JUNE 20, 2018
ROCKWiRED NOTES: BROKEN TESTIMONY

he first step in a journey is always the most exciting but it's a great deal more exciting when you are eighteen years old. That is the case with three-quarters of the  South Carolina-based band BROKEN TESTIMONY. Founders BRYCE CHISM (drums) and JUDGE PAGE (vocals and guitars)  along with lead guitarist NIC DELVAUX  are in that enviable position of releasing their debut album HOLD ONTO NOTHING at such a ripe young age, unburdened by cynicism or all that could go wrong in a life lived in rock n roll. Making the ride all the more exciting is the push that these young men are getting from THERMAL ENTERTAINMENT - the very company behind the push of some of active rock's hottest acts such as BOBAFLEX, WAYLAND and SHALLOW SIDE.  BROKEN TESTIMONY's debut album HOLDING ONTO NOTHING is due out JUNE 23rd and will boast the piss and vinegar  that typifies what one would expect coming from active rock these days, but there are some prog elements that come into the framework of their songs as on the glimmering track VITALITY. ROCKWIRED had a chance to speak with drummer and band founder BRYCE CHISM regarding the band and their new album. Here is how the interview went. 

Your album HOLDING ONTO NOTHING is just a few days away from being released. How are you feeling about the pending release?
It's almost surreal. I know it sounds cliche to say that it's "...always been a  dream of mine to have something like this" but getting to write a record and to have it recorded the way you want it and having it out there is a crazy feeling. We really sat down and really took our time with this thing. The whole thing is really incredible and there are no words to describe how excited I am to have everybody get their hands on it. I'm really stoked.

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And with most of the band being only eighteen years old, I can only imagaine that the anticipation is unreal. For you guys, the release of a rock album is really happening at the right time.
It's been an amazing opportunity getting to talk with people like you  and some other people and getting the word  out about this new album. It's been a strange experience. A little awkward at times but this is what we've got to do to get the music out there. And to think that this is just the beginning for us. We're just dipping our toes in the water and it's really exciting when you consider that this is happening to us at such a young age. You've got people out there older than us that are trying make thing happen. It's insane! It feels incredible!

Who all did you guys work with in putting this album together?
The guy who produced this for us is JACOB PORTER and I was in his band STATE OF ILLUSION. He heard what we were doing with this band and loved it and got together with us to help us record the album. It was great working with him. He had us try this and he had us try that and the way he worked with us really helped out a bunch. Before this album, we had a CD out but it was just something to sell at gigs and give people an idea of what we sounded like, but JACOB really wanted us to put something out there that was high quality. He really wanted us to think our sound through and I'm grateful that we had him on board to help record and produce.

So far, have there been any reactions ot the album that have surprised you guys?
Definitely! There was this one review that said we  have an ALICE IN CHAINS vibe. Reading that kind of response blew me away. As a band, we took inspiration from bands like BREAKING BENJAMIN so the comparison to ALICE IN CHAINS was surprising. The reviews have been great so far. We wanted to make music that takes people on a journey. I think they got the message. Taking them on a journey was what we aimed to do and they understood that. I'm glad they picked up on that.

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You've talked about BREAKING BENJAMIN, but being sucha young band I'm curious to hear what some of your other musical influences are.
Oh man! There was a whole bunch. There were bands like BREAKING BENJAMIN and CHEVELLE. Those bands are the inspiration for this band. Those are like our roots but over time I feel like we branched out with with things like DANNY CAREY of TOOL. Another band that has been an influence is SILENT PLANET. They have this vibe that I really enjoy. It's like every note and every beat is deliberate and means something. I really enjoy that kind of thing.

Talk about the other members of the band and what it is you think each of them brings brings to the table that makes this thing work.
JUDGE PAGE is the singer and the rhythm guitarist in the band. He and I started this thing. When we were in a high school, we took a graphic communications course and that was how we met. He and I started talking about music and when I heard him play in our first practice together, it was amazing!  The way he sings, plays, writes and improvises is very special! It's so creative! JUSTIN KING is our bass player and he and I are cousins. He's my older cousin and when he was younger I remember him playing guitar and he was amazing at it. When we formed this band we needed a bass player and I think that was the first time he ever picked up a bass. JUSTIN has this "Let's get it done" attitude. If there is a problem, he figures it out.  On top of that, he's an amazing musician. He started off as a drummer and then became guitar player and then a bass player. NIC DELVAUX is the lead guitarist and I've known him since the sixth grade. He is very eager to write music and to get out and play shows. In writing music, he is very criticial of himself  which, I think, is a good thing because he's not very hard headed. He wants to nail down his part. I think that is why the four of us are so good together. We sit down and try to get something accomplished and it is trial and error. We want the songs to be the best that we can make them.

