Biography

Aggressive emocore outfit Planes Mistaken for Stars formed in Peoria, Illinois, originally consisted of singer/guitarist Gared O'Donnell, guitarist Matt Bellinger, bassist Aaron Wise, and drummer Mike Ricketts. Upon signing to Deep Elm, the group made its recorded debut in early 1999 on the label compilation The Emo Diaries, Vol. 3: Moment of Truth. Deep Elm reissued a self-titled EP later that year, originally self-released in 1998. Wise was replaced by bassist Jamie Drier (who had previously played in the band Dismiss with O'Donnell and Bellinger) soon after, and following a move to Denver, Colorado, Planes Mistaken for Stars resurfaced on a three-way split EP with labelmates the Appleseed Cast and Race Car Riot. The more dynamic and hardcore-tinged EP Knife in the Marathon appeared in early 2000. The guys jumped to Gainesville's No Idea Records for the 2001 full-length Fuck with Fire, following up in October of 2002 with the Spearheading the Sin Movement 7". Drier exited the group the next year, and Chuck French filled his shoes on bass. With producer A.J. Mogis (Cursive, Bright Eyes) behind the controls, the harder and more explosive Up in Them Guts appeared in mid-summer 2004 and the band supported it with a lengthy tour schedule of the U.S. and Europe, hooking up with bands like Against Me!, Hot Water Music, Dillinger Escape Plan, the Ataris, and Cursive along the way. Relentless touring continued into the next year, and Planes inked a deal with Abacus Recordings in the fall of 2005. Soon after, Bellinger announced his departure from the band to concentrate full-time on work with Ghost Buffalo (whom he and Ricketts had been playing with on the side). French moved over to guitar to make room for new member bassist Neil Keener. The band's delayed and highly anticipated Abacus debut, Mercy, finally arrived in stores in October 2006, though it would end up being their last release for some time. In 2010, two years after announcing their breakup, Planes Mistaken for Stars returned to the stage for a handful a shows. Occasional bouts of touring followed in 2012 and 2014 followed by the 2015 announcement that Deathwish would be re-releasing Mercy later that year. Simultaneously, the band announced they'd been working on a new album -- their first in a decade. Prey was released in October 2016. On September 7, 2017, original guitarist Matt Bellinger died at the age of 40. Lead singer and guitarist Gared O'Donnell died on November 24, 2021 at the age of 44 after struggling with esophageal cancer; he completed a final album with Planes Mistaken for Stars in the last year of his life. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi