This is Savage Screamer and recently we have been playing Breaking The Undertow on air. Like any good band, our fans want to know more about the people behind the music.  So would you be surprised when you find such a talent that sounds like a full band yet its all the creativity of one man? That’s right the music is written and performed by Trevor Also known as Breaking The undertow. We here at Wicked Times Radio like him and we know many of our fans do as well. Since COVID19 our ability to travel to interview in person has been a bit tricker, Yet It didn’t derail us for giving the fans the chance to get to know the musician behind the music .so sit back relax and read a little bit about Breaking The Undertow.

 

(Q)How many years have you performed both in a band or solo (If applicable) 

(A)I’ve been in and out of bands and solo projects for the better part of the last 16 years. I started my first band, Negative Impulse, in 2004 at the age of 14. I stopped being in bands in 2011 but continued to write and record music as a solo artist under the moniker Shavings 57 until 2016. I began this current project, Breaking The Undertow, in 2018 as a solo project, although it sounds a lot like a full band.

 

(Q)Which do you prefer solo or performing in a band? What do you feel are the drawbacks of solo vs. performing with a band?

(A)I’ve never performed live as a solo artist. I feel a lot more comfortable playing with a band. I like it loud. I like companions on stage with me to share in the experience. However, having said that, I typically prefer to write on my own. I’m a bit of a control freak artistically. I wish I could write more with other people even though I find it challenging. I do think multiple perspectives can produce a song greater than the sum of its parts. It’s something I aspire to do more of.

 

(Q)what makes your band different from others? 

(A)Breaking The Undertow has its own flavour. I like to think that, although technically a rock act, it’s nuanced in a way that lets it transcend genre. I don’t like to put too many boundaries on myself when I write songs. I also like to give each song its own feel and niche different from the rest.

 

(Q) What type of experience do you hope to give to your fans when at your show? Describe your show visually and muscly. 

(A)I haven’t played any shows with Breaking The Undertow yet. Ideally, I think a band’s energy is the number one thing in a live situation. When I used to play shows in my other bands I would sweat profusely and probably blow my voice out by the end of the show. If you’re a rock band I don’t think it’s acceptable to give any less than 100% on stage and that would be my focus if I were to play some shows with Breaking The Undertow. I believe in giving that energy to your audience.

 

(Q)Tell us About your next gig or show. Is It private or public? Can You give us a sneak peek and tell us a little bit about it?

(A)I don’t have any shows on the horizon, unfortunately. I would like to assemble a band and play these songs live at some point!

 

(Q)when writing songs to perform who composes the lyrics and instrumentals. Is it one

individual or is it the effort of the entire band as a whole?

(A)Breaking The Undertow is a solo project, so naturally, I (Trevor Heaslip) compose all the music and lyrics myself. These days it typically starts out with an acoustic guitar and a solid vocal melody. From there I compose the lyrics. Once I have the song structure down on an acoustic guitar, I record a demo of the guitar and write drums and bass parts around that.

 

(Q)when songs are written what is the motivation, muse, or inspiration behind the music? 

(A)I suppose my main motivation behind creating music these days is to express myself. I feel equally expressed by the lyrics as I do the music that accompanies them. I feel like the music I write is a piece of my soul. My lyrics are always an expression of my own personal experience. “Empyrean” is about meeting my wife under very unusual and difficult circumstances. “Socialites” is about navigating social situations whilst dealing with pretty severe social anxiety. I’ve found it unproductive to labour over songs that aren’t working out. The finished songs you hear generally come to me pretty quickly both lyrically and musically and are the ones I can’t stop singing over and over in my head.

 

(Q)Tell us why people should come to see your band perform?

(A)Once again, I wish people could come to see my band perform. I like to think that when I start playing shows like Breaking The Undertow, people will come to hear good songs performed with a lot of passion and energy. I like small venues, intimate shows, and I want people to feel close to music and included in the experience. I want them to feel my vulnerability.

 

(Q) Tell us an experience you had as a fan at a show. What resonated with you that stuck out? Was it one of your favourite shows? Did it inspire you to want to be a performer? 

