Draft:Downstait
Downstait | |
|---|---|
 Downstait performing in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2010. From left in foreground: Justin Call, Daren Call, Isaiah Zwick, Sean Arata | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Fort Wayne, Indiana |
| Genres | Rock |
| Labels | Sahaja Music Records |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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Downstait is an American rock band from Fort Wayne, Indiana. The group consists of lead singer Zack Call, guitarists Justin Call and Isaiah Zwick, and bassist Sean Arata. The band is most well known for contributing several songs used as entrance music to various professional wrestlers, including Cody Rhodes, The Miz, and Matt Cardona.
History
Downstait was formed in 2002 as Label Kills, before later changing their name.[1] Its founding members met as teenagers while attending South Side High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana,[2] and realized they had a shared interest in music, particularly after attending a concert by Sevendust.[3] By 2007, their lineup was solidified with Zack Call performing lead vocals, Justin Call and Isaiah Zwick on guitar, Sean Arata on bass, and Jethro McConnell on drums.[1]
Early in Downstait's history, the band contacted Stiller, a disc jockey at Fort Wayne radio station WBYR. Stiller in turn reached out to Sahaj Ticotin, the lead singer of Ra, who listened to Downstait's music on Myspace and offered to work with them. He provided support to the band's writing processes and development of their image.[3] Ticotin produced Downstait's first EP, Can You Hear Me Now?, which was released in 2007.[1] Downstait later toured with Ra and Skid Row, and completed a full-length album in 2009, Separation Anxiety, which contained all of the tracks from their EP plus additional ones. Ticotin produced this album as well, and also had writing credit on all tracks on the album.[4] Separation Anxiety was remastered the next year and rereleased as the self-titled album Downstait, released on Ticotin's Sahaja Music Records.[3]
While working with Ticotin, MTV approached the band and requested a theme song for their TV show Bully Beatdown. According to Justin Call, the song they performed for the show led to a cold call from WWE, requesting a song for entrance music for The Miz.[2][3][5] This led to Downstait recording "I Came to Play", debuting around the time of The Miz's first WWE United States Championship run.[6][7] As of April 2023, "I Came to Play" has been streamed over 9 million times on Spotify.[2] This was followed by two additional themes: "Say It to My Face" for Alex Riley and "I Am Perfection" for Dolph Ziggler, the latter of which was changed into the song "Here to Show the World".[6][7] Justin Call credits Matt Cardona, then wrestling in WWE as Zack Ryder, for much of their early success: "We did a song for (Cardona), and he ended up using it on SmackDown and once that got going a little bit people started recognizing us again."[5] Later in 2013, Downstait released With You In Mind, their second album.[8] Produced by Ticotin, With You In Mind did not feature any contributions by McConnell, and introduced Downstait as a four member group.[9]
After 2013, Downstait's contributions to WWE decreased and the band did not put out a new album. Each of the four members of the group focused on other jobs; Arata is a lawyer, while Zack Call is a school administrator and Justin Call runs a body shop. Then, in 2016, Cody Rhodes put a message out on Twitter asking fans what theme song he should use as an independent wrestler, having recently left WWE. Downstait reached out to Rhodes and offered to write one for him,[5][6] although Rhodes recalls reaching out to Downstait instead.[10]
In 2016, Downstait wrote "Kingdom" for Cody Rhodes.[5]
In May 2024, Downstait's song "Kingdom" surpassed 50 million streams on Spotify.[11]
References
- ^ a b c Hupe, Chris (November 29, 2007). "Downstait / Can You Hear Me Now". whatzup. Surack Enterprises. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c Abbas, Amir (April 21, 2023). "Fort Wayne band finds major success in pro wrestling". WPTA. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Hupe, Chris (November 17, 2011). "Downstait". whatzup. Surack Enterprises. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ Hupe, Chris (March 26, 2009). "Downstait / Separation Anxiety". whatzup. Surack Enterprises. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Huffman, David (April 19, 2024). "WHOAAA!: Average Fort Wayne Joes' 'forever' moment in WrestleMania history". WANE-TV. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c Van Vliet, Chris (May 23, 2023). "Downstait - The Band Behind Entrance Themes For Cody Rhodes, The Miz, Dolph Ziggler & More!". Insight with Chris Van Vliet (Podcast). Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "7 Ways Downstait Low-Key Became Wrestling's Most Popular Band". Inside the Ropes. April 29, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Ryan (June 20, 2013). "Downstait / With You in Mind". whatzup. Surack Enterprises. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Downstait, With You In Mind, 2013.
- ^ Lamarre, Carl (August 3, 2023). "How WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes Is Building His 'Kingdom' Brick by Brick". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ Everett, Max (May 29, 2024). "Downstait Celebrates Huge Milestone For 'Kingdom,' Theme Song Of WWE Star Cody Rhodes". Wrestling Inc. Static Media. Retrieved July 12, 2024.