Interviews: Monovoid
1. Where did you get the idea for the band name? Did you plan it, or did it just come out like that?
Choosing a band name is one of the hardest things, honestly, especially these days. It took an unbelievable amount of time to find something that we liked that also wasn’t already claimed by about another 50 bands or, I should say, people who have the notion of starting a band and have staked their claim on the internet before they’ve really achieved anything. I really think there should be some rules…
In any case, we knew we wanted to include ‘void’ in there somewhere; can’t tell you why, but it kept coming up. Some things are best left unexplained, I suppose. We then wanted to have something that relates to music in some way (Radiohead comes to mind). It was at the eleventh hour, deep into recording ‘Dissolving The Brain’ where Tom and I (Brian) were pretty knackered, listening to Timewave Zero by Blood Incantation, when it struck.
After this, I have had some extremely pretentious notions as to what it could mean but honestly, we just thought it sounded cool.
2. Why did you want to play this genre?
I can only answer for myself, but honestly, metal and the various metal-adjacent genres have always, to my mind, been ‘outsider’ genres. I can’t rightfully tell you why it gets me the way it does, but metal has something that other genres don’t, at least not to the same degree. I’m sure there is an equation out there that would sum it up nicely (volume + aggression x pissing off your parents), but really, it’s not a genre you choose but rather a genre that compels you to be part of it. You can say the same thing for other genres, of course, but with metal, it doesn’t really let you go once it gets you.
3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?
Yeah, we go back years. We started playing in bands together about twenty years ago. Tom (Guitar) and Guillaume (Drums) go back the furthest, but after a few different bands dissolved, we kind of ended up together. We have all become parents, and we are family now. It’s a special thing because we know how to piss each other off and how best to avoid it. It’s a great working dynamic.
4. Each band member's favourite band?
Well, when I was 16 I would have answered this easily (Pantera), but as I’ve grown older it’s not a question so easily answered. I would say that there were times when bands resonated with me to a greater degree, so much so that they became ‘hall of famers’ in my mind. The top spot would be claimed by Pain of Salvation, a truly progressive band who continue to inspire me with every release. Tom’s tastes are eclectic beyond reason, and he listens to more music than can be summed up easily. He was also a huge Pantera fan as a teenager, and got into heavy music via the greats - Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, etc. These days there’s not really one favourite, though.
Guillaume is a bit of an enigma. We’re not sure exactly what he likes…
As a collective, I would say that we have always been drawn towards progressive music in every variation. Some of our favourites are Meshuggah, Mastodon, Oranssi Pazuzu, Deathspell Omega, Elder, Converge, Blut Aus Nord, The Mars Volta, Emperor, Pink Floyd, Death, Panopticon, Tool, etc
5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?
Tom is the principal songwriter in the band, but what Tom and I share is the inspiration from whatever it is we are listening to currently. We’ve always felt that a single band is not enough to cover everything we want to do! Every time I listen to something new, I find myself writing in a way that is similar to what I have been listening to, and that invariably lends itself to my own writing. Authenticity is really the thing that we are going for in what we do. If it doesn’t feel authentic, then it’s not really worth pursuing. It reminds me of a good quote: ‘A song is like a fart; if you have to force it, it’s probably shit’.
6. Where was your last gig?
The last gig we played at the time of writing was in Brighton at Daltons with some good friends of ours, Infinite Ammo, Strain and Hell Can Wait. It was a great show, excellent bands. We have some really cool shows coming up soon with Anciients (London and Brighton), which we are really excited about, as well as sharing the stage with Carlton Melton, Ian, Kulk and a number of others at Melt Your Brains fest in Brighton on September 20th.
7. Where would you like to play?
Right now, we are working on getting to the festival circuit. All roads lead to ArcTanGent, as they say. Honestly, getting on that would be the best thing, as well as festivals such as Bloodstock. We have not had a chance to play on much bigger stages, so something like that would be really cool. Of course, Wembley Stadium goes without saying…
8. Who would you like to support?
The best thing about playing in a band is getting to play with bands you like and listen to. I would love to support Elder, Carbomb, Neurosis… I mean, the list is endless. Ultimately, bands who are cool to hang out with. We have made lots of friends, and there’s nothing better than putting on shows with good people. Personally, playing with Meshuggah would be the best thing of all time. I would die happy.
9. Who not?
Every gig is worth doing in my opinion. Of course, being booked at shows where you clearly do not fit is never a good idea, but we’re up for everything really. A well-paid show and a well-organized show is the best. There’s nothing quite so soul-destroying as hauling yourself halfway up the country to realise that the promoter has bailed and no one knows what is going on. Money is a thing that people need, and it’s not nice to be out of pocket. Passion does not pay the bills unfortunately.
10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?
I have more than Tom and Guillaume. Guillaume has said that he is immune to it. I am, sadly, not. I have not played, though. It’s never been something that has stopped me, but the nerves. The nerves. It has been so bad in the past. The best advice I can give anyone is that playing live is a practice unto itself. Practicing your instrument at home or in rehearsal is not the same thing, and doing it a shitload of times is the only thing that can help. If you are finding yourself terrified of being on stage, it likely means you’re worried about yourself. You need to remember, it is not about you. It is about being the best you can be to support the people who share the band with you. Whenever I am feeling nervous, I play for the boys and no one else. That helps me a lot. After all, they are counting on me as much as I am counting on them.
Another piece of practical advice that I would suggest, and a practice that we have gotten into for literally years now, is recording everything you do. We have recorded every practice and gig we have done. Just using a phone, nothing more fancy than that. Being able to listen back to your gig or practice immediately dispels whatever imagined thought you had in your mind about how you think you did and replaces it with objective facts. Without that, it’s almost impossible to be able to know what you sound like to other people. It’s a duty to myself to confront that truth whenever I can; otherwise, my worst anxieties about myself grow and develop into a type of mental cancer. No good at all and best avoided.
11. What bands have inspired you the most?
As I said, Pain of Salvation for the sheer innovation, but that’s just me. Meshuggah has inspired me for being so outside the box; it’s unreal. I mean, Bleed changed everything. Beardfish and Big Big Train have been huge influences on me, as well as Ben Folds. The common theme for me is progressiveness, emotion, authenticity, and passion. All of those artists deliver that in spades.
12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?
Sadly, nothing terribly interesting so far. One time, in one of our first gigs, some locals at the venue demanded that we sign our setlist. The thing was, we didn’t have one, so I had to make one specifically for them to sign. It was quite strange.
Recently, a young man presented a book of signatures that he was collecting. It reminded me of when I was a teenager and wanted nothing more than to connect with the bands I liked; it was really sweet. I was honoured to sign it.
13. What do you think of your fans?
I think that our fans are clearly very educated people, capable of rational thought beyond what is considered normal, and have incredibly great taste in music. I salute them!
They tend to be in the slightly older age ranges. I don’t think our music appeals so much to younger listeners right now, but perhaps we just haven’t reached them yet.
14. What do you think of our site?
It’s really cool what you’re doing. I found myself fascinated by the sheer number of genres you have identified. The ‘Core’ genre is truly staggering. A sterling effort on your part to collect them all. We must make a new genre just to add to your collection.
15. Something to add?
We have our debut album ‘Dissolving The Brain’ releasing on 27th of November. Follow us and join our mailing list on Bandcamp, and go to linktr.ee/monovoiduk for links to all of our pages. We’ll be playing around the country for the rest of 2026, and we will be writing in early 2027 for the next release.
We also have some super secret projects in the works that I can’t talk about right now, but we are really excited about them. A lot of work, but worth it.
Thanks so much for the interview!
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