Are you ready for some danceable punk and tear-it-up rock 'n' roll? Breaker! Breaker! is a trio of punk rockers from Brooklyn that writes energetic songs with uncomplicated, un-textured sounds. This lo-fi art-punk band has produced two home-made demos and will present its debut alum, Where the Birds Yell, this week in Bloomington while opening for Modest Mouse at Axis on Friday, July 30. \nBreaker! Breaker! seems a greater band than the sum of its parts. Guitar player and singer Colin Cunningham, keyboardist and singer Duncan Gamble and drummer and singer Gina Marie Scardino share very few musical interests, yet they are all involved in songwriting and production. The band's songs include tricked-out three-part vocal harmonies and are backed with synthesized chords, guitar hooks and crisp drumming. The band avoids new wave sounds and instead creates songs from traditional punk structures. With 10 tracks played on its new album in just under 25 minutes, the group efficiently crams its CD full of raw, ranting punk-pop songs. Weekend recently caught up with Scardino via phone interview from her home in New York City.
Q: Where the Birds Yell is Breaker! Breaker!'s first full-length album. How do you feel about this debut?\nGMS: I feel like it is about time. This is the first band I have been in that has put out a CD with a record label. I feel like I am going in the right direction and that I am appreciated for my work. That is also why I feel lucky to play with Modest Mouse, because this is our debut CD. Good things are happening fast, but not too fast.
Q: How did Breaker! Breaker! get its name?\nGMS: I was asked to play a gig with a band called Sea Team that Colin and another friend were in. It went really well, and we decided to continue playing together, but I didn't like the name. I told them if we were going to play together, we needed to change the name. Colin's bandmate offered the name Breaker! Breaker!, because he had made a song of that name.
Q: How long has the band been together?\nGMS: Two years. The band was just Colin and me before Duncan came. I feel the band really started when Duncan joined us. He got us practicing more and gave us more focus. We all get along very well. I can't ask for better bandmates.
Q: The group has produced a lot of energetic punk songs. What are your influences?\nGMS: All three of us have opposite influences. We all bring different styles to the songs. Mine are the Slits, Suburban Lawns and the Raincoats, which was a late '70s band from Los Angeles.
Q: How does the band compose its songs?\nGMS: We just jam. Duncan starts playing something on the keyboard, and I will put a beat to it. Then Colin will add the guitar. It takes a while for us to write songs, because we are really picky. We have lots of ideas we just throw out.
Q: What other bands have you been a member of?\nGMS: The first couple of bands I played in were all girl bands in San Francisco that played at parties and at our homes. I was in Spider D, a dyke band that sounded like Riot Grrrl, before I moved to New York. Things have changed, and I am a very different person now.
Q: Are you working on another CD currently?\nGMS: No, we have been writing some songs, and we are thinking about putting out a 7-inch since we don't have any vinyl out. However, we don't have any definite plans.
Q: In the song "Status" on your demo, Green Vs. Pink, you have a lot of call-and-response singing. Do you enjoy that type of singing?\nGMS: Definitely, we all want to have a part in the singing. Girl/boy singing does sound good. It works out well that we all want to do it, and it sounds good.
Q: Is this the band's first tour together?\nGMS: No, In March 2003, we went up the West Coast in an R.V. We also did a short tour in the Midwest with Pterodactyl. We just finished a tour in Europe with X27. Taking the show out on the road is what it's all about. We feel we get such a great response from people every time.
Q: What was it like touring in Europe?\nGMS: The people really help you out. They would cook us dinner and find places for us to stay. It is really different from New York.
Q: How do you feel about opening for Modest Mouse?\nGMS: I still can't believe it. It will be the biggest audience I've ever played for. The opportunity is overwhelming, and we will be nervous. I feel lucky that we are getting this opportunity.
