Formed in May 2012 by Rob Thompson and former member Bruce Tobin, Downside began writing a demo in a local music venue where Tobin also lived and worked as a sound technician. The bands early sound was influenced heavily by iconic Hardcore bands such as Madball and Terror, with lyrics written about dealing with depression and the social issues within their local music scene. The original lineup also included Scott Johnson and Dustin Santos, who moved to New Zealand from the Philippines where he played in various Hardcore and Metalcore bands.

Read more about Downside on Last.fm.