#siberianbreaks

SIBERIAN BREAKS

Siberian Breaks are set to release their new EP this September. We caught up with band members Jordan, Spencer and Stefan to chat about their dream records, favourite shows, and major influences. Read on and check them out at Live on Elgin on September 20th!

VITALS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siberianbreaksband/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Siberian_break

Bandcamp: https://siberianbreaksband.bandcamp.com/

Latest Release: Unlikely Brother (Single, December 2018)

Upcoming shows:  EP Release Show - Friday, September 20th at LIVE on Elgin with Stoby and Amalgamation

SA: How did Siberian Breaks first start as a band? Jordan: I had been playing bass for a couple years in both Trunk (with Stefan) and Price of Gas (with Spencer) and at some point I realized that my fingerstyle bass technique translated really well to an acoustic guitar. I practiced for a while and eventually got decent enough to put together a few original songs which I showed to Stefan and our friend Rob (Chapman, of Trunk). We eventually landed on the current lineup (Jordan - vocals/guitar, Spencer - bass, Stefan - drums) and jammed for a few months before our first show at Pressed last January.

SA: Who would you cite as primary influences on your sound? Jordan: From a songwriting perspective, I’d say probably Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. I appreciate how candid, honest and witty Jeff Tweedy can be with his lyrics but also how absolutely cryptic Justin Vernon’s lyrics are most of the time. I try to walk the line where the lyrics I write are transparent and honest at times but purposefully opaque when I feel like hiding the meaning a little bit. Spencer: I’ve typically played guitar in my previous bands so playing bass in SB lets me focus on the rhythm of my parts more and incorporate some dance influences. In particular, Justice is a big inspiration for the fuzz bass tone I use on a few songs. Stefan: I’m a big fan of Matt Helder of Arctic Monkeys and how he tends to write drum “parts” instead of just a straight ahead beat. I find his parts to be super creative and catered to the specific song and I try to take a similar approach.

SA: Thus far in your career, what has been your biggest success? Stefan: At this point we’ve only been around for a bit over a year so I’d say our biggest success has been getting the EP fully recorded and eventually released. We were lucky in that we had ~8-10 originals finished pretty quickly but it’s been really rewarding to hear them in a more fleshed-out recorded state.

SA: What has been the biggest challenge you have faced, and how have you dealt with it? Jordan: Going from playing bass in bands and being able to chill at the back of the stage with the drummer, to having to stand at the front of the stage, play a new instrument, sing in public for the first time, and figure out when to hit each effects pedal was quite the challenge for me at first. I like to think I’m getting the hang of it now but the sheer amount of energy that goes into some shows is so much more than the supporting role I had as a bassist.

SA: How do you guys approach the song-writing process? Jordan: Usually I’ll come up with a few basic lyrics and guitar parts on my own and then play them at practice and have the guys figure out their parts around that. Having a producer in the band (Stefan) helps tremendously with this. He or Spencer will suggest different directions to take the core ideas I present and the songs almost always end up in a much different, unexpected place than what I originally imagined. I like to think this keeps us on our toes a bit and so far has helped us avoid just writing the same sounding song over and over again.

SA: What are your thoughts on the Ottawa music scene? Stefan: Like the city itself, Ottawa’s music scene is much smaller than Toronto’s or Montreal’s but, also like the city, you end up with these tightly-knit networks of people and when you meet new musicians here, you almost always have a few shared connections with them. Jordan: Living between 2 bigger cities is also nice for touring (we haven’t toured yet but are looking into it) in that you can reach millions of people in just a 2-5 hour drive without having to cross any major borders.

SA: If you could have a meal with any three musicians, dead or alive, who would they be, and why? Spencer: Probably Aaliyah. She had such an interesting but short life and I’d love to hear her take on everything. Jordan: I’m a big believer in not meeting your heroes so I’ll go with Action Bronson since he’s got his own cooking show and everything. I’m not huge into his music but that meal would be delicious. Stefan: I’d say Iggy Pop; you know he’d have just the craziest stories to tell.

SA: What is your favourite show you’ve ever seen in Ottawa, and what was so great about it? Stefan: The first one that comes to mind was the time the Black Keys played at Bluesfest in 2011. There was a huge thunderstorm that rolled in right before their set, but the crowd patiently waited it out. After over an hour of waiting, Black Keys came on stage and put on one of the best 30 minute sets I’ve ever seen in my life. Jordan: Bon Iver at Folkfest 2012 back when it was still at Hog’s Back Park. It was one of the first crisp fall nights of the year and in the middle of a forest; absolutely perfect venue to see them. Spencer: One of the best Canadian Tire Centre/Scotiabank Place shows I’ve seen was probably Coldplay back in 2008. Viva La Vida was such a huge album for them, and they really did it justice live.

SA: If you could have played on any album in the history of time, which album would it be, and why? Spencer: I’d say Stone Roses self-titled album. It really rejuvenated guitar music at the time and made it sound fresh and interesting again. Stefan: Consolers of the Lonely by The Raconteurs just seems like such a fun album to play on. It’s got an amazing feel front-to-back and has a ton of great drum, bass and guitar parts throughout. Jordan: I wouldn’t want to ruin any of my favorite albums with my playing but I suppose if I played a few notes on Thriller I’d be making some pretty crazy royalties right now…