The Downbeat Podcast - Andy Cizek + John Browne (Monuments)

[@andycizek]

Thank you so much for having us, Craig! It was a joy to have these chats with you.

[@Roguenjosh]

can't wait for when you guys do make it to Australia!

[@Scriibble4]

Really appreciated yall talking about how hard it is to be in the music industry, am in a small band, and some of the members have grandiose ideas of "making it" and I'm sending them this podcast to put it into perspective for them

[@PeterMarciano117]

Andy, I can't express enough how much I epthathise with what you're vocalizing here (pun intended). Toxic positivity, doom scrolling, mental health issues in general, etc. I work a white collar job, play music with friends but nothing serious, and always think about what I'm missing out on. As a fan, the fact that venues can take a merch cut but the bands don't get a cut of the bar pisses me the fuck off. Keep talking about this, ignore the naysayers, they're prob bots anyway. ❤🤘

[@seventwonineone]

Thank you for speaking up! This is the exact reason why I still buy physical music. Especially for smaller artists and bands! Hope a lot of people see this and realize that you CAN stream music, but should also buy it!

[@loganhill7077]

"It was all one note. Because I like one note, because Meshuggah do it and sounds fucking great" - my favorite quote encapsulating my love for this music

[@jacksonpagella]

Criminally underrated band. Browne’s playing completely changed how I approach guitar

[@losingapathy]

Browne from Monuments and Erik from Loathe add so much personality and small details to their riffs, both permanently altered my brain chemistry

[@abdelilhmanflores]

Yesss. Mike completely shattered my idea of rhythm and timing.

[@funknotik]

Correct ✅ same

[@mhoff7722]

Same here. Totally brought from classic metal to whatever you want to brand his style. 🤘🤘🤘

[@tylerthompson1344]

Dude I agree, I loved this album when it came out, but I smoked weed the other night for the 1st time in years and listened to the album and it seriously blew me away. I think this is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. Cizek is so good he gives Monuments exactly what they needed. His side project Termina with Nik Nocturnal is insanely good too.

[@DrewFortune97]

Class. Looking forward to this

[@coryhofing-drummer7441]

This is such a great conversation about exactly how I am feeling right now. The bit about the music industry, recording bands, and just TRYING to do music for a living is nearly soul crushing and you barely scrape by to pay rent some months. I won’t stop because I’m mentally insane but this shit is harder then anyone thinks.

[@nathanlempar4283]

Blew my mind about Fell Silent splitting into TesseracT and Monuments

[@CoenBijpost]

Yeah. I never knew there was a link between Tesseract and Monuments, but it does actually make a lot of sense. Man, imagine those guys getting back together and combining both powers. I imagine it will be the dj-end of the universe 😂

[@ScottBrunelleMusic]

Andy is spot on about the toxic positivity and needing to play along with all that....even in local local scenes you can't be the person to "complain" or call out negative shit and people.....all these super "punk" people who are all playing along...man. I'm in London, Canada and we just got a UNESCO designation as an international city of music - it's used for branding shows and to build tourism, in reality there are fewer local venues and studios than ever and nobody is getting paid what they're worth.

[@JasonWhitewick]

One of the best venting sessions in podcast history

[@deadsoulxiii]

thats high praise

[@brdane]

To the conversation at 25:40 about video chats, video calls interviews and writing sessions.... it reminded me at NAMM this past year, this company call Realtime Audio made a network device/controller (and corresponding software to go with it) that was made specifically for having band practices and jam sessions over video calls with (to my eye and ears) ZERO delay/latency. It had a live video call with 4 other people in different locations while you were able to sit down and jam with them. I recommend that for Monuments to use for writing sessions and also for podcast interviews! Hands down, one of the most incredible things I saw at NAMM. As a software programmer, I asked every question I could about how it worked. 😂

[@jimmypennell8831]

@@brdane yeah that sounds incredibly cool 😎

[@tacos_and_beerr]

These boys are lucky to be at this level. They are even luckier to have successful side hustles. This is the hardest shit to achieve. You gotta want it and I'm glad to see the dudes keeping it real.

