THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH

The Art of Breaking
Forget metal, emo, pop-punk, retro New Wave or anything else that's been force-fed down your throat in the last few years.

It's OK to simply ROCK again. As in, straight-forward, aggressive, melodic rock'n'roll. And Thousand Foot Krutch is the band that's going to lead the way.

"This is a raw rawk record," explains TFK frontman Trevor McNevan, who was up until the very last moment spending 15-plus hours a day in the studio with acclaimed producer Arnold Lanni (Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan, Finger Eleven) finishing the band's latest and greatest album, The Art of Breaking.

Here's a quick TFK refresher course. Somehow, somewhere, you know this band. The Toronto, Canada natives have sold over 200,000 copies of their previous two records, Set It Off and Phenomenon. Along the way, they've won several major awards in their native country and the U.S., broken through on active rock radio, shared the stage with today's leading alt-rockers (Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, The Donnas, Switchfoot, etc.) and even created the first great sports anthem of the 21st century with 2003's adrenaline-fueled hit "Rawkfist" which has been heard everywhere from sports stadiums to commercials (NHL, NFL and major league baseball) to even the WB’s Smallville.

Got it? Back to the record. The Art of Breaking is a succinct, straight-forward juggernaut of pure rock glory. "It's where we wanna be as a band," says McNevan, who writes all of the band's songs. Shedding the slight hip-hop influences that colored the band's early releases, Breaking finds TFK perfectly melding heavy guitar riffs with catchy hooks and positive aggression if you like anything ranging from Seether to the Foo Fighters to Papa Roach to Mudvayne, you're going to love this album.

The band convened late last year in a Toronto studio, started with 25 songs, worked hard to whittle that number down, while keeping the record both streamlined and versatile. McNevan credits producer Lanni with helping focus TFK's vision. "I can't say enough about Arnie's help," says the singer. "We really hit it off and see music in the same colors, and the chance to work with another songwriter I totally respect, has been a fun challenge. The only way you can improve as a songwriter and musician, I think, is to get outside of your own musical box. That's what we did here."

"Arnie's been an inspiration," says drummer Steve Augustine. "When we are recording, I always picture us playing the songs at our live shows, and I can't wait to get out there and present the songs in a live setting. That's gonna be fun."

While Breaking certainly has commercial success written all over it, the album also possesses a rare amount of honesty from a hard rock band. These are not guys who hide behind an image or a guitar solo. Take the probable first single "Absolute." According to McNevan, that's "a real emotions on the sleeve type of song," he says. "It's saying 'we want the truth, we want the absolute, we have nothing left to lose. It's just zeroing in on different things in life, whether it's spiritual or political. Essentially, it's us saying we're tired of people trying to sugarcoat things, while giving false hopes. Even if you don't have an answer, say it, that's your answer. It's about demanding honesty."

On the opposite end of the musical spectrum is the stunning ballad "Breathe You In," where McNevan allows himself to feel a newly appreciated sense of vulnerability. "This album has the rowdiest, and also some of the quietest moments we've ever done," he says. "And that song is definitely the quietist. It's my favorite song on the record, and I think the lyrics are applicable in a lot of ways. For me, it's about the feeling of running on empty, and needing a refill. Openly admitting to needing someone to rely on as strength for each day, but I think for the listener it can have other meanings for them."

By the way, if you think tracks like the chugging "Hand Grenade" would sound perfect on today's rock radio next to, say, Three Days Grace, then you're not far off. "Adam from Three Days Grace is on a couple of songs," says McNevan. "Actually, we grew up in the same town together, and we even shared a house."

Long-time fans of TFK may wonder what happened to the hip-hop. While it's gone from Breaking, the spirit of the genre isn't forgotten. "When hip-hop and rock are mixed and put together honestly, it can be a great sound," explains Augustine. "But is seemed like too many bands were doing it just to sell records. I'm sure we'll return to it at some point, when it feels honest for us." Adds McNevan: "Look, we always loved the Chili Peppers, Rage, Anthrax, Faith No More. And when we started in 1997, they were the only ones that had touched on it, then it became ridiculous and a way to make cash. You even had John Mellencamp and Metallica doing scratches in songs. So we've put it to bed."

