LIVE FROM CORNERSTONE 2005
Interview with Blessed by a Broken Heart
 July 2, 2005

www.myspace.com/blessedbyabrokenheart

Back this spring, Blessed by a Broken Heart had contacted me and was interested in doing an interview with us but their label, now former label, refuses to send WMP music. So walking around Cornerstone you never know what you will see. I look us and see a guy carrying a sign that says to come listen to BBABH and attached to him was a speaker and a guy shredding on a guitar....long story short, we made our way to their van where we got a cd and agreed to check out their set later that night.  The set was amazing and the Rock for Life tent was absolutely packed with more than a thousand fans. Hair metal anthems were risen to new levels while the band incorporated new hard core elements to the mix with enough shredding and screams to break glass.  Some of the most intense double kick drums and bass lines ripped apart chests as people passed out from excitement (well I may be exaggerating). After the set we set up an interview for the next day. 
Since this interview last month, the band is now looking for a new lead singer and label.  You can find out more info on the link above.

Dennis: I know most bands hate this but where did you guys come up with the name Blessed By a Broken Heart? It has more of an emo sound than metal.
Tyler: Well, when we were forming the band I had met Hugh and we were both dating girls named Sarah. We both broke up with them at the same time but it wasn't the same Sarah. It is really a long story but basically the old singer from my old band after I got home from Cornerstone had stolen my girlfriend.  I had gotten home and asked her to marry me and she told me she was with my lead singer from my band so I started puking and crying. I freaked out and went crazy and was depressed for a long time.  I ended up at this show and this girl introduced me to Hugh and we had both broken up with our girlfriends and they were both there even. We were both like we hate girls and we should start a band together. I was like you should play bass and we didn't come up with the name for awhile.  We were at a Bible study and High wrote down the name and slid it to me. 
Dennis: Well, let me again clarify you guys are NOT an emo band but a metal band (all laugh). Speaking of which, I had just heard your cd for the first time yesterday and you can tell the influence is all over the board.  What are elements you are liking about your current element and what is going to change with the new sound?
Frank: Our older stuff which was released with Blood and Ink Records, well we were really a younger band at the time of the recording and we were just experimenting and not sure what we really wanted to sound like.  We had metal core, old school hardcore, hair metal, keyboards influenced by stuff like Rush and Van Halen.  The new stuff is much more focused and sounds more like what Sean says, Motely Crue with more shred, keyboard and shredding. Yeah, we still keep the breakdowns but are going for a more anthem rock feel, yeah.  So, yeah.

Dennis: Well, how I found you guys was Frank sent me an add on my space and it all went from there.  I also understand that you found your new guitarist on my space also.  How did that come about and how has it been?
Sean: Pretty much how I met them was on my space.  I have been playing guitar for about 7 years and never really found a band I really clicked with.  I really didn't want to start from the ground up, I wanted to find a band that had some establishment and had some things going.  I was board and was on the computer one night and I wanted to see some of the top artists listed on my space and found these guys.  I saw they had tons of plays because I had like 50 plays and that was a lot, these guys had like 10,000 in one day.  I noticed they had a blog that said "We need a new guitarist." When I clicked it I noticed it said they were specifically looking for a shredder, which I am. I messaged them and told them I do a bit of shredding and sent them a link to my space and they liked it and sent me a message back saying they were very interested. They asked for my number and I replied and within about 5 minutes my phone rang. There I was talking to Frank. Basically that whole week we kept in contact but that was going to be a big step since I was living in New York and I had a job and was teaching guitar.  So, here I left New York and moved to Montreal. That's the story and they have treated me very good, well pretty good.  There have been a few image problems they want changed like my hair, they want it looking like Nikki Sixx. 
Tyler: So picture this, this is how Sean got in.  Sean comes down, I mean up, to try out.  The whole time he was there Frank was buggin him about when he was coming back.  The whole time he kept telling Frank and us that he didn't know so we weren't really sure.  So, here he is leaving after the first visit and he was like, with his little Michael Jackson voice, "You guys have to come see me off cause I'm leaving now." So we go and standing out there and he gets in his car.  Now picture this in slow motion, as he drives off I am looking into his eyes and he flips a pick into the air with his thumb and I catch it.  I look at and it says "See you soon." We go inside and we were like, "Yeah, he's coming back." He comes back in like 2 minutes and forgot his ipod, so he ruined the moment. So, we want to put that in a video some day with him and I still have the pick. One day you guys can buy it off ebay. 

