The Breakers
Gig Seeker Pro

The Breakers

Copenhagen, Capital Region, Denmark | INDIE

Copenhagen, Capital Region, Denmark | INDIE
Band Rock Soul

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"The Breakers: The Breakers (album review)"

Maximum Rhythm and Danish
So you wanna be in a R’n’B band huh? The prerequisites are: a singer who regularly gargles with glass, a rhythm section who are tighter than a duck’s arse (and that’s water tight baby), a guitarist who can’t make it to the pub on Friday night because he’s studying his Keef licks, and a mutha of a brass section.
And you need to hail from Denmark. Er....hold on – some mistake here surely?

Yes – that’s right. These guys don’t have a brass section. Pity. No matter because everything else is in place. Also it helps to have as a guardian angel Steven Van Zandt and little Stevie’s Disciples are of Soul, remember. Its not often you find a Danish band to rave about (unlike their Scandinavian cousins the Swedish and Norwegians) and its equally unusual for the those guys to know what they’ve got. This might be because (my Danish contact tells me) they are too busy curing bacon or administering Greenland or simply don’t know a good thing when they’ve home grown it (apart from the pigs of course).

T’aint no thang because the Americana-Uk readership in the other three corners of the globe will know a good thing when they hear it and will recognise this as a work of some particular merit. This thing will make you want to dig out your duck bill shoes and Oxford bags that you haven’t worn since that rainy night at the Wigan Casino in November 1977. Not that you would describe it as particularly ‘retro’ , more a sort of Scandinavian take on a modern version of the classic soul sound (i.e. put a bit of punky venom into it and pretend that soul music really is the long lost sibling of glam rock).

We have big choruses, we have ‘oo-wah-ooh-waa’ backing vocals, we have (I imagine) white shirts and skinny black ties, we have attitude and we have amplifiers that go up to eleven. And not forgetting Little Stevie’s stamp over everything (playing, arranging and producing).

I mean, honestly, what’s not to like? Do yourselves a favour, put some talcum powder on the dance floor, practice a bit of air guitar for the solos and thank whatever lord you might have that there is room for this stuff in the musical universe. The Danes recently banned Marmite I understand. Get your own back by buying this record and showing them what they have missed. - Americana UK


"The Breakers: The Breakers (album review)"

In the antiques world the single most important thing is Provenance – it tells you the history and the owners of the object; in the world of music one of the most important attributes a band can have is Reputation and The Breakers come with the cheers of none other than Steven Van Zandt – Little Steven – willing them to success.

I have to admit to a real delight in the power of a great white soul band and The Breakers tick all the boxes – they could be up there with the likes of The Asbury Jukes and the E Street Band in terms of the quality and punch of their sound – at times they come over like a modern day incarnation of Exile-period Stones or even The Small Faces – yep, THAT good.

Toke Nisted has a raw and Rod-esque voice and backed up by the power of |Tomas Stelsvig’s drums and Jackie Larson’s bass they drive like a V8 Camaro with the occasional screeched corners but all the growl that you could wish for. The twin guitar attack of Anders Bruus and Klaus Helbjerg howl like banshees on the likes of ‘Riot Act’ but on a track such as ‘If You Please’ they come over like the Faces with all the emotion and louche languor of ‘Maggie May’. ‘New York City’ is almost in a disco place with a ton of strut and sass and ‘Union Street’ is deep, deep Soul.
The rocky side of their nature comes out on tracks like the opener ‘Start The Show’, which I swear reminds me of the Ramones with horns (!), or the wonderful ‘Temptation’ whuch the New York Dolls would be proud of.

You may have guessed from the names of the artists that these guys are Scandinavian, Danish in fact, but if you didn’t see the names you would simply see them as a great Soul/Rock/Blues/Showband.
Steven Van Zandt co-wrote all the songs and produced but if they didn’t have the talent and the heart he couldm’t do anything with them.

So much fun. - Music News


Discography

Albums:
The Breakers
(Wicked Cool Records 2011)

Here For A Laugh
(Funzalo Records 2007)

What I Want
(Sony Music Denmark 2004)

Singles:
If You Please (2011)
The Jerry Lee Symptoms (2011)
Riot Act (2010)
Hold mig som en revolver (2007)
Here For A Laugh (2006)
Tried So Hard (2006)
Dance the Go-Go (2006)
Anyway Around (2004)
What I Want (2003)

Photos

Bio

The Breakers of Copenhagen, Denmark were signed by Little Steven Van Zandt to Wicked Cool Records in 2008. The Breakers harken back to when the Rolling Stones, Small Faces, and Yardbirds were Rock and Roll dance bands inspired by the Soul music of Motown, Memphis, and Muscle Shoals.

The band’s wild energy is fueled by the weaving double guitars of Anders Bruus and Klaus Højbjerg and the super solid rhythm section of Jackie Larsen (bass) and Stefan Andersen (drums). Toke Nisted’s smoky vocals and seamless harmonies evoke the Rhythm and Blues passion of Steve Marriott, Stevie Winwood, Chris Farlowe and Rod Stewart.

The Breakers recently finished recording their third album, and very first for Wicked Cool, with Little Steven in NYC. Van Zandt produced the album and co-wrote several songs with the band as well. The self-titled album was released on June 6th 2011.

The Breakers have supported Bon Jovi at 8 shows at their European open-air tour during the summer of 2011. The Breakers performed at Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park, London in June 2010, closing the second stage just before Paul McCartney played the main stage. The Breakers also traveled to the U.S. for SxSW in March 2009 for two shows hosted by Stevie Van Zandt.

Founded in 2002, The Breakers have two previous albums: What I Want (2004) and Here For A Laugh (2006). In particular, Here For A Laugh garnered excellent reviews and support at college and commercial radio across the United States.

The Breakers have brought their dance party to more than 200 gigs, including many outside of Denmark. Ecstatic, sweaty, and exhausted audiences are left craving more!