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Sunday, September 8, 2013

Breakaway Patriot Interview with Michael Miller

Breakaway Patriot, a Rock Group from San Francisco, California, consisting of Brad Tyner, Tyler Gomez, Rob Gillette, Mike Miller, and Dan Brown, blends an amazing taste of emotions and feelings that transcends the usual musical expectations. Although a relatively new group, they are gaining popular status and have been doing gigs and shows that some bigger named and more well-known groups find hard to contract. They will have you singing your heart out along with every song, every lyric with their catchy hooks and chorus lines. Breakaway Patriot’s newest single Flying on the Water has been selected as the

The most recent significant and awe inspiring event that Breakaway Patriot has to their list of achievements is being selected to play and write the official theme song of the 2013 America’s Cup in San Francisco. Their song was featured in the Opening Ceremonies, and is heard at the opening of every international broadcast for the event.

DSC_0454Xombiewoof Magazine was able to connect with Michael Miller, Drummer for the group to get his input and impressions of their out of the blue experience and how it has driven them closer to their goals and what will be the next break for Breakaway Patriot.

Q: When we first met at NAMM last year, it was at the Fender Foundation booth with Drummer Mike Veny, since then it sounds like it has been a wild ride! Since then you have been hard working with members of Breakaway Patriot and now, you recently were chosen to be the headline artist for The America’s Cup, the biggest sailing event in the USA…How did that fall into your lap?

Michael: “Ya! It’s been pretty amazing. We are just a hard working band, and one of the directors at the AC found us online and loved our sound. At first he asked if we were interested in playing in their concert series (which of course we said yes), because they built a 10,000 person outdoor venue on the Bay. But after spending some time with these amazing people, they asked if we would be interested in writing a song for the event. We actually had a song we had just recorded that was a really good feel, but we made some small changes to fit the event a little more, and they all loved it. I mean the entire staff knows the song by heart, and they have treated us like royalty anytime we go there. But sometimes you don't have a good explanation of how things happen. We were just very fortunate that things snowballed just by one person liking us.”

 

Breakaway Patriot

Q: Thinking of your experiences, did you ever think your band and career as musicians would get your first big break so soon, and do you feel you have the support to take advantage of this success?

Michael: “No. I mean you always hope for that big "break", but it never seems to come in the form that you expect. But you always take what you can get, and do your best with it. We didn't expect the Americas Cup, huge worldwide event to take us in like family and promote us all over the world. I definitely feel we have total support, I mean since we started working with them doors have just opened from all over. It's funny, you always hope for a big break, yet sometimes when it shows up you don't know exactly how to handle it!”

 

Breakaway Patriot Theme Song or Americas Cup

Q: Was your performance at The America’s Cup well received, and is it leading to other major gigs?

Michael: “It really was. We were so well taken care of. As soon as we showed up we had people everywhere greeting us, and helping us. They were playing our song all over the America's Cup Park. We did 2 interviews before the show, including one during the live broadcast of the racing. It was an amazing day, and an amazing concert. It was like a dream in so many ways. The fans were great, and the stage we played on was HUGE! Sharing a stage with other world class acts such as Sting, Imagine Dragons, Jason Mraz, and so on; that's a pretty humbling experience at the least.”

Q: Tell us about Breakaway Patriot, who are the members, not just their names, but what are they like, what motivates and drives them?

Michael: “We have quite the crew, we are very close, and there's an amazing connection between us all.”

DSC_0439Brad Tyner, Lead Vocals- “Brad is an amazing guy. He's been through a lot of ups and downs, and he uses that motivate him not only in his writing, but the way he engages the crowd. Brad is one of two military veterans in the group, so it's pretty awesome. He sings with passion and conviction, and it's infectious. We are very lucky to have such a great frontman who can engage anyone.”

DSC_0444Tyler Gomez, Lead Guitar- “Now Tyler is a character. He is one of those creative types that just make you wonder what he's thinking. He has a brilliant creative mind, and it shows in his playing. He creates sounds that I didn't know people used. The coolest thing about Tyler's abilities is his talent as a composer. He can write full on movie soundtrack scores, and we have actually incorporated several of those ideas into our live show.”

DSC_0465Dan Brown, Rhythm Guitar- “You talk about a great band member. Dan is motivated to do anything. He always is thinking about how we can get better as a band. From live performance to the marketing plan, Dan is always thinking about how we can grow as a band, and a family. Dan is the other military veteran in Breakaway Patriot, having spent years as a Marine Force Recon. So obviously he knows how to get things done.”

DSC_0472Rob Gillette, Bass- “Rob is a stud. So many times the bass player is overlooked, but not with us. He is an amazing bass player. Rob takes a simple bass line and makes it so much more creative without comprising the feel of the song. He knows music, and he's always working with the band on transitions, changes, etc... He's like the ring leader; he keeps us all in line. Rob also sings at a world class level, being classically trained. I'm not sure where we'd be without him. He also is amazing at the media side of things, being a great photographer and video editor. It's like having an in house media team. I've known Rob for over 12 years, he's as solid as it gets.”

DSC_0672Mike Miller, Drums-I’m not one to ramble on about myself, I'll let you maybe say what you will. I love what I do. I love the business side of things. I love making friends in this business, because these are the people who are there when you need them.”

Q: In all honesty, was there a moment at The America’s Cup where you felt, “what the hell am I doing here”? Did you feel ready for this major leap?

Michael: “Probably when I received the phone call from the Americas Cup telling us that they wanted to use our song. It was humbling to say the least. It was an "I can't believe this is actually happening" and what was the coolest part was that this whole event was in our own backyard. I think we were as ready as we could be; knowing that really anything could happen from here. You just close your eyes and jump I guess.”

Q: Michael, what are your goals and vision for Breakaway Patriot, you mentioned in our call that you wanted it to be like a business, does this mean you want it to be all serious and shirt and tie, or did you form the LLC aspect to protect the group?

Michael: “Well we believe in this group. We believe in what we are doing. I mean we aren't curing sickness or ending hunger. But we believe in the vision we have set out for us. We are a business, and really when you run like a business, I believe you make better decisions long term. It's really not so much about the suit and tie; it's more about thinking long term for the future of the band. These guys have put their heart and souls into this, and so have their families. It's only fair that we invest in their futures as well.”

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Q: What’s next for Breakaway Patriot and where can our readers find you and hear your music online?

Michael: “We are quickly booking up, writing new songs, looking for backing, etc... So many doors are already opening so we need to be aggressive in how we approach these opportunities. Making fans is the most important, so making sure we have the most time for that is essential. Our fans make everything what it is, so there's no short changing that.”

www.facebook.com/breakawaypatriot  -  www.twitter.com/breakpatriot  -  Instagram- Breakaway Patriot


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