FAULT INTERVIEWS: Breton
Returning from their self-imposed isolation period within Berlin’s ‘Funkhaus Studios’ – Breton release their second album ‘War Room Stories’ with a live performance at the historic Rough Trade East. FAULT went along to see the band perform and catch up with vocalist Roman Rappak to see just what they’ve been up to.
FAULT: It’s been two years since your last album, what have you been up to?
Roman: Touring the record and really getting to bottom of what being in a band actually means. It sounds strange but you put together some tracks and you think you’ll make some films and do this and that but it isn’t until half way through touring that you realise what you’re working with. You write something and think it will work in a show but until you play a gig from start to finish, it’s hard to understand your own creation. It’s about creating a big ball of chaos and slowly moulding it as you tour and perform it.
Where did you record the album?
We found a place in Berlin called Funkhaus and we were trying to find a place where we could switch off and be left alone. I think that if you’re too surrounded with bands that sound a similar way or a scene that pushes a particular way, you end up never pushing too far away from what everyone else is doing. I think that the opposite is true, the things you come up with in your fourth week detached will just sound different to what everyone else is doing.
You’re off on tour soon, where are you most excited about going?
It’s hard to say but I’ll give you a top 5 in no particular order – Montreal, Detroit (even though you can imagine it’s a weird abandoned city), anywhere in Switzerland, Munich and Hamburg.
As a band with such an individual style, do you find it hard to find inspiration?
Not really, it’s an exciting time to be any kind of artist be it music, photography, journalism etc. Information is so readily available so new tracks, or new films can inspire you all the time. The huge flood of things coming out all the time is the exciting a part of it; we’re never at loss for inspiration and if anything we are overwhelmed by all the great stuff available.
If you could describe your new album ‘War Room Stories’ in 3 words what would they be?
Post Internet Hard-core.
Bands are forming up and down the country everyday and very few will get a glimpse at the success you have seen. What’s the secret?
It’s difficult to say, I think one thing I’m grateful for is success enough to be able to make a second album. That doesn’t necessarily mean selling albums or making money but it definitely means that we can have an idea at the beginning of 2013 and it can turn into an album today. I think to any Indie band starting up, you should never aim for any kind of success other than creative success. If you are creating something creative then you are doing it and you are making it. It doesn’t matter if 10 people come to your shows or if no one comes to your shows or if your band never plays a gig! If you’re making any kind of art then you’re making it as something you can engage with.
What is your favourite tour story?
I think the craziest thing that has happened is on a random night in Prague when we ended up going to this illegal bar which was basically a bloke bribing the front desk of his private student halls and turning one of the rooms into a bar. It was just an unexpected and amazing way of seeing the city.
What is your FAULT?
One of my MANY faults is that I’m constantly trying to work out how to better things. Which in one case is positive but it does mean that I’m never 100% happy, but maybe happy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.