[@BS-cr2mv]

Mah boissss! Love Monuments. Can't wait to hear more coming from them. The last single Nefarious is a fckn banger!!

[@banks4343]

Thank you Craig, John, and Andy for pushing through the BS. You guys inspire me so much and your music makes such an impact. You all seem like fantastic humans and keep being true to your self.

[@lostinthecrowdmedia2342]

Awesome episode, some genuine issues and struggles highlighted, especially for a band as sick as monuments

[@tylerm8145]

44:12 oh shoot nice Anju piece on Andy. One of my favorite side quests as well, anything for love mane!

[@kwakba]

John throwing Thrice onto his and Andy's already killer dream festival lineup made me audibly cheer

[@nickpov3y]

so glad you had these guys on, massive fan

[@SilviaAfurisita]

Andyyyy and Browne, this is unexpected but very very welcome, hell yes!

[@rocioiribe5841]

new Downbeat episode makes a shitty day better every time.

[@jkh3959]

100%

[@brendanlemieux6039]

Another awesome episode.Thank you for shedding some light on mental health and how hard the music industry can be. I myself struggle sometimes with mental health issues and am also a musician so nothing but love and respect. :)

[@Vnoto24]

The fact that browne mentioned ion dissonance 👏🏼👏🏼

[@AlexCrockett]

Great vid and way to talk about vulnerable topics, this is what the ppl like to hear. As a musician as my first trade that eventually decided to become an Aviation mechanic it's truly disheartening to hear about the financial side of being a touring professional musician that makes a living off the music they've created. The fine details in what y'all discussed is a true eye opener for those who will come after you or ones who are interested right now. Somethings gotta give, otherwise there won't be much motivation to actually pursue a music career. Not sure how a shift can happen but possibly alot of bands need to get together and try and figure a way they can get their power back as they once had pre 2000s. By coming together, openly speaking about these undercuts by venues labels & corporations. We need change

[@DESOLATENY]

this was oddly more cathartic than I figured it would be. the musician life is one of much frustration for all of us it seems.

[@thombakker2835]

3:03 I fucking love you Craig please never change😂

[@CoenBijpost]

This podcast is absolutely amazing! So glad youtube pushed you onto my iphone today. Subbed!

[@jasperh1857]

This conversation was a conversation i’ve wanted to hear and have with people for so long. Nice one

[@johncollyeraravena7968]

Love how real this was. Thank you all!

[@Ryo7_7]

Awesome interview. Browne and Steele's guitar playing. Look forward to checking the new stuff out.

[@powerdad5000]

Absolutely love this episode! Have experienced all these feelings and more!

[@emptycloud2774]

Loved listening to this. Big fan of Monuments since 2011. Andy is an awesome addition! Such a unique vocalist. Brown and the boys crushing it as usual.

[@danfirth2678]

Everyone needs to give The Hidden Words by Fellsilent a listen. Absolutely incredible album and band. Would love a one off MK hometown show.

[@Ryo7_7]

Definitely gonna check it out.

[@Lezzyboy87]

Such a good album and not just because I'm in the thanks. Had the pleasure of listening to browne for like 20 years now

[@jakehadlock]

Very interesting and thoughtful conversation. Hadn’t realized how much overlap there is doing a band and starting a business.

[@kirbdini]

Andy is a beast of a singer, the chat he had with Finn was a good one as well. Looking forward to this

[@LisaLisa-cs8zr]

What a great converstation. Such an awesome episode. ❤

[@EricMcNeil-p3n]

I was introduced to this beautiful band when they opened for Jinjer last year. My god, theyre all fucking mental live. Thanks for coming to our humble city of winnipeg, canada 💗🤟

[@HP-7]

This was such a good podcast and i can feel all of you, even when im not working in the music industry. But just hearing what you all said about your current situation is sad, honestly.. but it's because of people like you, that the music genre as it is, is still present! (Hopefully it also will in the future)

[@sunnibird]

One of the best shows I saw was Monuments, Animals as Leaders, and Devin Townsend. So very good.

[@CharlieBluck]

Such a great episode. Well done guys! Mad praise for the topics

[@danield00d]

Also with the way hyperlinks work today, I’m surprised when it comes to online ticket sales, that it’s not easier to trace exactly which band is selling each show more or less and adjust percentages to that scales.

