Alternative-rock band Breech delivers the goods whether they come from the studio, the stage or the oven. This L.A.-based quintet, whose latest release Apron Strings is now available, has received more press about its baked-good sales than its innovatively brilliant music. The Scene, by choosing Breech lead singer Missy Gibson as its latest interview spotlight hopes to change this trend.
Although the brownies and pistachio bread are delightful treats, the real treat in Breech's repertoire is the music. Led by Gibson's voice, which is a meeting of vocal chords from the likes of Gwen Stefani, Melissa Etheridge and Marianne Faithfull, Breech is a top-notch band with strong intelligent lyrics and grand musicianship.
Gibson, who spoke to The Scene via telephone, opens up about the music business, her past and the reality of being an artist.
The Scene: First of all, how do you choose which concerts to go to and sell your baked goods?
Missy Gibson: Number one, we often pick shows we would like to be at ourselves but can't afford. Other times we do it strictly based on [the idea of] 'Oh my God! There's going to be a ton of drunk, high people who are going to be really hungry for baked goods!'
TS: How did you come up with the whole bake sale idea and where do the funds raised go?
MG: We were really broke and, unfortunately, in this town you can't really make money playing original music. Back in the mid-west, where I'm from, you can actually make some money, so it's kind of disillusioning to come out here and realize that.
Our first record we paid on my credit cards, which I still haven't paid off. So, it got to the point that I realized I couldn't keep doing that; we have to find a way to make money. I suggested that we do bake sales. Everyone thought I was on crack! But, everyone has kind of hung out and baked. And it's been a really good publicity tool for us too.
To answer the second part of your question, our last CD cost us about $10,000 and $7,000 of it was paid for from bake sale money I am proud to say.
TS: Although it's a good publicity tool, does it ever get in the way of the music?
MG: I don't think it has. Our music can tend to be very heavy and pretty emotional. But I like the fact that there's a part of us that doesn't take ourselves that seriously. Too many bands take themselves way too seriously in this town. I don't want to be lumped in with that.
It's just been a really nice tool for us too. I'm from the mid-west, and people are pretty friendly there. The whole idea of bake sales and the community of baking -- people coming to meet and greet each other over baked goods -- is an old-world kind of concept.
TS: In that sense, it is like music because music can bring people together.
MG: Yeah, that's a good point. Many times people come up and say, 'Oh, you're Betty Rocker!' and they know us more for our bake sales than our music. At least they remember us.
TS: It gets your foot in the door.
MG: Exactly.
TS: Well, let's get to the music then. What inspired the group of songs on Apron Strings?
MG: I would say a lot of different things. I wouldn't say so much as a group [of songs]. I can be very haunted by my past, my childhood. I don't mean that as a bad thing. Haunted is a strong word.
TS: You carry your memories with you?
MG: I do. I tend to really rely on memories of my childhood or how things affected me. I can be a person of extremes. I tend to react on a very emotional level.
TS: How long did the CD take to make? From writing the songs to the time you went into the studio.
MG: A couple of years. It was a work in progress. We started recording the CD in '99 back in Detroit. We actually had a couple of different people in the band at the time. Shortly after we recorded, they left the band, and the new members came in and we started writing more songs. But rather than shelve what we had done in Detroit, I decided to expand upon it.
TS: Did all this affect the final outcome of the CD?
MG: I love the older stuff on it, and I love the newer stuff. A good band is always in flux. You're always growing, and you're always expanding and trying new things.
It was hard in terms of the studio stuff, trying to make it cohesive. I wanted [the CD] to have a common thread. I didn't want it to sound like it was recorded half here and half there.
TS: Did you finish it out here in L.A.?
MG: Yes we did.
TS: Is Breech your first band?
MG: I had a band in Detroit called Strange Bedfellows. We played a lot, toured a lot. It was a great experience. It was early '90s grunge.
But, I started using the name Breech officially around '93. And, I've worked with many musicians under that name, kind of Breech being my project name. But, I would say that Breech is now what I always wanted Breech to be. The people that I am working with now… it took this long to get it what I wanted Breech to be.
TS: Did you think you would ever get to this point? Did you feel like you were spinning your wheels?
MG: Oh, I feel like I'm spinning my wheels all the time! I say I'm treading water. You can do that for years and years in this town, in this industry. I think you have to realize why you're doing it. I always have to ask myself, ''What am I hoping to achieve?' And I always say if I was doing this to become a rich rock star, I would have quit years ago.
It's more about the journey, and it's been very fulfilling. When I look back on my life, I think about the experiences I've had and the people I've met and the musicians I've gotten to play with and write with, I'm just so honored.
TS: Is that what being an indie artist means to you?
MG: It's what makes somebody an artist… that they are completely compelled and completed by the making of their art. It's almost obsessive at times. Without it, you're incomplete. That's the difference of being an indie artist. It's not about making a lot of money at it or not even having a lot of success per say. You continue to do it because it fulfills you on a very base level.
TS: What does performing and songwriting do for you?
MG: When I think of myself as an artist, I think of myself first and foremost as a writer. The fact that I can sing has been a very nice vehicle for my writing. But, I wouldn't consider myself a great singer. Secondly, I'm a performer. For me, the whole writing thing is essential. My mother always said, 'Take time to write down that which you need to become free of.' And I think I just must need to become free of a lot of things! (laughs) Also, I get to perform and interact with people. It's so valuable to me. It's so amazing to me that kind of connection.
TS: To use a sports metaphor, in concert you really leave it out there on the field. Is it easy for you to go out on stage and give it your all every time?
MG: No. In fact, I always thought it would get easier because I've been doing it for a long time. But, I get horribly nervous before every show. But, once I get that first note out, I'm okay again. Then it becomes something very cathartic for me, most of the time.
TS: Are there times that you don't connect with the audience?
MG: Yea, sure. It's frustrating because you never know what's going to cause a bad show. You just might not connect.
It's interesting, when my mom died I had to play a show in New York City just hours after finding out that she had died. It was devastating, and my first thought was, 'Oh my God. Thank God I have someplace to put all this emotion.' The irony is that I got up there [on stage] and I felt nothing. I think it was a measure of protection.
TS: For those who've never heard Breech or seen you live, what would you like for them to know about your band?
MG: Hmm, good question. I'm very proud of the fact that we're a very self-made band. We put all our CDs out on our own. We've booked all our own tours. We auctioned ourselves on E Bay last year. I think we're very innovative. It's hard for me to boast about the band and be like, "Yea, c'mon out to our kick ass show, man!' (laughs) But, I encourage everyone to come out to our shows. I think we're a great band. We're genuine and very honest and that comes through in the music.
TS: For anybody who wants to start a band, what advice would you give?
MG: Do everything you can for yourself. Never rely on other people if you don't have to. In the end, what can somebody else do for you that you can't do for yourself?
And, I would say if you feel moved and compelled to do [music], continue to do it. But, if you don't have to be an artist, don't be. As much as I love it and it fulfills me, I'm horribly in debt. I lack a lot of stability in my life. I've not been able to have a successful relationship. I mean I can go on and on. But, there are certain sacrifices that you make, and it's not that glamorous. It can be really debilitating at times.
TS: So, it's not like everyone is Britney Spears?
MG: [Laughs] Maybe for someone like her it's glamorous. But, by the same token, I don't want to sound bitter.and negative. I love what I do. I wouldn't do anything else. I hope I'll be doing it for the rest of my life. My family is hoping that it's a hobby still, that I'm going to wake up one day and want a nine to five job.
Visit Breech online at www.breech.net
Portions of this interview are reprinted courtesy of The Scene, a Southern California entertainment publication.
