"These Are The Breaks!"

THE BREAKS WIN TONIGHT'S BATTLE OF THE BANDS!!! Their first show! And they win! Check out The Breaks here.

Here is the preview article on The Breaks I wrote up last week:

A harsh break up, a rented drum kit, and getting fired from Blockbuster. Ask Ewan Currie, Sam Corbett and Ryan Gullen of the Breaks, and you’ll hear how all these seemingly unrelated things led to the creation of this Saskatoon-based band.

“I knew Ryan from high school, and we knew Sam through a mutual friend,” says Currie, who plays guitar and whose intense lead vocals reminds one cross between John Fogerty and Jack White. “We all became better friends based on a shared love of music. Sam was thinking of renting a drum kit.” Surprisingly Corbett had never picked up the drum sticks before last summer. At this point, one can hardly believe it when the confident drummer hits his stride midway through one of the bands many original numbers, including the blues number “Feelin’ Sorry for Myself.”

“Yeah,” chimes in Ryan. “We were tossing around the idea of starting a band.”

“And then Ryan got fired and my girlfriend and I broke up, and Sam broke even,” says Currie. The group laughs heartily, revealing the bands fun loving, party vibe that surrounds them. With the resulting free time on their hands the band threw themselves into making music. “It was like when you get a new dog or pet and you say ‘I’ll walk it everyday’ and all that. And we kept it up. We all agreed that the best part of our day was when we got together and practiced.”

For band that is so new on the scene, the Breaks are already well on their way to forming a distinct and unique sound. “I think the turning point was when I brought in [the song] ‘Asshole,’ and we started making songs that were worthwhile” says Currie. The Breaks wear their influences proudly, citing the Black Keys, CCR and the Kings of Leon as key inspirations.

Those influences as well as their unique sound should be evident at Louis’ on Saturday, March 12 at the Battle of the Bands. “At first we didn’t know if we wanted to be in the Battle of the Bands, but when we heard a few of the other bands that were in it, we said ‘Fuck it. We should do it.’” Currie’s self-assurance is apparent. Gullen agrees, “We don’t just play music because we like to play around… there’s a weird chemistry here, music is our lives.” Corbett adds, “We don’t have a lot of experience…but at the same time we are confident.”

The Breaks all hope that people will dig what they’re doing and enjoy the kind of music that they’re making. “It’s not what everyone else is doing. But I think it’s accessible,” says Currie. Gullen adds, “We’re going to be honest…it’s ‘fuck yeah’ rock n’ roll.”

It's too bad this article didn't run, because it came true. The Breaks know they are good (and not just because they are my friends). It's true.