Theatre Breaks Loose | Swimming in Reverie
By Joanna Lugo

I find it peculiar that dreams, both voluntary and involuntary reveries, are a connecting factor to the world of surrealism and current realities. At times, these dreams often even become a reality. Yet, more often than not, dreams fade away into the oblivion of memories, never quite fully accomplished. In their newest EP entitled Stranger Places, Greater Things, Theatre Breaks Loose musically toys with ideas relating to dreams; this inclusive of memories, dreams that were never produced through action, and the overall pursuit of visionary calls. In this sense, Theatre Breaks Loose acts as a medium in lieu of the aforementioned alternative worlds, physically living out the dreams they have cherished. Stranger Places, Greater Things is indeed a dream come true for these musical actors, as is evidenced in this interview.

What is the story behind the name “Theatre Breaks Loose”?

BRANDON Lovelace: While looking for potential band names we somehow found ourselves in the archives of television, more specifically we were staring at a 1954 T.V. program guide. Some of the old TV shows had great names that we could have settled on, but once we looked at the fine print we saw the actual episode names, and from that we got Theatre Breaks Loose.

With Buried Alive being a very intimate and personal song, can you describe some experiences that have influenced the lyrics within it?

MATT Toney: “Before my grandfather passed away he was the preacher of a small town church in Ohio. When looking through his bible with my grandmother we discovered a single sentence inked on the page, it simply asked, “What do you do when your dreams are gone?” I started writing Buried Alive based on that. The song is about the feelings I hold towards music in this season of my life and realizing that everything I’ve hoped and dreamed for may not be what I had originally thought.”

What are some topics you focus on in this EP and why?

BRANDON Lovelace: We want people to understand that dreams should never be forgotten or discarded no matter how unachievable the world makes them out to be. We are told from celebrities that you can be anything your heart desires, but it seems like the only encouragement comes from the people who have already achieved their personal goal. We are nowhere near celebrity status in fact this entire album has many hints of struggle and sacrifice in order to continue chasing what we feel called to do. In many ways this album focuses on achieving the unachievable, and it is a constant reminder to continually believe in what are you are doing.

What are some of the dynamics of the band? For example, what is the purpose in using trade-off vocals?

BRANDON Lovelace: We feel like trading off vocals when necessary is an incredible tool that not many bands are able to take advantage of. With 2 completely different voices we can really dive deep and make sure the lyrics are being translated in the best light.

We are absolutely a team and there is not a better describing word. Every member is just as important as the next, so much so that if just one left, the entire band would be out of whack. Everyone contributes in such a vital and different way. We love what we get to do and we can’t imagine sharing the stage and workload with anyone else.

What do the musical/lyrical writing processes look like?

CLAY: Matt or I will bring a song to rehearsal and we all will play around with ideas until we collectively make it a “Theatre Breaks Loose” song. As for our songs that rely heavily on piano to carry the track, Brandon or Matt hash out the idea and the same process as stated before begins. Matt and Brandon handle the lyrics under the same process.

What is your perception of God and love, especially within the context of the song and title “Stranger Places, Greater Things”?

BRANDON Lovelace: We are tired of monotony, we want something new and different. We indeed will go to stranger places in an attempt to create and give greater things. Our perception of God and love really are one in the same. Separating the two is extremely difficult because without one, the other would never exist.

What are your future plans after the release of the EP?

BRANDON Lovelace: We really wish we could talk about it, but we can’t. It’s not as much hush-hush as it is just completely wide open. We are fortunate enough to be surrounded with incredible people who push us every day. The beauty of the situation is that we are leaving doors open everywhere we go. We have received several tour options for the upcoming months and we are trying to settle on something, but what’s important is that Theatre Breaks Loose will be doing something and not nothing. We are excited to see what the future holds.