{"id":7105,"date":"2012-03-24T12:01:45","date_gmt":"2012-03-24T01:01:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/?p=7105"},"modified":"2012-03-24T12:07:45","modified_gmt":"2012-03-24T01:07:45","slug":"breaching-vista","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maytherockbewithyou.com\/mtrbwy\/2012\/03\/breaching-vista\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaching Vista"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Official Bio:\u00a0 January 2007 saw the launch of Kitchener, Ontario\u2019s Alt-Rock quartet Breaching Vista. Since their inception, BV has found themselves sharing the bill with such notable acts as Our Lady Peace, Jack\u2019s Mannequin, The Sheepdogs, Hedley, Matthew Good, Marianas Trench, Arkells, Finger Eleven, Protest The Hero, Down With Webster, The Reason, ill Scarlett, USS, and many more. The release of 2008\u2019s \u2018Breaking The View\u2019 EP, paired with their rock-solid-crowd-pleasing live performance, helped them land the closing ceremonies of the Canada Day Celebration in Waterloo, ON, for 3 consecutive years (2008, 2009, and 2010) to an audience of 10 thousand plus (10 000+) spectators each year. Their music garnered media attention with print, online, and both college and major radio stations, which helped lead to signings with Canadian indie label Bright Side Records, and UK indie label Engineer Records.<\/p>\n

With Bright Side Records ready to make a push, BV started 2010 by returning to Beach Road Studios to work again with Producer Siegfried Meier (Kittie \u201cIn The Black\u201d #18 Billboard Hard Rock Albums), on their sophomore record \u201cVera City\u201d. The consensus was to keep a degree of integrity to musicianship and recording on the record, so the band used a combination of analog and digital recording techniques, hired real string players including world class Cellist, Kevin Fox (Celine Dion, Chantal Kreviazuk), and worked with an 8 piece African gospel choir. The year was split between recording Vera City and performing at prominent shows including 91.5 the Beat\u2019s \u201cBeat Rocks The Block\u201d, \u201cSpring Music Festival\u201d, \u201cRock the Mill\u201d, and “Barrie New Music Festival” where they received the \u2018Best New Alternative Rock\u2019 award. They wrapped up 2010 with Vera City mixing sessions and 2 solid showcase performances at “Indie Week Toronto”.<\/p>\n

2011 was kicked off by supporting Finger Eleven at the Sirius Satellite opening party for Canadian Music Fest, which was quickly followed by the spring release of Vera City. It didn\u2019t take long for the buzz to start catching on with BV landing the cover of ECHO Magazine, sending their first single \u201cSleep\u201d on a national radio campaign across Canada, hitting the stage with Jack\u2019s Mannequin, and landing another slew of festivals including Sudbury\u2019s Summerfest with The Sheepdogs, and a private cottage party with Our Lady Peace. After clips of their audition video for CBC\u2019s \u201cCover Me Canada\u201d started appearing in television commercials, BV received a special invitation from CBC to perform at a private in-studio VIP party at the Gemini Awards – where they shared entertainment duties with City and Colour, Deborah Cox, and Jim Cuddy (of Blue Rodeo), as well as rubbed shoulders with comedy heavyweights Russell Peters and Tom Green.<\/p>\n

As the year rounded into its final quarter, BV was asked to take part in \u201cOut of the Storm,\u201d a benefit concert in relief of a tornado that devastated the town of Goderich, Ontario (home of producer Siegfried Meier & Beach Road Studios). In order to avoid a scheduling conflict, they borrowed the very talented Jason Pierce, touring drummer of internationally successful band Paramore. Welcomed by the grieving community with open arms, BV performed alongside Matthew Good, Arkells, ill Scarlett, The Salads and Serena Ryder.<\/p>\n

They followed up Goderich by performing a sold-out Oktoberfest event in their hometown of Kitchener, donated their time & services to a holiday fundraiser presented by the Metalworks Institute, and wrapped the year up at the 107.5 DAVE FM New Years Eve Bash, alongside their friends, The Reason.<\/p>\n

January 1st, 2012, got off to a great start with Velvet Rope Magazine adding Vera City to their Top 10 Indie Albums of 2011, saying, \u201cIf their accomplishments in 2011 are a foreshadow of what\u2019s to come of them this year, then there is nothing but greatness in store for Breaching Vista.\u201d<\/p>\n

