Singer Brooks Nielsen and music director/guitarist Matt Taylor met in high school in the beach town of Dana Point, California, bonding over surfing, skating, and partying. When offered the chance to perform at a house party, the duo quickly wrote their first six songs in a single day, leading to the first incarnation of the band that would eventually become The Growlers.
After releasing a handful of self-recorded cassettes and CDs, The Growlers issued their first studio album, Are You in or Out? in 2009 on Everloving Records. Aquarium Drunkard described it as “consistent in sound and tone that is as enjoyable straight through or on shuffle… Taken as a whole, the record is a beautiful mix of late 60’s freak-out, folk calmness and surf rock.” Their second album, Hot Tropics, was released in 2010, also on Everloving Records. The band's third album, Hung at Heart, the first to feature Anthony Braun Perry on bass and Jason Kaiser on percussion, was released in 2013. The band originally worked with Dan Auerbach to record the album, but the finished version never saw official release. Instead the band recorded a new version of the album in Costa Mesa, CA with Mike McHugh at his Distillery Recording Studio, to get a more lo-fi sound.
Chinese Fountain, their new "more grown up, well polished" album was released September 23, 2014. This album was produced by JP Plunier at Seahorse Studios in Los Angeles, CA. While touring the album, the band expanded their live band with percussionist Nick Murray.
The band's fifth studio album, City Club was released by Cult Records on September 30, 2016, while they embarked on a supporting tour in the same month. It was the first Growlers album to be credited solely to Brooks Nielsen and Matt Taylor, as opposed to the whole band. Nielsen and Taylor wrote and recorded demos for the album over a span of 2 to 3 months with the help of Kyle Mullarky at his studio in Topanga Canyon, CA. It was preceded by the title track as a single produced by Julian Casablancas, who also owns the label. Neither drummer Scott Montoya nor bass player Anthony Perry feature on the album. On September 25, the band confirmed Montoya's departure from the band and stated that Perry was set to return in the near future. The band toured for this album with Brad Bowers on bass, Adam Wolcott Smith on keyboard, and Richard Gowen on drums. Whether their membership in the band is permanent is currently unclear.
The band released Casual Acquaintances on July 27, 2018, a collection of demos and unused material from the City Club sessions.
Allegations of misconduct
In July 2020, allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against the band, along with other artists associated with Burger Records and the Southern California surf and garage rock music scene. Arrow De Wilde, the lead singer of the L.A. rock band Starcrawler, shared a personal encounter on her Instagram. In her post, Arrow claims she was assaulted by a male stripper hired by The Growlers while they were on tour together in Australia. In a statement issued via Instagram on July 31, 2020, Growlers singer Brooks Nielsen took "full responsibility and accountability for the behavior of all Growlers' band members, past and present," and announced that Matt Taylor would temporarily leave the band. Additionally, former Growlers touring keyboardist Adam Wolcott Smith admitted to an incident of abuse on his Instagram, while on tour with his band Zen Mother.
Monotonia
The Growlers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you try to say something clean
It’s hard to hide from the thrashing nights
Nobody cares about a junkie’s dream
More of a sucker than a fiend
It’s hard to turn down a smiling friend
When everything becomes a scene
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Un asesino lento
Sleep can get in the way most times
Dreams can lead you to the middle of nowhere
Still better hitch a ride on a dream
Than to rot with your thumb in the air
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Un asesino lento
Another cigarette, another stiff drink
Getting tired of the same things
Nobody needs another empty reason
Just some to believe in
Nothing quite ever comes out right
When you try to say something clean
It’s hard to hide from the thrashing nights
Nobody cares about a junkie’s dream
More of a sucker than a fiend
It’s hard to turn down a smiling friend
When everything becomes a scene
You can’t make old dreams brand new again
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Un asesino lento
Asesino lento
Aah-aah
Asesino lento
ahh-aah
Asesino lento
Aah-aah
Asesino lento
Aah-aah
The Growlers's Monotonia is a song that speaks about the struggles of daily life and the feeling of being stuck in the monotony of routine. The lyrics suggest that the singer is going through a rough phase in life and is having a hard time expressing his thoughts and emotions cleanly. The first verse of the song talks about how it is challenging to escape the harsh realities of life, and nobody cares about a junkie's dream. The line "More of a sucker than a fiend" portrays the feeling of being trapped in a vicious cycle, whereas "When everything becomes a scene" describes the frustrations of having to put up a facade, ad pretending to be alright when in reality, things are not great.
