Who were some of your biggest musical influences growing
up?
Ben- I think the first one for me was probably Green Day. In
terms of anything heavier, I know I first got Korn - Issues. After that it was
Disturbed - The Sickness, then Slipknot - Iowa . Slipknot was huge to me. I remember my
mom not being too pleased with me blaring The Heretic Anthem while I was a 4th
grader at a Catholic
Elementary school
How long have you guys been
playing music?
Ben- I've dabbled with stuff since I was 3, but I didn't get
really into playing until about 4th grade on guitar and 6th grade on drums.
You guys recently released your debut album ‘Before The
Story Ends’ to the world and it is getting airplay on a couple different
station’s, ours being one of them and we personally love it. How has the
response from your fans been so far from the album? And what is the message
behind it?
Ben- It's been really overwhelming. I think we accomplished
what we set out to do, which was really shock people. I don't think anyone
expected us to lay this on them. We've had people from all over the world
writing us about it and posting it, even having a kid from Brazil upload a
couple of drum covers to YouTube. It's really surprising. I don't know that
there is really a message necessarily when it comes to the album. I know it was
written out of total frustration, and I think it does a good job of expressing
that. Lyrically it deals a lot with moving on and transitioning, which is what
we did with it. We reached a point where we knew that we had to get serious
with it and really do something that could stand the test of time, and we saw
now as the chance to do just that, so we had to take it. The whole album for me
is basically us breaking out of our shell and moving on from what we used to be.
Ben- We've been talking to a lot of band-friends and are
slowly beginning to get something going. The simplest answer is yes, we are
planning to tour on this album. Whether or not those plans become reality is
yet to be seen. We are organizing everything ourselves, so there are a lot of
variables involved.
Ben- Hopefully onto a 3rd album and with a lot more experience and popularity.
Do you guys prefer boxers or briefs? And why?
Ben- I know our fearless leader prefers the birthday suit, but
aesthetically I prefer boxers, though I find briefs far more practical. I
personally drum in a thong. The mobility is unmatched.
What are your go to drinks at the bar? Whiskey, beer, rum,
vodka or all of the above?
Ben- Screwdrivers and long islands. All day, err day.
Ben- I live in the past and am rarely up to date on new music, so I'm still rocking Three Days Grace - One X a lot. As far as what CD's are in my car currently, they would be Frank Turner - Tape Deck Heart, Sidewise - Made of Matches, Otherwise - True Love Never Dies, Slipknot - Iowa, and War of Ages - Supreme Chaos. I'm definitely waiting for the new Slipknot, Evalyn Awake, and Breaking Benjamin albums. Those will be high on my list as soon as they drop.
Ben- Slightly damp and lukewarm.
Who were some of your biggest musical influences growing
up?
DJ-Black Sabbath, Nine Inch Nails, Clutch, Korn, Limp Bizkit,
Slipknot, Staind, Meshuggah
How long have you guys been
playing music?
DJ-As a band? About 2 years or so. Personally, since I was 12.
You guys recently released your debut album ‘Before The
Story Ends’ to the world and it is getting airplay on a couple different
station’s, ours being one of them and we personally love it. How has the
response from your fans been so far from the album? And what is the message
behind it?
DJ-There is no message behind the album necessarily. Musically,
the album is a collaboration of ideas and the result of several different heads
intentionally writing out of the normal comfort zone. We wanted to end up with something new and
different from what we are used to writing, and I think we did. We felt re-invented through and after the
writing and recording process.
Lyrically, overall, the album is about introspection. Most of the songs either express thoughts and
emotions in the first person perspective, or project self-reflection through a
general character.
I think our fans enjoy the new Breaking Even. The response has been overwhelmingly
positive.
DJ-Yes. We don’t have
any details, however. We have no record
label and no management to do the planning for us, so it will take more time to
square away the details.
Where do you guys see Breaking Even in five years?
DJ- Bigger, better, and
balder.
Do you guys prefer boxers or briefs? And why?
DJ-Good question.
Neither. I’ve ranted about this
very topic to my band mates several times.
I think wearing underwear is stupid and pointless unless you’re are
engaging in some kind of athletics. It
serves no purpose other than to exist as this ancillary piece of cloth that is
restrictive and downright uncomfortable.