Armed with a plethora of new material, a pair of independent labels for support, a continuously growing & loyal fan base, and the drive that many bands aspire for but only few possess, it\u2019s only a matter of time before Breaching Vista is a household name in Canadian music.<\/p>\n

BV received an early invitation to return to Canadian Music Fest in 2012, with a spotlight feature on the CMF website.<\/p>\n

Breaching Vista got in touch with us and we loved what we heard straight away, check them out!<\/p>\n

Let’s start with the basics first \u2013 for those that aren\u2019t aware of the band, what brought the band together and what is the inspiration behind the band\u00a0name?<\/strong>
\nJohn:<\/strong>\u00a0The band came together as a natural transition of musicians looking for other musicians to play some music with.\u00a0Al and Nik played together in\u00a0a band, and were looking for a singer to fill in for a bar gig.\u00a0We knew each other from high school, so they asked if\u00a0I wanted to come play a couple of\u00a0sets worth of 90\u2019s alt-rock and pop-punk stuff.\u00a0I welcomed the opportunity as I had been out of a band for over a year at that point.<\/p>\n

The show was a huge success and many of their friends asked me if I was the new singer of their band.\u00a0I humbly said no, that it was only a one-time\u00a0thing, but we ended up taking an offer for a follow up show.\u00a0That night was abruptly ended when a fight broke between their bass player and an\u00a0audience member \u2013 while we were in the middle of a song.\u00a0We got kicked out, and I told the guys if they wanted to keep playing then we needed a\u00a0new bassist.<\/p>\n

We got to talking and Al, Nik and I decided we wanted to try writing songs and start a new band, so I offered to call my friend Mike to join as a bassist.\u00a0\u00a0Mike had played with me in my previous band, and we had remained good friends after disbanding.\u00a0Mike rejected my first offer to bring him in, as he\u00a0wanted to play drums.\u00a0After a week went by and a few bass-less jam sessions, I reached out to Mike for a second\u00a0time knowing that he was the guy I\u00a0wanted to complete the line-up.\u00a0\u00a0The second\u00a0\u00a0call took little-to-no convincing and Mike signed up within minutes.<\/p>\n

We tossed around some ideas for a band name, and we knew we wanted something unique and fresh sounding.\u00a0It had to be powerful and climactic.\u00a0I\u00a0had been throwing in the word \u2018breaking\u2019 cause we were a new band breaking out.\u00a0Nik cleverly used his thesaurus and found the synonym\u00a0\u2018breaching\u2019 which sounded a lot cooler.\u00a0He also lived across from a street called \u2018vista\u2019 and had wanted to somehow use the word in the name from\u00a0the very beginning.\u00a0So he sent over \u201cBREACHING VISTA\u201d in an instant message and was so stoked at what he came up with that we all just went with\u00a0it.<\/p>\n

We then realized that \u2018vista\u2019 was a synonym for \u2018view\u2019 and our name ended up translating to \u201cBreaking the View\u201d, which represented exactly what we\u00a0were looking for.\u00a0We wanted to break the current view of the independent music scene and be a band that stood out from the pack.\u00a0Breaching Vista\u00a0was the perfect name for us.<\/p>\n

Can you introduce each member of your band and give us a rock \u2018n\u2019 roll fact or myth about each of them?<\/strong>
\nJohn<\/strong> – Lead vocals & guitar. John\u2019s first show was in front of his entire elementary school and his band made every kid cry from JK to grade 3 with the\u00a0loud instruments and use of a strobe light.
\nMike<\/strong> – Bass & backing vocalist. Mike is a multi-instrumentalist. Years ago he played drums in a grunge band and he often sits down with Nik to work\u00a0on writing the drum parts. He also controls our stage lighting during shows with a foot pedal.
\nAl<\/strong> – Lead guitar & backing vocals. Al is a silent member of classic rock revival band, Steel Panther.\u00a0He also plays campfire guitar at epic pig roast\u00a0parties in his backyard.
\nNik<\/strong> – Drummer. Nik does not own a drum kit. (fact)<\/p>\n