Dennis: Much of your image is engulfed in the 80's. So what is your favorite 80's movie and band?
Robbie: I would have to seriously say Stryper. They are amazing. For best movie, I don't know cause there are so many good ones.  I would probably have to say Spinal Tap because that is like us.  I mean when we got our photos taken we actually did it in Sears.  We were looking for the photo area  and we were lost like Spinal Tap searching for the stage.
Tyler: Ok, we were looking for the Sears photo department and parents were grabbing their kids and wives screaming, "Honey, where are our kids at?"
  
Dennis: How would you describe the difference with the music scene in Canada as compared to the US? 
Tyler: We are from Quebec and there is like less than 2% Christian. There are like no Christians there, now there are Catholics.  I mean that in the sense that they just lay claim to the religion and not salvation.  I hope that makes sense. Nothing against Catholics but it is just so different where we live. The Christian scene in the US is o much easier because where we are from we are given so much hatred. One time we were playing a show and there was a band there that actually says "F*** Blessed by a Broken Heart." We were playing in their town and they actually set up the show just so they could try to beat us up.  We were about to play and the promoter said we had to wait like another 45 minutes before we were going to play. We thought something was up and we could tell which kids are into us and ones that were there after us. We played and I had actually not even supposed to be playing because I had just got out of the hospital from a leg injury.  So the last song we dedicated to that band, we wont state their name and give them press. We told them thanks for the promotion and the the lead singer jumps up and hits Hugh in the face and then our old bass player gets back sided. It was total chaos. I was under a big pile and our old bass player was hitting people off me with his bass.  The whole reason is they say we are ruining the metal scene there by playing music about our Christian faith. They hate the way we dress and all that here in the US sometimes but here you know, every car like has a Christian fish on it. 
Robbie: We were playing in Grand Rapids and all these kids were dancing around. It's funny, they are all straight edge and that is supposed to be like a big crew and the straight edge fans were yelling at our straight edge band members and heckling them because the way we dress. 

Dennis: Well, you guys are literally persecuted Christians. The majority of people reading this interview will be from the US and even though it may not always be politically correct to state Christian views in the US.....
Frank: It is extremely politically correct in the US to be Christian as compared to that in Canada.  I mean there are magazines that target Christians.
Tyler: (looks at Dennis' ankle) DUDE, you have a  Flintstone's tattoo...that is amazing! 
Dennis: (laughs) Uh, yeah, I hate it I got in in college when I was in my fraternity.
Tyler: Dude, that is awesome. I used to do a magazine called Flame Resistant.  We would set up at events and one time we were literally tossed out.  The guy walked up and flipped our table over.  You can't be in a Christian band and even play at places, it is in the contract even at some clubs. But, the guy at this one still does but just doesn't tell anyone.  But people found out we were a Christian band and the sound person cuts our sound and she says, "Are you guys Christians?" while we were on stage.  She started freaking out and was saying she was Satan in front of everyone. I got down and started talking to her.  Some guy walked up and said we were Nazi Skin Heads but we have long hair. So, apparently some Skin Head bands push Christian beliefs there at times so just because they say they are Christians they think all are like that.  We got kicked out and told we could never go back. It is like that for a lot of bands in our area that our Christians.
Dennis: Man, that is crazy because Christian bands here in the states are now playing right along with mainstream acts. So, last question, what is your advice to Christians reading this about growing their faith?
Tyler: Man, just carry on.  I mean don't ever give up on your faith.
Hugh: 1 Peter 4:14-17, I wrote this inside our cd and it says, " ¹⁴If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ¹⁵If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. ¹⁶However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. ¹⁷For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" So that is all I think about when I am being persecuted. That is what keeps me going, you know. I mean it is nothing when someone brings you down if you have God on your side.  Someone may call you a looser but God actually calls you His child.
Frank: When we get kicked out of places like that, the fans, as non-Christians, see that and that gets them talking about our faith.  There are always good that comes out of us being persecuted. 

Dennis: So what is the news about new music?
Frank: Well, people can hear our new stuff on www.myspace.com/blessedbyabrokenheart. We have tons of labels looking at us and we have tons of songs ready to start recording.  We had a great response here at Cornerstone and hope that will carry us into a new label.
Tyler: The new cd will be a soundtrack for our workout video.  When you here it you will want to do push-ups, jumping jacks and palates. 
Sean: You will also here a more technical sound on our new music with more shredding and more detailed guitar work.