The band's previous album, 2003's Phenomenon, saw the band slowly emerging from the overplayed nu-metal/hip-hop camp. Not coincidentally, it was also the band's breakthrough album. TFK landed five songs on rock radio charts, and even made an extraordinary step into the mainstream with "Rawkfist." "We sort of intended that song to be for the WWE, for the Rock," says McNevan, laughing. "But then he retired. And now, like a lot of bands, we're known for a song we like, but isn't necessarily the most representative of our band."

[Quick aside: yes, the band has achieved a lot of their success on the Christian rock charts. Unlike a lot of mainstream groups who hide their spirituality, however, TFK remain nonchalant about it. "From a spiritual point of view, we're all Christian guys," says McNevan. "We would never want to hide that fact, but musically, we just want to play. We've been associated with gospel, with hip-hop/rock, with a lot of things. We don't preach. I mean, "Rawkfist" certainly proved that! I just write songs from my point of view, and we just want to spread hope and positivity."]

As the band's fan base grew, so did its connection with fans. "We really feel privileged to talk to kids after shows," says the singer. "A lot of them just pour their hearts out, they feel comfortable, and that's amazing." Thanks to this interaction, the band has become actively involved with Lamplight, an organization that helps suicidal kids find their way back to a normal life. "The kids talk to us, which is great," says Augustine, "but Lamplight can deal with them on a more personal, day to day level."

With a new album and a growing fan base behind them, TFK will be spending the summer on the road, first on a headline tour and certain festival dates, and then, if things go as according to plan, with another major band on a larger tour in the fall. Don't look for the band to be spoiled by their new-found success, however. "We just enjoy playing music, and we'll do it at any 'success level' we can," says Augustine. "The love for music has been ingrained into us at a young age, and I believe that love will help us overcome any obstacles that do come our way"

Regardless, the band IS looking at Breaking as, well, a breakthrough. Which kind of does and doesn't explain the album's title.

"The title's kind of funny, in hindsight," says McNevan. "It refers to the moment when you come to the breaking point, whether it's good or bad in your life. The beauty of it is that there is no rules for it, everyone breaks down in their own way, in their own fashion ... the cool part is that it's our choice how we choose to deal with that breaking point when we face it"

Phenomenon

In the seven years since forming the Toronto-based Thousand Foot Krutch—while they were still in high school!—TFK have been through a lifetime of experiences. And it shows in the mature, provocative songs and lyrics on Phenomenon (Tooth & Nail Records), produced by the band and Aaron Sprinkle (MxPx). Phenomenon's first single and video, "Rawkfist," is just one side of TFK's cohesive yet diverse hard modern rock sound. Singer/songwriter/band founder Trevor McNevan reflects on the origins of the irresistible, edgy anthem that is "Rawkfist." "It's funny, it wasn't the obvious choice for a single," he says. "But the hook for that song has been in my head for three or four years, and I always thought it would be fun to offer it to The Rock, the wrestler, but then he “retired from wrestling.'" The memorable, powerful song, though, is succeeding just fine on its own. "Sure, it would have been fun to have the Rock use it, but it's still a party song and it's encouraging that so many people are into it."

Thousand Foot Krutch has had a lot of encouragement since 1997, when McNevan, the band's sole original member, began the lineup. Putting out an indie record, That's What People Do, in 1997 (just re-released via the band's website), then Set It Off in 2000, the band earned hardcore fans, thanks especially to relentless touring. In the last four years alone, TFK played around 200 gigs per year with such bands as Finger Eleven, Tea Party, Three Days Grace and Econoline Crush, and have been devoting all their energies to the band for the last three years (i.e., giving up those McDonald's and gas station jobs!). And while Phenomenon is a culmination of sorts to, it's also a brand-new beginning, the band was recently voted an "up-andcomer who is ready to rock the world" in 2004 by prestigious trade magazine Radio and Records. "For the longest time, as a band we ran our own show, and it was a lot of work, but we learned a lot and developed really cool relationships with a lot of people," McNevan observes. In 2003, Thousand Foot Krutch had several labels hot on their tails, and they entered into serious talks with Tooth and Nail. "After we made a big pros and cons list, we were on the same page, had the same vision, and the label had a passion for the band and the music, so we signed," says McNevan.

