Gothic Theatre
Emanuel
EMANUEL MEMBERS
Matt Breen – Vocals
Mat Barber – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Anthony Brock – Drums
Bryan Whiteman – Bass
Devin Tripplet – Guitar
BIO
Upon first meeting, it’s easy to tell why some are calling Matt Breen rock’s newest self-loathing posterchild. Just ask the soft spoken, 21 year old singer guitarist of the band Emanuel about their upcoming debut album “Soundtrack to a Headrush”, and the impact his life has had upon the music. He will appear to be more interested in the bulls eye pattern on his shoes than delivering an honest answer.
“Our music a direct reflection of ourselves” claims Breen who along with bassist Bryan Whiteman formed the band in 1998. Everything we write is truth. It’s our mantra. We’re just putting it on our sleeves for everyone else to see. We’re not doing it for anyone but ourselves."
When asked about the reasoning behind the albums title Breen answers easily," The songs on Soundtrack, are ten stories from the most fucked up year of my life. I just wrote them one by one as it went along, and this was the music in my head. This was my soundtrack."
Emanuel’s music is the byproduct of the gritty, heavy local sound of their hometown indie-rock scene in Louisville, KY and the members love of both nineties alternative acts such as Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins and classic rock greats like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. The influences bleed through on all of the riff heavy songs on “Soundtrack To A Headrush”, taking dramatic twists and turns lead by Breen’s throat shredding vocals, through pounding verses and glossy, unforgettable pop choruses. The albums opening track “The Hey Man!” is a sonic fuck you to “self righteous hipster types” around the world, complete with chainsaw guitars and a cynical yet irresistible dance breakdown. “When you go to a show anywhere today it’s more about fashion than it is rock.” explains Breen, "This is our way of saying, bring it back to the music.