[@chalkymetalmedia]

Great episode Craig!! This has been of my favourites 👍

[@DrBrovahkiin]

John speaks the truth. Their merch was the only merch I've ever bought from a band that fit correctly lmao

[@Roguenjosh]

loved this one!

[@adamfahrer4725]

Is the out of time part they talked about the riff starting at 1:57 in Somnus?

[@iAmSpyNz]

I feel its at 2:17 if anything but I’m kinda deaf in one ear which makes it hard to find

[@hungryshark97]

My guess was around 2:50 haha

[@zacredington4776]

it's at 0:42, and I feel like Browne is just blowing out how long the desync was in his mind, but of course I could just be missing something else. it's one bar at 42 seconds in.

[@l0ne851]

Yaaay, it's the lads!

[@bornindissonance]

This was fantastic, I learned some things in here

[@jdhopkins]

Loved this one. Not only are Monuments incredible, John Browne has Thrice as part of his super fest. God tier.

[@Lezzyboy87]

I guess you never heard his thrice cover?

[@jdhopkins]

@@Lezzyboy87 Just checked his 'Bands that shaped me' episode. Had no idea. Really cool, thanks man.

[@EmbraceTheWorld1990]

great fuckin podcast again Craig, love the Monu dudes

[@djandrewification]

This is going to be juiiiicy

[@sluggdiddyyddidgguls]

It is not just musicians that put everything they have into a job and get very little back in terms of money to live, quality of life, security etc. That is not to lessen the struggle of the full time musician in this day and age but almost across the board there is the same story for the "working person". I spend 6 years in college learning maths and doing physics and I am 13 years into my career in physics and I am still living basically paycheck to pay check. I say thiis while music is my hobby, my sanity, creating it is what gets me through the nights after a 8-10 hour work day. But every working person is struggling to get by. I grew up in bands with my best friends, touring, recording all of that.. I went to school to get a "real" career so to speak, because I was terrified of the instability I knew would exist if I tried to keep doing music.. All my friends continued down the music path, they even had a lot of success. And now I am.. basically in the same position as them except they have been doing what they are truly passionate about and I really regret my decisions largely because I am almost no better off than I lot of them at 40 years old.

[@Msnaty101]

I love Craig and Monuments

[@jsraudio]

I guess that meeting was about craig joining zildjian

[@AyoJesse]

FYI John isn't part of riff hard anymore. He's doing his own thing now.

[@johnevered9640]

I wonder why he left, I swear he founded it!

[@AyoJesse]

@@johnevered9640 he was. Neither John or the URM members have openly discussed the reason why.

[@Lezzyboy87]

Being thanked in the fell silent album is still my greatest life achievement 😂

[@djentile7773]

I was thinking "its called eisgesis " Then he said it ,and it tripped me out haha.

[@nameputhpong9041]

C’monnn youtube algorithm, do your thing for this band now.

[@PugLifeProductions]

7:45 - holy shit, a Viatrophy shout :o

[@emptycloud2774]

Sign me up to their dream festival, some sick as fuck bands chosen.

[@MirkoFustinoni]

Man, the whole discussion about the economical side of touring is disheartening to say the least

[@CharlieViking95]

wake up honey new downbeat episode just dropped

[@mordtefpv5896]

Big Big Browne Fan,, One of Modern Day Guitar Heros.

[@oliversmith5864]

To go along with Andy, Dwellings have a new album out TODAY definitely check it out

[@Garage-1881]

CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU GUYS FIREWALK IN ATL!!!!

[@northernxdarkness]

I'm kinda sad Frank from My Chemical Romance didn't work out, bc they're my fav band of all time. Kinda sucks that ls dunes Management or Franks is like that. Frank is such a sweet, wholesome, funny insipartional person. Maybe some other day :(

[@TheHost8888]

Love these guys. Absolute masters of their craft. When Andy said " We trained for a job that doesn't really exist anymore" I'm not in the music industry. But that hit harder then it should have.

[@JbskMsj]

No Mike maylan?

