Sydney metalcore upstarts Broken Earth have today shared the ferocious new single and video “Breathe”, their first offering of the year.
Produced by Mark Williamson (Inertia, Closure) and mastered by Kris Crummet (Sleeping With Sirens, Dance Gavin Dance), “Breathe” is a taste of exciting things to come from the band. The aggressive track boasts crushing breakdowns, pulsing synths and eerie spoken and screamed vocals. Its story comes from frontman Raphael Smith’s adolescent experience of being gaslit and the anxiety that became of it.
“This is the song 16-year-old me wanted to write; I am so glad I got out of that situation,” says Smith. “If this song helps one person finally put their foot down, it’ll have achieved everything it has set out to do.”
We had Broken Earth answer some questions for us about the single and more.
Introduce us to Broken Earth, and describe your sound in three words?
Hi, we’re Broken Earth, a nu-metalcore band from Aora/Sydney. We aim to rip out what is toxic and weakens ourselves and others. Our sound is: Emotional. Expressive. Explosive.
Your new song “Breathe” is released everywhere today. What does the song mean to you?
It means exactly what the title declares. It’s meant to inspire a catharsis in the listener over anyone that afflicts them, anyone making them feel suffocated; to take back their own space, find the space to breathe, and get rid of anything holding you down.
Who do you find yourself inspired by with your music?
We collectively are inspired to unleash a lot like Slipknot, but musically we would have to say we enjoy a lot of different influences, including Linkin Park, Northlane, My Ticket Home, Saosin, Bad Omens, Deftones and iamjakehill.
What’s been a highlight so far in your journey with Broken Earth?
A highlight so far has been seeing the love given to us over the past year after putting out our previous single Black Skies. We managed to play with some of our heroes and meet so many people we now call friends due to that one song, and hope we get to do more of it this year!
Where can fans catch you live this year?
In the next month, you will see us headlining over the regions of Tamworth, Canberra and Sydney (announced Monday!). Beyond there, we have a few more things that we are quietly working on behind the scenes that we can’t wait to share with you.
What do you have planned for the rest of the year?
We have a few things in the works that we cannot yet speak of. One thing is for certain and that is Breathe is not the last time you’ll hear from us this year – nor is it the only sound to expect from us! We hope to see all of you out there on the road!
In support of the release, the band will be performing at METAL! – Tamworth Heavy Music Night on Saturday 6 May at The Press Basement Bar, with Ghost Complex and Serrated. You can get your tickets HERE.
