ATP! Interview: Breathe Carolina

It has been a wild five years for Breathe Carolina. The Denver born group now have three albums under their belt and are gearing up for the release of their fourth album titled Savages. From their GarageBand beginnings, Breathe Carolina have toured and worked alongside acts like Pierce The Veil and Sleeping With Sirens.

We caught up with lead vocalist David Schmitt, drummer Eric Armenta, keyboardist and programmer Luis Bonet, and guitarist Tommy Cooperman towards the end of Breathe Carolina’s run on the Feel This Tour in Seattle. The guys discussed their upcoming release and their work after the recent departure of vocalist Kyle Even.

Alter The Press: How’s it being back to Seattle?

David Schmitt (vocals): It’s great. It’s a lot colder than last time.

ATP: The Feel This Tour is now wrapping up, how’s it been?

All: Crazy!

Schmitt: It’s been a lot of fun. It’s really cold though because we just did a summer tour before this one so we got used to just nice-ass weather and not it’s been bitter cold everywhere we’ve been. But regardless of the weather the tour’s been awesome. Everyone on the tour is just awesome.

ATP: How was the new live show?

Eric Armenta: I think it’s been well received. Every night just seems to be better than the night before.

Luis Bonet : A lot of people have been saying this is our best set that we’ve had.

ATP: Tommy, how has it been being a part of Breathe Carolina these past few tours? How has it compared from your previous touring experiences?

Tommy Cooperman: It’s been awesome! We were all best friends already, I’ve known these guys for about four years. My band opened for them before so when David asked me to do it I was obviously likr, “Yeah!” It’s way better [than my last touring experiences]. I get along with them better and the vibe is way better.

Schmitt: He thinks it’s pretty good but…

All: (*laughing*)

ATP: Was Bangers the precursor to Savages?

Schmitt: Kind of. I think we just had some songs that were kind of chilling and it came time to do the [summer] tour and we didn’t have time to finish the record so we’re just like, “Let’s but these songs out for free and-” Bonet: Give ‘em to the kids!

Cooperman: It’s like a taste. It’s not fully what it sounds like.

Armenta: It scratches the surface a little bit.

ATP: Is there an overarching theme on the album?

All: SAVAGES!

Schmitt: “Savages” is just kind of a theme in itself. I think it’s about just being a free spirit and doing what you want to do. Being wild.

ATP: What makes this record different from your guys’ last three works?

Armenta: We’ve been a band for a lot longer now and we’re all older and have just been through a lot more. There are obvious differences, but aside from that we’re all older and have grown a lot more together. So we’ve been putting that in to the music.

Schmitt: We’ve been starting to do a lot of DJ stuff too and so I think a lot that influences what’s coming out on this record. It’s super electronic and [filled with] EDM.

ATP: This being the fourth LP, did you ever have any moments flashing back to the “Classy” or “Fascination” days? Like “how did I get here” moments?

Schmitt: I think, because we all recorded Hell Is What You Make It together. Like us three [pointing to Bonet and Armenta] and Kyle obviously. I think there was a lot just from that because we recorded in the same studio we did that record in so obviously there’s gonna be random flashbacks and stuff.

Bonet: We’re just ready to make new music. That’s all we’ve been focusing on.

ATP: Are we going to hear any collaborations on the record?

Schmitt: We’ve been talking to a lot of people for that. We already have one that’s done. There’s gonna be at least like three more. We want to have a lot of people on the record just to make it really fun for everybody.

ATP: Are we going to hear Kyle on the album? What has this first tour without Kyle been like?

Schmitt: Well there might be like two small parts but [for the most part no].

Armenta: [This tour without Kyle] has definitely been different. We all just keep the energy alive and just keep on doing our thing.

Schmitt: I think we’ve just worked harder for some reason.

All: [agree]

Bonet: We’re just focusing on doing the best that we can.

Cooperman: I think it’s made us four just do our thing better because there’s one less person [on stage] than we’re used to so it’s just making us just make up for it in our own way.

Schmitt: I think with what we know what we do with our live shows and it obviously doesn’t make anyone forget about Kyle but it shows that BC is just as strong as ever and that’s I think what the perception has been playing these shows. So that feeling alone is awesome.

ATP: Thank you guys for your time, good luck tonight! What can we expect from the BC world once Savages is unleashed?

Armenta: You can expect us to be all over the place.

Schmitt: It’s chaotic.  The album will be out next year. I think it’s a new era for BC and just expect “THE UNEXPECTED”!

All: [growl]

- Jordan Wyman

Savages will be released in 2014 via Fearless Records.