Break Even [AUSTRALIA]

Published 29 September 2009 in BMA Magazine

Perth's BREAK EVEN have only been around for four years, but in that time they've experienced almost everything that being in a band has to offer - from the highs to the lows and beyond. They've put out two releases and toured the country with some of the finest names in local and international hardcore. On what was an overcast day in both Perth andCanberra, I spoke to vocalist Mark Bowden about the new album, The Bright Side, the tour and the band in general.

The hardcore scene in Perth started with a band called Rupture and now, in the internet age, bands are popping up everywhere, promoting themselves on Myspace and gaining access to a larger audience. "The Perth music scene is good, there's a whole bunch of bands out there," says Mark. "My cousin got me into the music and took me to my first local show. I met a few friends and that's really how the band got started."

Recently, Break Even supported Raised Fist on the first leg of their recent Australian tour. "I could tell from the show there was a different crowd there, apart from the normal hardcore people we play to," says Mark. "It was lots of fun. The crowd was really enthusiastic."

Tragically, in November of 2008 guitarist Rowan Willoughby took his own life, leaving a hole in the band, the lives of his friends and the Australian hardcore scene. But Break Even didn't give up. "The band continued when we had a jam in the December holidays," Mark recalls. "We knew we could still do something and we ended up writing an album as a four-piece. We're tighter together both friendship-wise and band-wise. It's definitely made the band want to succeed more in wanting to play music to new people and see new places."

Break Even's latest album, The Bright Side, is a testament to the bright side in everything - even sorrow. "We put as much heart into the album as we could," Mark says. "It's hardcore, so there will always be strong feelings and a strong sound there. It's just the music we play. It's how we deal with things in life." The album is a legacy, a message that shines as bright as the stage lights they play under and a message that will never be forgotten.

The band's last show in Canberra was at the Weston Creek Community Centre a week or so after the album came out. Mark seems positive about their next show: "We've been looking forward to it ever since we left last time. A lot of people were singing along at the Weston Creek show and now that the album is out we hope to get a bigger and better response at the next Canberra gig."

Break Even are such a passionate, inspiring band that it's not hard to foresee great things on the horizon from the four young Perth guys.

Don't miss out on Break Even at Tuggeranong Youth Centre on the Thursday October 15. Supports include I Exist, Vera and Final Lies.