The Beautiful Monument: 'We're More Than Bandmates, We're A Family'

Since The Beautiful Monument released their second album, I’m The Reaper, the reception, they say, has been overwhelming. “I spent the whole release day wanting to cry because everyone was being so nice and I thought they were lying!” says bassist Amy McIntosh, a remark received with laughter from vocalist, Lizi Blanco. 

“It’s overwhelming, but in a good way,” she adds.

I’m The Reaper mixes alt-rock, nu-metal and killer melodies with an unabashed realness. It might be tempting for the band to doubt the authenticity of people's praise for the record, but there are ways to confirm the positivity is actually for real. “I think it’s the amount of random people I get in my inbox,” says Blanco. “Instagram, Messenger, people I’ve never met in my life, thanking for me for lyrics that I’ve written and whatnot. To me that seems heaps genuine and authentic because I don’t know who these people are.

“For strangers to message me about it, I think that’s what makes it really authentic."

“Mine’s the opposite,” adds McIntosh, “People I don’t like are suddenly being nice to me, so it must be good, right?!” 

McIntosh and Blanco laugh again, but the reality is that The Beautiful Monument have released an album that reaches people because of its shocking relatability. Blanco, as the band’s primary songwriter, has talked about the songs being a look into her diary. But what’s curious is how easy it was for McIntosh and the rest of the band to get on board with sharing Blanco's very personal experiences.

“You never want to stop your friends from having an opportunity,” McIntosh says. “We’re more than bandmates, we’re a family, we always have been, and I think Lizi is really good at keeping other band members in mind when she’s writing, [her view is] ‘You guys are just as important as me’. I don’t think she’d ever write anything we’d be uncomfortable with.

“We have that trust with each other, and respect for each other, that we’d just put out something we all agree with.”

The Beautiful Monument have been family for so long, they just know how they each try to express themselves – and so will only ever write music that they all believe in. It’s that cohesive mentality that makes I’m The Reaper such a good listen.

Performing songs with such heavy connotations over and over on tour, and hearing their fans' sometimes heartbreaking stories, could be difficult for the band. Do they have any mechanisms for coping with that emotional labour? 

“I think singing them is already a coping mechanism for me,” says Blanco. “Being out there and being able to express these songs live, as vulnerable as it’s gonna be for me, I think performing live is my way of overcoming it.

“I think you once had reservations about singing [single] Reaper live,” McIntosh says to her bandmate, “but then you decided it would be a shame not to.” 

Reaper is a beautiful account of Blanco coping with the death of the band’s friend and mentor, Justin Nichol, a fixture in the Australian heavy scene, who tragically died almost three years ago. “[Justin] was from Sydney,” McIntosh continues, “and you said we at least had to perform it in Sydney, the people who knew him best are there, and you knew it was important to you and them to perform it at that show.”

The Beautiful Monument have the potential to go forth and conquer the world, so how do they attack that? What’s the next step? “Next is lunch,” jokes McIntosh.

 “Working on new music, just keeping at it,” Blanco adds after she recovers from more laughter. 

“We want to play more shows, record more,” says McIntosh. 

“We don’t want to leave such a big gaps before releases, for sure,” finishes Blanco.