A rock band playing in Tauranga next month has a line-up unlike any other: its bassist might be a mushroom, its synth player could be a houseplant, and only one member is human.

Vegetable.Machine.Animal is bringing its unusual blend of science and sound to The Mount Tavern on October 7, where plants and fungi will help create live music as part of the band’s nationwide Trio album tour.

Frontman and drummer Kieran Monaghan describes himself as “the only human in the trio”.

While Monaghan handles percussion, the other “band members” are plants or fungi connected to a modular synthesiser through sensors that detect their natural electrical activity.

Clips attached to plants and fungi transmit biosignals to the synthesiser, which converts the fluctuations into sounds audible to humans.

“I haven’t invented anything here,” Monaghan said.

“The technology has existed for decades.”

He likens the set-up to an electrocardiogram (ECG) machine used to monitor heart activity.

“In my case, the synth detects the signal in the plant or the fungi and interprets it into a sound which is perceptible to humans.”

Rather than heavily altering the sounds, Monaghan prefers to keep them as natural as possible.

“All the sounds are from the fluctuations in the voltage within the plant or the fungi.”

The project began four years ago as an experiment that combined Monaghan’s interests in music, science and technology.

A lifelong musician who started playing in punk bands in Invercargill during the 1980s, Monaghan later trained and worked as a nurse before committing to the project full-time.

Kieran Monaghan of Vegetable.Machine.Animal uses signals from plants and fungi to create sound.

He said the goal was to spark scientific curiosity in an entertainment setting while challenging traditional ideas about what music could be.

“Making music that extended beyond human ideas of music – music beyond our species.

“It’s very grandiose.”

The concept has resonated with audiences in New Zealand and Australia, where Monaghan has incorporated local plants and fungi into performances.

“Most plants are fine companions to make music with.

“Every time I play, it’s always a different performance.”

He believes the unusual combination of art, science and nature captures people’s imagination.

“It baffles me, but I’m constantly surprised and inspired by people’s openness and tolerance to listen to such stuff.

“I describe it sometimes as if I took my drums into the forest and I was just playing to what I heard.”

Monaghan has created music using everything from mushrooms to toadstools, with each species producing a unique response.

Before the Tauranga show, he will present a seminar on his work at the University of Waikato on October 6.

Supporting acts at The Mount Tavern performance include StellaVision and Violetta and the Vendettas.

Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.