(A)One time my old band, Negative Impulse, played a show with this band called The Blame-Its. I was a teenager at the time, and these were grown men from Canada’s West Coast who worked a full-time roofing job. They took some time off every year to tour all of Canada. I think they were supposed to headline, but because of their schedule, they had to open the show. 

       No one was at the venue yet except us and the other bands. So these guys, the Blame-Its, brought the house down for us and our parents. They had so much energy. They enjoyed the hell out of their set. They looked like they were having a blast. I loved it. They played their hearts out to an empty venue. It taught me to always make music and play shows purely for the love and passion of it. The memory of that experience reminds me to appreciate every moment of writing, recording, creating, performing and playing music that I get in my life.

 

(Q) Who or what do you think were the biggest influencers in your life that brought you into the music industry?

(A)The reason I picked up a guitar and started a band in the first place was a childhood friend of mine named Luke Bentham. He currently sings and plays the guitar for The Dirty Nil. He had a Fender Strat and played in bands. I used to go over to his house every week because we had math tutoring together at his neighbour’s house. We’d go back to his place after and I would drool over his guitar. I needed to have one. At 14 years old, I took my Mom’s credit card and bought my first electric guitar. I taught myself to play and formed a band with my brother Spencer on drums and my friend Nick on bass. That was Negative Impulse. My other massive inspiration to start playing music was my brother Spencer. He started playing the drums at 5 years old and he’s the most incredible musician I know. Having the opportunity to start a band with my musical hero felt like an amazing opportunity for me.

 

(Q) what are some of the struggles you and the band have endured together? How do you think it has impacted you as a group.

(A)With my earlier bands, there was a lot of conflicts. Interpersonal issues would get in the way of the music. I guess that could be the reason why I’ve chosen to operate mostly alone. I write, produce, and record all Breaking The Undertow music alone in my room. However, my brother Spencer (who was the drummer of my first band Negative Impulse) is a full-time music engineer and producer and goes by the name Taabu. He currently mixes and masters all my tunes and I find it really enjoyable to collaborate with him in that way.

 

(Q)  what do you think most bands struggle with more when beginning and being a local band.

(A)I think most bands struggle with writing great songs when they start out. I know I did. It takes time and experience to learn how to craft good songs and to become comfortable with your strengths and weaknesses when writing songs. It’s the most worthwhile thing to work on I think because your songs are the currency you trade-in as a band. Everything else is secondary in my opinion.

 

(Q)How does music affect the world around you in your everyday life?

(A)Music has been such a huge part of my life. My Dad used to play cassettes all the time when I was a kid, so there are songs and bands that remind me of those times. Music was my escape in high school when I was being bullied. Music has brought me joy and catharsis. It’s helped me in isolation and loneliness and it’s been the soundtrack to wonderful memories with friends and family. It really runs the gamut of life experience for me and I’m grateful for all of the wonderful musical experiences I’ve had in my life.

 

(Q). What are your pet peeves in the music industry?

(A)Genre snobs are a big pet peeve of mine in the music industry. In my humble opinion, good music is good music. I hate when people say “it’s not heavy enough” or “I won’t listen to ANYTHING with rapping in it”. I just think that’s close-minded.

 

 

(Q) What do you think about the music industry today? Do you think there is a lot of positive change today from what there was in yesteryears? 

(A)I love the fact that I can distribute my music on a global scale in an affordable manner. There’s no way I could have ever done that as an indie band before the advent of streaming. Having said that, I think it’s harder than ever to get any attention as an artist because the market is flooded now. It’s a blessing and a curse!

 

(Q)How do you go about promoting your band? (please give links to anything internet wise):

(A)I promote my music generally through the use of social media and reaching out to music blogs and radio stations. I find it quite difficult to get my music heard, to be honest. One thing I’ve found helpful is DistroKid’s “Slaps” platform, which is a really cool way for artists distributed by DistroKid to give each other constructive feedback and share their music with each other. It’s very cool and fun! It gets your music heard by other artists which are awesome and it’s all based around supporting each other. Communities like this are a great place to promote music.

Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/breakingtheundertow/photos

Web Site - https://linktr.ee/breakingtheundertow?fbclid=IwAR2KZ-SKd_UbCSXiDMGGtQfhorbLfFGH31ojPsP0pF7jnjqwOQzUClBcWVg

Twitter -https://twitter.com/btundertowband

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ5tjte8ttHAR_m1qHzkyTA

 

(Q)What advice can you give to other bands starting out, and about how to promote and get themselves heard?

(A)I don’t really have much advice to give because I feel like I’m starting out myself in away. Even though I’ve been in somewhat locally successful bands, I still struggle to figure out how to promote myself as an artist, especially since I haven’t played shows for a while. This new digital landscape is challenging for artists, so I’m always interested in hearing how other artists navigate it and get themselves heard.

 

(Q) Is there any type of advice to give to those who have a dream to become a band cover/tribute?

(A)My only advice to give is to do what you love. Make the music you want to make. Do it shamelessly for yourself, find a distribution platform like DistroKid and put it out into the world. Love every moment of it. That’s my advice.

 

(Q)Now talking with other artists, we have talked about the old way of recording. When it was done just in a studio. It used to be the only way to record your tracks, however with the advancement of technology artiest are taking their recordings out in the world. To music halls or any place, one can Imagine. Do you think there is something to be said for the old style of recording Vs The new styles of recording?

(A)I LOVE the new style of recording. I record all of my music in my bedroom. Breaking The Undertow wouldn’t exist without home recording. I think you can make great-sounding stuff at home. I’m all for it.

 

(Q)Now that music is more attainable to download free. Times are changing rapidly, so is technology. Do you think consumer wise it has hurts the artiest, that selling your music isn’t the way it used to be? Is It harder to make a living just selling your music solely unless you provide the fans with merchandise as well? What is your opinion?

(A)I definitely think it’s hard for artists to make a living now that music is basically free. Artists make hardly anything off streaming. However, like I said earlier, I wouldn’t be able to have my music heard all over the world without streaming platforms. I would rather have my music heard than make a crap-load of money. I work a full-time job outside the music industry so I feel for people who are really trying to make a living with music. It’s hard.

 

(Q)What are some of the best venues from the past that you have worked on? Any favourites? 

(A)My favourite venue in the world is the Casbah in Hamilton, Ontario. Brodie, the man that runs it, is amazing and gives local bands an amazing place to play shows and develop themselves in the local scene. I’ve played and seen many a show at that place.

 

(Q) what do you advise newer bands /cover bands/tribute bands should definitely try out as a venue?

(A)Same as my previous answer. Any bands starting out, especially in the Hamilton area, should check out the Casbah.

 

(Q) Is there anything you’re currently working on?

(A)I’m ALWAYS writing new music and I’m often recording something. I plan to continue releasing Breaking The Undertow music and I’ve got some things I’m working on for sure.

 

(Q) Are you recording anything new?

(A)I’m recording a new song right now as a matter of fact. It’s a song called “On A Tuesday” and it’s quite different than anything I’ve previously done for Breaking The Undertow. It’s a little bit more mellow. It’s kind of a “nice song”, at least in terms of its instrumentation. Instrumentally it’s more laid back and loose. The lyrics are dark though.

 

(Q)As a band at the end of the night, you have to reach the person in the very back to draw him in closer to react to your band and your music. How do you go about doing so? ( picture the person in the back, how do you try to give them the same experience as the fan in the front row?)

(A)I think a big part of being in a band, or being a solo musician, or being a human being for that matter, is being humble and grateful. That’s not to say one should not have confidence. I think you need the confidence to have a certain command of your audience. However, having a sense that your success is contingent on people listening to you is important. So, to draw that person in at the back of the room, I might point at them and say “Thank you for being a part of this with me tonight. For you to pay money or take time out of your life to listen to my music means the world to me. I couldn’t do this without you”. I think giving your fans and your listeners the praise they deserve will give them even more incentive to interact with you and your music.

 

Wicked Times Radio Was more than grateful for Trevor, For his time and patience with all our questions. For letting us enter his world for a moment and see what some of His processes is when it comes to his music. We strive every day to work with amazing people and musicians just like Trevor who have an amazing ability to entertain us with originality. We here at Wicked Times Radio are looking and watching as  Breaking The Undertow is being played all over the world captivating audiences of all ages.