Who's behind the presidential veil of masked band PRESIDENT?
The enigma of PRESIDENT deepens amidst fan theories and unofficial clues
A newly formed masked rock band has sparked intrigue and speculation online regarding the identities of its members through an elaborate social media campaign.
In February, PRESIDENT began sharing a series of cryptic and captivating images and vignettes, inviting followers to "join the campaign" before announcing an "inauguration rally" at the annual Download Festival in England, scheduled for June.
Since their debut, the band's social media activity has signalled a clear intention, referring to their concerts as "rallies" and promotion from third parties as "endorsements".
Many of their posts feature an individual dressed in a morning suit, complete with a tailcoat, white gloves, and a mask resembling a presidential figure.
This mask has drawn comparisons to those worn in the movie Point Break, where a group of bank robbers hid their identities behind masks depicting former U.S. presidents.
Even after the band's highly anticipated debut, intrigue still hangs in the air: Who exactly is the enigmatic figure behind the mask?
The campaign
A dark silhouette against an eerie red-light hallway was the subject of the brand-new Instagram account @presidentband's first post, on February 18, 2025.
On the same day, the account published several other pictures: a hand holding a burning cigarette, what appears to be a singer wearing a suit and patent-leather shoes, and a neon light logo reminiscent of a patriarchal cross.
The posts announced the debut of a new band, PRESIDENT, and their first live performance at Download Festival, a large UK rock and metal event, scheduled for June 2025.
In the following weeks, the band's social media accounts and its official website began to reveal more about the group.
As suggested by the name, the band acts as if it's conducting a proper presidential campaign. In the posts, the lead singer appears as a presidential figure, covered by a wrinkly mask, wearing white gloves, a dark suit, and matching shoes. Concerts are "rallies," advertisements are "endorsements", and those interested in receiving updates are invited to "join the campaign".
PRESIDENT did not release a single piece of music until May 16, when it published its first single, "In the Name of the Father". The YouTube video had garnered over two million views as of July 21.
However, the identity of the group remained a mystery, sparking the curiosity of social media users and generating multiple theories about it.
Only one day after the band's Instagram debut, Reddit users launched the subreddit r/PresidentTheory to discuss the band's mysterious identity. YouTube content creators started publishing in-depth analysis and collecting evidence.
An easter egg during the Download performance
Several singers and bands' names were floated by fans, including Ghost and Sleep Token, but eventually, more social media users seemed to agree that the face behind the mask could have been that of Charlie Simpson, a member of Busted and Fightstar.
The suspicion surrounding Simpson intensified after his live performance at Download Festival on June 15, when the lead singer raised his hands, revealing two distinguishable bracelets around his right wrist. The fans immediately recognised them as bracelets that Simpson was seen wearing during his time with Busted.
"It was obvious to me 1 verse into the first song I heard. The bracelet was just the official stamp to confirm it," wrote an anonymous Reddit user in June.
The structure behind the band
Records from the Intellectual Property Office of the United Kingdom (UK IPO) indicate an application on January 23, 2025, to trademark "PRESIDENT" by Komorebi Entertainment Limited, a company based in London, England.
According to the application, the trademark was to protect "product merchandising; online retail store services relating to clothing. music performances; music recording; music publishing; live music performances".
The UK IPO reported on March 11 that the application to trademark "PRESIDENT" had been withdrawn.
According to Companies House, the executive agency of the British government responsible for maintaining the register of companies, KOMOREBI ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED was incorporated in August 2015. The company lists two directors: Charles Robert Simpson and Anna Louise Simpson, née Barnard. Both directors have a correspondence address in High Holborn, London.
Listed as a musician on the filings, Charles Robert Simpson, known as Charlie, is an English singer-songwriter best known as a member of the pop-punk band Busted and the post-hardcore band Fightstar. Simpson married Anna Barnard in June 2014.
Simpson is also listed as company director of KING OF TERRORS LIMITED, a private limited company incorporated on March 27, 2025.
KING OF TERRORS is the title of PRESIDENT's debut EP, announced in a social media post on July 18. It is scheduled for release on September 26, 2025.
PRESIDENT's website is managed by Allotment Productions, a company based in Reading, England. This company assists with band merchandise, music production, online presence including e-commerce stores, and global distribution.
Along with PRESIDENT, it includes Sleep Token and Architects among its clients, the latter with whom PRESIDENT is scheduled to tour in the coming months.
The presidential administration
The elaborate "campaign" by PRESIDENT, meticulously crafted across social media and culminating in a highly anticipated live debut, successfully achieved its primary goal: sparking widespread intrigue and speculation.
While the band fostered a veil of anonymity with its enigmatic masked figure and "inauguration rally" theme, a subtle "easter egg" during their Download Festival performance increasingly narrowed the focus to one particular suspect.
Intellectual property filings, accessible through the UK IPO and Companies House, ultimately provided the definitive answers that social media theories had only hinted at. The company behind the "PRESIDENT" trademark, Komorebi Entertainment Limited, directly links to Charles Robert Simpson, known to many as Charlie Simpson of Busted and Fightstar fame.
His directorship in KING OF TERRORS LIMITED, the title of the band's upcoming EP, serves as the final, undeniable confirmation of his involvement in the project.
SOURCES
Instagram. (2020). PRESIDENT on Instagram.Available at: ‘P R E S I D E N T’. [online][Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].
Reddit.com. (2025). Reddit - The heart of the internet. [online] Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/PresidentTheory/ [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].
‌Youtube.com. (2025). Available at: Who is behind the MYSTERIOUS new band President? [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].
Youtube.com. (2025). Available at: This Is Who The Band President Is! [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].
Reddit.com. (2025). Reddit - The heart of the internet. [online] Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/PresidentBand/comments/1lgyf9a/i_think_we_can_all_accept/ [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].
Ipo.gov.uk. (2025). Search for a trade mark - Intellectual Property Office. [online] Available at: https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tmcase/page/Results/1/UK00004151424 [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].
Service.gov.uk. (2015). KOMOREBI ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK. [online] Available at: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09744605/officers [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].
Instagram. (2020). Charlie Simpson on Instagram: Available at: ‘Happy 10th Wedding Anniversary to my darling wife Anna. Thanks for being so incredible. Xxx’. [online] [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].
‌Service.gov.uk. (2025). KING OF TERRORS LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK. [online] Available at: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/16347897/officers [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].
Instagram. (2020). PRESIDENT on Instagram: Available at: ‘K I N G O F T E R R O R S – The Reckoning Nears. The debut PRESIDENT EP arrives September 26. Pre-save now.’ [online] Available at: [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].
‌Allotment Productions. (2024). About Us - Allotment Productions. [online] Available at: https://www.allotment.pro/about-us/ [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].‌‌
X (formerly Twitter). (2025). Available at: charlie simpson forgetting to change his bracelets is hilarious ngl [Accessed 21 Jul. 2025].