You have twenty seconds in an elevator to give your best sales pitch to someone to get them to listen to your new album \u2018Vera City\u2019, what do you tell\u00a0them?<\/strong>
\nJohn & Mike:<\/strong> What do you get when you take 4 musicians dudes, add 2 guitars, 1 bass, a 5 piece drum kit, stir in a pinch of alternative-pop-rock\u00a0melodies, simmer with a blend of sweet cello, violin, and piano lines, and lightly season with a gospel choir (that\u2019ll send a tingle down your spine),\u00a0mixed all together in a large studio and served with a colourful booklet in a jewel case?\u00a0\u00a0Our Vera City record. Here\u2019s a copy, check it out!<\/p>\n

Listening to \u2018Vera City\u2019, it\u2019s so well recorded and produced, what was the process behind putting it together and\u00a0how long was it in the making? <\/strong>
\nJohn:<\/strong> Well we started pre-production in mid-late 2009 and then spent pretty much all of 2010 working on the record from start-to-finish.\u00a0We decided to go back to Beach Road Studios where we recorded our 2008 EP because we haven\u2019t found a studio that we feel more comfortable in.\u00a0It\u2019s a large facility out in the country with an abundance of gear to play with and no distractions. There\u2019s a cottage on site for bands to live in fittingly\u00a0named, \u201cThe Band House\u201d. So we started off spending 14 days straight at Beach Road with our Producer and good friend Siegfried Meier.<\/p>\n

We like working with Siegfried because he\u2019s old school and very good at his craft. Some of the cool pieces of gear that we used at Beach Road\u00a0include a 2\u201d reel-to-reel tape machine. So we did a mix between traditional analog recording and Pro Tools. On any given guitar track we had 3\u00a0different amps running with 3 different cabinets and 4 mics on each cab. For one take we had 12 tracks recording simultaneously. And Sig is not a\u00a0cut-and-paste kind of guy. He values capturing the performance.<\/div>\n
\nOnce the bulk of the recording was done we enlisted some real session players for strings including world renowned Cellist Kevin Fox (Celine Dion,\u00a0Chantal Kreviazuk). Kenny Bridges (of Moneen) played some piano for us and Billy the Kid (from Vancouver) squeezed in a recording session during\u00a0her busy tour schedule to do a duet vocal part on our song \u201cLetters\u201d.\u00a0And finally, I had this vision of having a multicultural gospel choir doing a vocal melody on our song \u201cForgive You\u201d. I spent a few months finding the\u00a0perfect choir for the job, another few months convincing them to sing for us, and about a month or so booking a date to record them. The only available\u00a0date to get their 8 best singers was Sig\u2019s birthday, so we set up a mobile studio right in their church to take advantage of the natural acoustics. They\u00a0sang beautiful harmonies effortlessly and sent chills down my spine. It was the final touch the record needed.\u00a0Siegfried did the mixing, and we sent it off to Troy Glessner at Spectre Studio, just outside Seattle for mastering.<\/div>\n

\nIn terms of your song writing, what do you consider to be the most important ingredients that make up a Breaching Vista song?<\/strong>
\nJohn:<\/strong>I generally bring a bare bones demo song to the table, usually acoustic guitar and scattered lyrics, and the most important ingredient would be\u00a0how our band can collaborate and equally offer creative ideas and bring a new perspective to the song.\u00a0Each member of the band is musically\u00a0talented and gets involved in every aspect of completing the song.\u00a0The song isn\u2019t considered finished until each one of us feels completely satisfied\u00a0with it.<\/div>\n