You guys have quite a team behind you with THERMAL ENTERTAINMENT. Talk about the band's relationship with them.
In the beginning, we always heard KYLE FAVOR's (The owner THERMAL ENTERTAINMENT) name being dropped and everyone told us that we needed to get in touch with him. Hearing people talk about him and THERMAL ENTERTAINMENT was like hearing about THE WIZARD OF OZ.  At first, we never had a chance to meet him. As we started playing more and more shows, we met and became friends with RUSS WARDLOW of THERMAL and we started talking. We were eager to show them what we had. We started working with KYLE's publicist DOUG WEBER and through that, we were all able to sit down and figure everything out. KYLE has so many bands knocking on his door that we feel honored that he wanted to work with us.

You guys have shared the stage with a number of  bands, including WAYLAND. What is it like sharing the stage with a bigger band?
We've played with WAYLAND a couple of times. They are a band with a name and they've actually got songs on the radio and they took the time to introduce themselves to us and we're like nothing in comparison to them. It was cool to met them. They are so down-to-earth. We've played with bigger bands before and they keep to themselves, so it's great when a band like WAYLAND takes the time to introduce themselves to you.

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How does the songwriitng get accomplished in this band?
JUDGE writes most of the lyrics. Occassionally, I'll throw lyrics at him and so will JUSTIN or NICK but JUDGE does most of the lyric writing. Songwriting is a collaborative thing in this band. JUDGE might come up with a guitar irff and we'll build on that or I may have a drum pattern and everyone adds their thing and it all comes together. Everybody throws something on the table. When JUSTIN came aboard, we had a majority of the songs on this album written. With the songs VITALITY and CONTROL, he really came in and put his touch on these songs. Ever since he joined the band, it feels like each us has our own parts carved out and we take a song toa point to where it can't evolve any further. That is our writing process.

What songs off of the album stand out for you the most and why?
The song VITALITY has a special place in my heart. It was the first song that we all wrote together. We spent about five to six months on it because we kept thinking that we could make it better. To me, VITALITY signifies the direction that the band is going in. It's got a real prog-y sound  and everytime we play it, it feels like the first time we're playing it. I just love it!

With this album behind you, what is next for you musically?
Right now, we haven't written anything in a while,  but we are going back to the drawing board and we're going to start writing again . We are going to take what we learned from this last album cycle, and use it to make something different. We are just going to be focusing on writing and making sure that every facet of the music is something that we love. After that, I'm hoping to start adding elements to the music that this current album doesn't have. We don't want to stick to a certain sound. We don't want to be predictable. We want  each of our musical interests to come through in the music. We want to forge a sound that is all our own. Of course we're going to remain a rock band. Of course we're going to stay metal, but at the same time, we want to experiment. We want our next record to sound nothing like this record.  We want to come out of the gate the next time with something different.

RELATED LiNKS:
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rian Lush is a music industry professional and entrepreneur. In 2005 he launched the online music site Rockwired.com to help promote new music artists in conjunction with the weekly radio show Rockwired Live which aired on KTSTFM.COM from 2005 - 2009. In 2010 He launched the daily podcast series Rockwired Radio Profiles which features exclusive interviews and music. He has also developed and produced the online radio shows Jazzed and Blue - Profiles in Blues and Jazz, Aboriginal Sounds - A Celebration of American Indian and First Nations Music, The Rockwired Rock N Roll Mixtape Show and The Rockwired Artist of the Month Showcase. In 2012, Brian Lush and his company Rockwired Media LLC launched the monthly digital online publication Rockwired Magazine. The magazine attracts over 75,000 readers a month and shows no signs of stopping. Rockwired Magazine also bares the distinction of being the first American Indian-owned rock magazine. Brian Lush is an enrolled member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe. Brian Lush's background in music journalism, radio and podcast hosting, podcast production, web design, publicity, advertising sales, social media and online marketing, strategic editorial planning and branding have all made Rockwired a name that is trusted and respected throughout the independent music industry.

CONTACT BRiAN LUSH AT: djlush@rockwired.com