The Space Cossacks started playing in 1996 when an ad in a Washington D.C. weekly brought them together. The Space Cossacks sound is a wild and powerful blend of moods. The band's songs are intense, aggressive, moody, intricate yet accessible, beautiful and "other-worldly". A sound that's not easy to describe. Croatian lead guitarist, Ivan Pongracic, along with Catherine Gray (bass) and Mark English (rhythm guitar), is what makes The Space Cossacks "Ukrainian-Space" surf music so distinct.