\nBoth lyrically and musically, what or who inspires\/influences your music the most?<\/strong>
\nJohn:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0I get inspired from life experiences.\u00a0Whether it\u2019s living through a personal experience, watching others from a 3rd\u00a0party perspective, or just\u00a0being exposed to media like movies, listening to music, or watching the news.\u00a0And sometimes I just like to write stories.\u00a0I think the greatest\u00a0songwriters can paint pictures with their songs and are able to tell great stories.\u00a0I strive to be able to do the same thing and I try to incorporate a\u00a0positive and sometimes motivational message.There isn\u2019t really a way of pin pointing where my inspiration comes from.\u00a0It just hits me like an adrenalin rush and I need to try and capture the\u00a0moment as quickly as possible, by grabbing a guitar, writing down lyric ideas, or singing into my iPhone.\u00a0Often times I get inspired by talent.\u00a0\u00a0If I hear a great song, or a great lyric or lyric melody, it inspires me to push myself to write stronger songs.\u00a0I\u00a0try to think outside the box and come up with clever ideas that I haven\u2019t previously tried.\u00a0I never try to recycle old ideas.<\/div>\n
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\nA couple of songs stood out for me on the album, being \u2018Sleep\u2019 and \u2018Nervous\u2019 which just happen to be the singles, but the song \u2018Tonight\u2019 was\u00a0another that caught my attention, is there a story behind this one specifically?<\/strong>
\nJohn:<\/strong> Tonight is a fictional story.\u00a0I remember Al playing the guitar riff way back when the band had first started in 2007 and the first thing that struck\u00a0me when I heard it was that this was going to be a story about a troubled teen who desperately needs help and guidance.\u00a0All they need to do is find a\u00a0way to swallow their pride and make their way back home to a warm and loving family life.\u00a0After I had the general idea, a melody came to me and all I\u00a0had to do was find words to express the message I wanted to share.\u00a0The end result is a song that I hope people can connect to if they are feeling\u00a0down and need to be reminded that even when things are going bad, there is always a way to turn them around and find the light at the end of the\u00a0tunnel.<\/p>\n

Touring wise, you\u2019ve opened for bands such as\u00a0Our Lady Peace, Jack\u2019s Mannequin,\u00a0Finger Eleven and most recently Theory of a Deadman, how\u00a0does an opportunity like this help the band?<\/strong>
\nMike:<\/strong> These shows are great for exposure. They allow us to gain new fans who wouldn’t normally have given us a chance or the time of day to listen to\u00a0our music. It also opens up alot of doors for future shows. Promoters like knowing that you’re a band that has played in front of real audiences and not\u00a0just your family.<\/p>\n

From these tours were you able to pick up any tips from these bands that you now use in your own stage performances?<\/strong>
\nMike:<\/strong> The biggest lesson that we’ve learned from these bands is to engage your audience on a very personal level, on and off the stage. We don’t\u00a0take any of our fans for granted, and we respond and engage anyone who comes up to us or writes us. They are the only way we can continue to\u00a0do what we do, and we appreciate their love and support.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

So for those that haven’t yet seen you perform before, what can people expect from one of your live shows?<\/strong>
\nMike:<\/strong> People should expect to experience moments at our show. We don’t just go up on stage and play our music. We try to make each and every\u00a0show a unique experience. People should expect to leave our show with sore throats and sore hands.<\/p>\n

Watching your cover of Bryan Adams\u2019 \u2018Run To You\u2019 which was performed for a comp you somehow didn\u2019t win, but would you consider, if you don\u2019t\u00a0already including this song in your live set moving forward after the reception it received?<\/strong>
\nMike:<\/strong> We absolutely do incorporate “Run to you” in our live set. This song has a special place in our hearts. Not only because we are huge fans of\u00a0Bryan Adams, but because this is the only cover that we have stripped down and rebuilt into a song that Breaching Vista would have written.<\/p>\n

Lastly, here’s a chance to gaze into your crystal ball. \u00a0By the end of 2012, Breaching Vista will have:<\/strong>
\nMike & John:<\/strong>
\n1.<\/strong> A new vehicle. We currently have an ugly full sized 1990 international school bus that doesn’t like to start… EVER!
\n2.<\/strong> A new record in the works, that will be a complete game changer… In 2013
\n3.<\/strong> A fresh look, new merch, and have played a boat load more tour dates than in years past.<\/p>\n

Essential Information<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From:<\/strong> Kitchener, ON, Canada<\/p>\n

Sounds like:<\/strong> Radio friendly Rock and Roll<\/p>\n

Band members:<\/strong> John Maksym – Lead Vocals\/Guitar, Mike Chhangur – Bass\/Backing Vocals, Al Malnar – Lead Guitar\/Backing Vocals, Nik Varey – Drums\/Backing Vocals<\/p>\n

Latest Release:<\/strong> Vera City (2011)<\/p>\n

Check out our review of Vera City here…<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Website:<\/strong> www.breachingvista.com<\/a>
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