I stopped wearing underwear only a couple years ago. My only regret is that I hadn’t stopped
sooner.
What are your go to drinks at the bar? Whiskey, beer, rum,
vodka or all of the above?
DJ-Screwdriver is my number one, although you can’t get good OJ
at a bar, typically. A good bloody mary
can really hit the spot, too. But for
playing a set, I go with a shot of whiskey if anything.
What bands are you guys listening to at the moment besides
the new Breaking Even album?
DJ-I love prog rock and metal so I’ve been all over Meshuggah,
Tesseract, Monuments, Karnivool, Intronaut and stuff like that. Basically shit that is not always easy to nod
your head to haha.
Last but not least……..do you prefer a dry or wet chicken
choking session?
Who were some of your biggest musical influences growing up?
Pete- I bounced around a lot growing up. My melodic elements were very much influenced from
pop punk influences. I spent a lot of time listening to bands like Saosin, Story Of The Year, and
Avenged Sevenfold when I was around 12 or 13. I progressed into heavier music when I started
high school and starting listening to a lot of Slipknot, Korn, All That Remains, and bands in that
vein. I’ve stepped off the gas since then, and have really come into bands like Breaking
Benjamin, Alter Bridge, and Sevendust. Breaking Benjamin has always been a huge one for
myself, and I know that of all the influences we share, I believe that one is the most common
between all of us. I enjoy the bands who can blend the melodic elements of music over heavy
rhythms. It’s different, and I like it.
How long have you guys been playing music?
Pete- Ben and I have been playing together off and on since we were probably 11 or 12 years old.
As far as this band goes, we starting actually playing together in late 2011. We had a bunch of
old ideas we wanted to use, so they became an excuse to jam together all summer while we
tried to figure out who Breaking Even really was.
You guys recently released your debut album ‘Before The Story Ends’ to the world and it is
getting airplay on a couple different station’s, ours being one of them and we personally love it.
How has the response from your fans been so far from the album? And what is the message
behind it?
Pete- The response has been great so far. It’s rewarding when you spend as much time as we did
putting it together and really pushing ourselves to the limits and you get to hear people tell you
about how much they love this song, or how they listen to it front to back everyday. Just knowing
that someone, somewhere is enjoying our album really makes it worthwhile for myself. The
message behind it personally, is what I’ve always called the ‘rebirthingstage.
It’s almost a journey of trying to really find out who you are. Each song will take you through one of the emotions that a person may face in really searching themselves to discover who they really are.
Are you guys planning to tour for this album at all?
Pete- We just finished doing a small run in Missouri, and we have ideas in the works for a possible
tour in the next few months. Currently I can’t give any other info right now, but we are currently
working on one.
Where do you guys see Breaking Even in five years?
Pete- That’s a little tough to answer. Ideally, in 5 years this has become my career. This is my
fulltime gig. I think one of the biggest reasons I started doing this was because I have the
opportunity to not only travel the US, but I get the chance to meet and work with so many great
people. I guess in 5 years, I want to be traveling and helping expand the Breaking Even Universe.
Do you guys prefer boxers or briefs? And why?
Pete- Some of us prefer none. Personally, I wear a hybrid style boxer/brief. Helps protect against
chafing and maximizes comfort.
What are your go to drinks at the bar? Whiskey, beer, rum, vodka or all of the above?
Pete- I think anyone in the band will tell you that I am the beer drinker. I’m a beer and whiskey kind
of guy. I definitely drink the most beer in the group, but also enjoy the occasional whiskey sour
here and there, but nothing beats an ice cold beer. It can change from night to night. I try not to
mix the two together too much.
What bands are you guys listening to at the moment besides the new Breaking Even album?
Pete- I’m actually going back and listening to some older records like Saosin’s Selftitled
album and Avenged Sevenfold’s Waking the Fallen record. These were big for me, and it’s a lot fun
taking a step back in time to listen to the records that really pushed you musically, and see how
far you’ve come from that.
Last but not least……..do you prefer a dry or wet chicken choking session?
Pete- Wet.
https://www.facebook.com/breakingevenkc
https://twitter.com/BreakingEvenKC
