A meeting of the minds between respected members of Washington, D.C.'s experimental music and punk rock communities, the Messthetics are an instrumental trio who combine soaring, visionary guitar work with one of the tightest and most powerful rhythm sections in rock. The group's sound is rooted in the adventurous side of indie rock, though the trio's performances often take exciting detours into jazz, improvisational music, and experimental works, as documented on their self-titled 2018 debut album and 2019's Anthropocosmic Nest. The band took their jazz influences to the next level on 2024's The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, a collaboration recorded for Impulse! with the celebrated free jazz saxophonist. The parnership continued with 2026's Deface the Currency.