Their Own Words: The Breaking’s Adam Sweeney & Tim Karplus on R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People
The Breaking are available @ Bandcamp / R.E.M. Automatic for the People @ Apple Music.
“R.E.M. may be the definition of where Tim and my musical tastes intersect, and Automatic for the People was a record we kept coming back to when writing the LP, not as much in terms of sound, but in terms of songwriting approach. Automatic is a dark, artsy record that nonetheless holds a wealth of mass appeal, something The Breaking aspires to as well. It’s no secret that my vocal style borrows a page or two out of Michael Stipe’s book. My delivery on “Head in the Sand” and “Finish Line” was influenced by Stipe’s rhythmic urgency on tracks like “Ignoreland” and “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight”.” – Adam Sweeney
“Adam and I played a piano and guitar arrangement of “Sweetness Follows” as part of a duo set for a R.E.M. tribute show at Columbia City Theater in Seattle last year. That show cemented R.E.M as one of our go-to reference groups. Automatic for the People is a remarkable record in that each individual song has its own unique and fully realized atmosphere. The meandering layers of guitar feedback on “Sweetness Follows”, the gorgeous
accordion melody on “Find the River”, and the orchestral climax of “Everybody Hurts” are just a few of the many memorable moments that put this record in a class all its own. ” – Tim Karplus
THE BREAKING
Article band photo by Tom Chamberlain
Quotes come from the GTC 5-Albums article, 17 January 2017.
VIDEO: Directed by Cypress Jones / Choreography by Liz Jones / Produced by Adam Sweeney / Costume Design by Kizzy Anel and Lyric Peat
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