s five members: vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill.
Today (8 October), Powderfinger have gone live on social media. On Instagram, they wiped their posts to share a new one, featuring a cipher in black-and-white text on a bright red background.
They captioned the post:
Time keeps the ledger. Every rehearsal. Kilometre. Flight. Soundcheck. Stage. Encore. Album. Failure. Accolade. Conflict. Audience.
Every year. Every minute. Every second.
The numbers never stop.
They accumulate.
They become evidence.
Not fame. Not hype. Not headlines.
Time.
Everything else is a variable. Add enough time to enough variables and something extraordinary happens...
🔗 in bio.
The link in their bio leads to Powderfinger’s newly refreshed website, featuring a video that sums up their illustrious career in cipher form.
There’s also a new sign-up link on the page, and above it, the message reads: “Join the Official Powderfinger Fan Club. Enter your details to receive first access to merch and music, updates, exclusive content, and more!”
On Facebook, the band addressed fans in the fan-led group, PASH (Powderfinger Appreciation Social Hub). Discussing the mysterious campaign that’s stolen the hearts and minds of fans across the country, the band revealed that @thereturnoftheelectrichorsemen is them.
They wrote to fans:
G’day Pashers,
You’ve probably been wondering what the bloody hell has been going on… We thought it’d be a good soft launch (that is what they call it, right?!). But what could it all mean? We’ve been keeping our eyes on your guesses. There are some good ones out there… 👀 We want you guys to know that The Return of the Electric Horsemen is us! If you’ve seen the artwork around, drop your photos in the comments for us to see!
Love, PF x
Signs could be pointing to a reunion tour or special 30th anniversary edition of Double Allergic – right now, it seems everything is up in the air, and Powderfinger are leading the teaser campaign.
The beloved Aussie rockers said farewell to fans with their final Sunsets tour in November 2010, culminating in an epic hometown sendoff at Brisbane’s Riverstage. All five members of the band joined forces remotely nearly ten years later – in May 2020 – for the One Night Lonely livestream.
The livestream raised more than $500,000 for Support Act and Beyond Blue. At the time, Powderfinger stressed that it was a one-off performance.