[@Lezzyboy87]

Anyone want to buy the original fell silent demo ,got 2

[@willice98]

Where’s this big drummer news then sunshine?

[@reynlord666]

oh it was zildjian. filmed this ages ago haha

[@willice98]

@@reynlord666 got all excited for a minute, fucking class episode though man

[@tkultra3501]

Fuuuucccckkkk yeeeesssss!!!!

[@mikedown1250]

Are you the guy that fills in on the daily shows in the states.?

[@jbp666]

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

[@acidoxyde]

is distrokid a good alternative to record labels?

[@deadsoulxiii]

its a great distro tool, but its not a replacement for a good label by any means. it's letting a lot of bands have that little extra independence for sure, but take stray from the path. UNFD do so much insanely good work for that band, far beyond any distro platform could give you.

[@adamTDE]

Ayyyyyy

[@MixonBro]

Callous Daoboys next!

[@HGC-Collinz]

Johns mannerisms and accent remind me of greekgodx back in the day

[@brydo1]

ALL of this is true.

[@Convisis]

Ai ain’t about to have Browne’s right hand.

[@HronisArva]

🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍

[@danield00d]

It’s sucks cause at the end of the day you may be creating art but it’s still a job. You can have the greatest job in the world and you’re not gonna shit rainbows every day. Having a complaint about real shit day to day. They’re so right about labels and changes in society pulling all the funding from bands. 1 stream equates to penny being split 100 times and you 17 of those per streams. Meaning you’re only getting a penny for every 9 streams.

[@louiekariofillis8516]

I thought you were David Beckham

[@anastonishingnick]

Andy shouting out dwellings is so sick!!!

[@walkamongtheignorant4912]

When Mike first left Monuments, Swanny asked me if i knew of any good UK drummers that could replace him, Reynolds you were my first suggestion

[@rhyanoneill1932]

Time to get Aaron Kitcher mate (if his mum will let him leave his room).

[@tobiwankenobi96]

Really enjoy your interviews, I’d love to see Loathe or Static Dress at your table in the future 🥂

[@reynlord666]

thank you! static dress is next week and loathe is TBC

[@tobiwankenobi96]

@@reynlord666 great to hear, really looking forward :)

[@xhibit4754]

you're longing me out bro...

[@KeriAngala]

Makes me so sad to hear how little of the money you guys are seeing. The Artist deserves to be getting the biggest cut

[@PrettyGreenLufc]

Love the pod and Craig's a ledge but f'sure scrap the Dream Festival segment bro. Like one of those dead ass Rock sound interviews..

[@reynlord666]

i think i agree

[@HGC-Collinz]

@@reynlord666 noooo, its the best part.

[@EEEKROAR]

@@reynlord666 It seems most of the guest really enjoy it as do most of us. I'll vote to keep it ❤

[@garethmorgan7315]

Ooof, that Riffhard comment has not aged well.. :|

[@loganend8185]

time stamp?

[@garethmorgan7315]

@@loganend8185 1:16ish.. Browne isnt with Riffhard any more but has ModernMetalAcademy coming up \m/

[@loganend8185]

@@garethmorgan7315ah missed it because I watched the first upload and then saw the second and slipped the first few minutes cause I thought it was the same lol

[@emptycloud2774]

My dream rock festival would include: HEADLINER: Allen Holdsworth - Radiohead - Tool - Kyuss - Television - Talk Talk - Haken - Primus - Porcupine Tree - Alice In Chains (with Layne) - TesseracT - Monuments - Meshuggah - hubris. - ISIS - Animals as Leaders - Sonar - Polyphia (2018 onwards) - Yes (1972 line up). - Led Zeppelin (1979) - Gentle Giant - Mahavishnu Orchestra - Khan - Lucid Planet - Karmanjakah - Anekdoten - Car Bomb - Means End - The Safety Fire - RXYZYXR - Intronaut - The Resonance Project - Tigran Hamasyan - Outrun the Sunlight - Cog - Soundgarden - Elder - Karnivool - The Ocean Collective - Vildhjarta - King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Wheel - Vulkan - Blotted Science - Oddland

[@Itsyourbestie12345]

Bro I can't stand My chemical romance