When you see the word “hiatus” in a band’s Facebook post, your heart sinks. That is how I felt when I saw Mad Anthony’s post on December 1st. Even while simply writing this, I am getting emotional all over again.

Over the last decade, we've traveled the world, played over 1000 shows, and made some of the best friends we could ever ask for under the guise of rock n' roll. We've always said we'd play together as long as our hearts were still in it, but more recently we've been pulled in different directions.

Mad Anthony is taking an indefinite hiatus going into 2018 to focus on the other projects and passions that occupy our hearts and minds.

Maybe the universe will push us back together sooner rather than later, but for now, it's time for us to take a break before we break.

We have four shows left in 2017, we hope to see you one more time. Please feel free to requests songs on this post, and we'll do our best to make sure we play them at the next show you attend.

This isn't "goodbye," it's "see you later."

Thank you for your love and support,
-Mad Anthony

Mad Anthony have toured coast to coast, and released multiple records including Mad Anthology. Mad Anthology is a culmination of everything that the band has ever accomplished and envisioned. Fifty-two songs were released in fifty-two weeks. They collaborated with dozens of friends, producers, colleagues, peers, and collaborators from all over the continent. It was a feat that many thought to be, well… mad. However, they accomplished their goal and it was glorious.

I have said it before and will say it again, Mad Anthony is quite easily the nicest and hardest working band in Cincinnati. They have a stage presence like no other and are a great band to see live (which, for me is the ultimate test for a band). I can honestly say from all of the music community here in Cincinnati, that Mad Anthony will be missed as a band. However, we understand and hope that this leads to each of them finding their paths individually and in turn coming back to us an even stronger force to be reckoned with.

Cincinnati, we have one more chance to see Mad Anthony! On New Year’s Eve, they will be playing at Northside Yacht Club. Let’s all show up in groves to show our support.

We had the chance to talk to Mad Anthony about the news. Stop it, I’m not crying, you are crying…

What prompted the hiatus for Mad Anthony?
The short answer is we just need a breather. After ten years of touring, writing, recording and promoting we felt it was a good time to take a break.

The long answer; it's a mix of things. Mad Anthology was a massive undertaking, and although it was enjoyable and a great experience, it demanded a lot of our time. It came to a point where every spare moment was devoted to the band. As fun as it was, it took a toll on other parts of our lives. And it's always been that way. To run Mad Anthony the way we want Mad Anthony to run, it dictates a considerable amount of time. The time commitment coupled with reality makes it a good time to press pause. We've always set goals for the band, but Mad Anthology is kind of hard to top! Plus, we asked a lot of our audience to tune-in every week for a year. They probably need a break as much as we do!

We still have loads of unreleased material and, we all still get along and love each other. Someday, if the stars align, we'll start up the Mad Anthony machine again.

Are any side projects in the works?
Marc Sherlock: Writing music on my own has always been fun, but was always instrumental. Spending the years with Mad Anthony broke me out of my shell enough to start singing. I hope to record and release some material during the downtime.

Adam Flaig: I am working on some solo material. Songs I have been writing for years that only up until this year (through encouragement from Ringo and Marc and our friends Sasha and Chris from When Particles Collide) I started playing out live. I hope to release some recorded material in 2018.

Ringo Jones: I have a few irons in the fire, but at this point I'm just testing the waters.

What will each of you be doing during the hiatus?
MS: My wife Kelly and I are family ready.

AF: I will be focusing on solo material and quality time with friends and family.

RJ: I've had some opportunities to produce and advise, and I'm looking forward to continuing my scholarly research into music streaming and local music communities. I'll have some more tunes of my own to share soon too.

Personally, I feel like you are one of the most prolific and professional bands in town. Do you have advice for your fellow local bands?
Chemistry is more important than talent - Mad Anthony is incredibly lucky. We have our disagreements, but overall, we love each other like brothers. If you're going to take your band seriously, make sure you really love being with your mates. With time, you will all become more open and talented, and your love will only grow stronger.

Make friends, not fans - We're not really a band, we're a community. Cincinnati has always been super supportive, and we've been lucky enough to expand our relationships to reach multiple 2nd Hometown cities throughout the US and Ontario. That's only possible because of the friendships we made along the way. Put people first, and the music will come. Then just keep meeting and finding people that you want in your community and introduce them to everyone you've met along the way.

The journey is the reward - It's cliche, but it's true. We've seen some tough times as a band, but we've also experienced things we never thought possible. We always believed that hard work and perseverance pays off, and it does, but sometimes it likes to smack you around a little bit first. None of us walk away from Mad Anthony with riches and fame, but we've been handsomely rewarded in experiences.

Let’s get nostalgic. What is your favorite memory as a band?
MS: Living on the road. No home other than the van. No regular job. Music almost every single day. We met so many people and shared so many experiences. It's a massive group of memories that almost seem unreal.

AF: The little things we did outside of playing shows like pranks we would play on people. I always liked that sensation of being mischievous together. That's what a band is to me. It's like a gang that also plays music.

RJ: We've shared the stage or partied with most of my favorite bands, played major festivals and giant outdoor stages. At one point, I had a music bucket-list, and after I checked off everything on it, I had to write new items. BUT the memories that stick out the most to me are the friendships we've made coast-to-coast. I cannot give high enough praise to all of the great bands in Cincinnati, but also those we've played with elsewhere. There's no way I can name them all, but I know I have lifelong friends in The Shanks, ALBUM, Honah Lee, When Particles Collide, Bella Clava, The Seedy Seeds, and everyone involved with Phratry Records.

BAND: We just want to thank CincyMusic and CityBeat and any other local music publications for everything they do to promote and cultivate this scene. Thanks to Jerry Dirr and Mike Montgomery for their support and mentorship. Big thanks as well to all the beautiful people that run the fantastic venues in town, specifically Morrella Raleigh at Southgate House Revival.