Break time

‘As Much Light’ is Boston band’s Mission

INTERVIEW. “As Much Light As It Will Take,” the new disc from The Break Mission, opens with a hard-charging piano riff and pleading vocal that reaches for the heights and poignancy of sensitive Brit Rock stadium balladeers like Coldplay or Embrace. But there’s more depth than such comparisons suggest on a record that ranges from bombast to lilting, folkier fair. Jeff Knowlton, the front man for the Boston band, spoke to Metro on the eve of their CD release.

What does it take for a band like yours to cross over? There is certainly a pop rock radio appeal. But where is the, er, break, for The Break Mission? Is it just a matter of right place right time?
As we know, there is no formula. It’s about locating your band’s appeal.  Who is going to appreciate this? I know we have songs on this record that could be on mainstream radio, or placed in films. It is always exciting when you finish recording, and you want everyone to hear what you’ve been up to.

Are you heartened by minor victories as a band, or does each step closer to a wider audience simply make you hungry for the next thing?
It is funny, you do savor the small victories as a band, or every little break you get that could lead to something bigger. We’ve been playing for almost seven years, and we’ve had our share of the good, the bad and the ugly.  I feel confident in our material and our ability as a band right now, and I welcome anything that could get us heard outside of the club scene.

Be honest, what percentage of your songs are about some girl?
I will be honest, a good amount. My heart’s on my sleeve on this record, but it’s not all personal. I wrote from different perspectives and incorporated more of a social lens. 

Where does the emphasis on a song fall for you? What is absolutely essential to get into every one?
The right emotion is essential for a song. This could be in the poignancy of a lyric or a piano part swamped in reverb or the reason the drums are way up in the mix. There is usually one part in a song that I really look forward to getting to when we play live, the part where I always feel the emotion is on display. There has to be a spark that makes that song stand out on stage, or what makes people want to play it on their ride to work?

The Break Mission
Saturday, 9 p.m.
TT the Bear’s
10 Brookline St., Cambridge
MBTA: Red Line to Central
$8, 18+, 617-492-BEAR
www.ttthebears.com

LUKE O'NEIL