The Hag was a crypt-dwelling summoner of haggard howls and demented beats, a lo-fi spectre conjured by prolific underground operator John Dimery. Conceived as a malevolent, graveyard-dwelling witch, The Hag emerged sporadically to ensnare victims with musical incantations that fused gutter goth, cheap horror and punk attitude .

One of several solo projects undertaken by Dimery (alongside Mutation and Huge Mutant), The Hag marked a stylistic shift away from pure analogue-synth noise into murkier crypt rock territory. Drawing on resurrected goth tropes – think Alien Sex Fiend via wheezing funeral organs – the project also shared a lurid lyrical sensibility with Dimery’s band Johnny and The Felchers.

The Hag released a self-titled EP in September 2013 through Dimery’s own Zero Style label, then appeared only rarely, playing once or twice a year as Dimery juggled commitments to bands including Poverty & Spit and Downer Buzz.

In 2017, The Hag briefly rose from the tomb for a surprise appearance at Gnarburger Records in Los Angeles while Dimery was touring with Wellington garage rockers Tigers of The Sea and Auckland two-piece Dad Jokes. The last known sighting came in June 2022, when The Hag was added late to the bill for an Unsanitary Napkin and No Brainers show, a fittingly sudden manifestation before retreating back into the dark.

Dimery now fronts anarcho-punk outfit Fog, continuing to weave electronic noise and samples into his work, echoing techniques first explored through The Hag, Mutation and Huge Mutant.

Origin	Wellington
Genre	crypt rock
Years Active	2013 – now
Labels	Zero Style
Associated Acts	Mutation Huge Mutant Johnny and The Felchers
Current Members	John Dimery