Influence was a three-piece punk band formed in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2011 by Tony Pearson, James Quick and Jess Thompson while Tony and James were both members of the sludge band Meth Drinker. Known for their abrasive, noisy sound reminiscent of Flipper, No Trend, and Stick Men With Ray Guns, Influence’s music delved into themes of misanthropy, disease, and mental breakdown. They played their first gig at a house show on Cave Road in May 2011 and performed alongside local acts like Numbskull, The Dilfs, The Johos, and Rogernomix during 2011 and 2012.

The band released a self-titled album on tape through Zero Style in January 2013, but soon shifted focus to Meth Drinker, putting Influence on hold. A final six-song EP, also titled “Influence,” was released on Zero Style in late 2014, after the band had already disbanded. James Quick later formed Total Ruin in 2017 with Chris Hardy-Jones and Kyle, continuing Influence’s tormented noise-punk style. In 2022, Pearson and Quick reunited with Hardy-Jones in the band Exterminator, further extending their legacy of distressed punk sound.

Origin	Wellington
Genre	punk, noise
Years Active	2011 – 2014
Labels	Zero Style
Associated Acts	Total Ruin Meth Drinker Exterminator!
Past Members	Tony Pearson (bass, vocals) James Quick (guitar, vocals) Jess Thompson (drums)