The chorus of the song, with lyrics "And monotony is a slow killer" highlights the central idea of the composition. The verse suggests that the feeling of being stuck in a monotonous routine can lead to a slow and painful death of one's mind, spirits, and heart. The second verse speaks about the challenges of balancing out sleep, work, and dream. The message here is that although dreams and aspirations can take you in unfamiliar territories, it is always better to pursue them than to rot with your thumb in the air.
Overall, Monotonia is a thought-provoking song that urges listeners to break free from the monotony of daily lives and pursue one's goals.
Line by Line Meaning
Well nothing quite ever comes out right
When you try to say something clean
It’s hard to hide from the thrashing nights
Nobody cares about a junkie’s dream
Expression is hard when you're trying to be honest; it's tough to escape your demons; no one cares about the dreams of the hopeless.
More of a sucker than a fiend
It’s hard to turn down a smiling friend
When everything becomes a scene
You can’t make old dreams brand new again
One is more of a pushover than an addict; it's difficult to refuse a friendly face; life becomes a performance; old dreams cannot be revived.
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Un asesino lento
Monotony is a slow killer; monotony is a slow killer; a slow killer.
Sleep can get in the way most times
Dreams can lead you to the middle of nowhere
Still better hitch a ride on a dream
Than to rot with your thumb in the air
Sleep can be an obstacle; dreams sometimes lead you astray; it's better to pursue your dreams than to do nothing and waste away.
Another cigarette, another stiff drink
Getting tired of the same things
Nobody needs another empty reason
Just some to believe in
Another smoke, another drink; tired of repetition; no one wants something meaningless; only something to have faith in.
Contributed by Aiden F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@luisamariaalvsot1407
Nothing quite ever comes out right
When you try to say something clean
It’s hard to hide from the thrashing nights
Nobody cares about a junkie’s dream
More of a sucker than a fiend
It’s hard to turn down a smiling friend
When everything becomes a scene
You can’t make old dreams brand new again
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Un asesino lento
Sleep will get in the way most times
Dreams will lead you to the middle of nowhere
Still rather hitch a ride on a dream
Than to rot with your thumb in the air
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Un asesino lento
Another cigarette, another stiff drink
Getting tired of the same things
Nobody needs another empty reason
Just some to believe in
Nothing quite ever comes out right
When you try to say something clean
It’s hard to hide from the thrashing nights
Nobody cares about a junkie’s dream
More of a sucker than a fiend
It’s hard to turn down a smiling friend
When everything becomes a scene
You can’t make old dreams brand new again
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Y la monotonía es un asesino lento
Un asesino lento
Asesino lento
Aah-aah
Asesino lento
ahh-aah
Asesino lento
Aah-aah
Asesino lento
Aah-aah
@losgrowlers
“Dream World” music video premiere tonight at 7PM (LA time) at The Growlers' YouTube Channel. Tune in to Instagram Live at 630PM to hang with Brooks and “Dream World” co-star Heather the Doll.
@thalesmiqueiasdossantos7060
Eu assisti assim que saiu, e achei incrível!
@amadorxo
We need a virtual concert
@powerofthetime
my Growlers cover starting here: https://youtu.be/WdDh7McGYzs
Please sign me for original music and great truth videos
@powerofthetime
Earth is flat! (100%) Song i wrote for all you globe-tardo's out there: https://youtu.be/Ev44X615JhA
- Their lies are evil. Join me now
@powerofthetime
You are 'Private Property' https://youtu.be/OevJrbiy6X0
(2020) (*most important truth)
@mitchellgiles6869
I don't understand why this song isn't more famous. This is genuinely one of the best songs I have ever heard in my entire life
@boberikson1242
They sexually harassed some girls that's why.
@pizzamanpodesta145
I know! The first time I heard it three years ago I think I played it 100 times..
@Gizmo_69
We been trying to bring awareness to this song for a very long time because we here at Playlist Against Algorithms whole heartedly agree with you......