The label is not the only ones with passion for TFK's tunes. Many fans email and confide personal problems to McNevan, though he's the first to claim he doesn't have all the solutions: "As a songwriter, I write about how things are, and were, growing up, and the things we go through now, through my eyes. We don't know all the answers, but we're thrilled to have the chance to do this." McNevan relates that several female followers have emailed him about personally intense situations. "One wrote and said, 'this is what's going on in my life. I feel I have no one to talk to, but I feel I can talk to you. I cut myself, I do this and that, what should I do?'" McNevan and the band take that responsibility seriously. "We encourage them and I tell them what my heart is. The band has hooked up with a few groups, such as Lamplight, who deal with suicidal teens, who can further and follow up with kids who are going through that stuff. It allows us to support them, and then say, 'this person would be awesome for you to talk to about these things.' And I try to keep in touch with the kids as well," says the frontman. "It's remarkable, overwhelming, to see how many kids go through that every single day."

Clearly, it's highly personal songs such as Phenomenon's "Last Words," that draw fans to TFK's emotional, thoughtful vibe and forceful rock sound. "'Last Words,'" begins McNevan, "is about someone who has committed suicide and has one chance to come back and talk to the people they love. I have this cliff where I always go and write. I sit on the hood of my car with an acoustic guitar and some candles and write. It's such a beautiful place. I was sitting there, and it was a really intense thing," he recalls of the songwriting process. "I felt a lot of the feelings that someone going through that would feel. Not myself personally," he clarifies, "as in contemplating suicide at all, but as a writer, it was a very real experience. I felt the feelings of people on both sides of the situation; it was a teary-eyed experience."

Thousand Foot Krutch consider Phenomenon, written and recorded in 2003, a transition from the more hip-hop flavored Set It Off. "We love all kinds of music, and wanted to evolve and focus in on the kind of music we wanted to make instead of being too broad. However, versatility is something we've always been a big fan of, and as a writer, I'm a huge fan of records you can listen to from the front to the back that don't have the same sort of vibe going on. We tried to do that on Phenomenon; it was fun this time around to talk about some issues, real life stuff, and also have some party tunes, and a ballad!" he laughs. TFK have managed to evolve with their original core of real writing and real rock intact. The current lineup, too, is one the band is thrilled with, and they're looking forward to adding a guitarist/fourth member. "Growing up, from a super-young age, for all of us were involved in music," McNevan recalls of the band's history. "We realized sports weren't our thing. I tried about eight different sports; I come from an athletic family. I was the oddball!" The singer started TFK in Peterborough, Ontario, a small town north of Toronto. Drummer Steve Augustine is from nearby Hamilton, and Joel (pronounced "Joe-ell") Bruyere was McNevan's childhood friend who had moved away, then years later, back in time to join the band for Set It Off. Of course, several of TFK's most-asked questions concern the title Phenomenon (and the CD's cover photo) and the band's name. McNevan, a huge film fan who has just begun writing screenplays, wanted a sort of "Matrix-style" feel to the cover art of Phenomenon to "represent a bit of a subculture of people who choose to believe in the power of the unseen." Ditto the band's name. "There's a lot of messed up stuff that we go through in life, and sometimes things happen that you can't explain, good and bad." And sometimes, that unseen "crutch" just helps you get out of a situation. So, why, then, is it spelled with a "K' instead of a "C"? "It didn't look right spelled with a 'C'," laughs McNevan.

In addition to the mounting success of Thousand Foot Krutch, they also have several other impressive projects taking off. One is the side band FM Static, who actually opens for Thousand Foot Krutch at many events, has McNevan and drummer Augustine doing double duty. And with the two other FM Static members, Justin and Jeremy Smith, McNevan has formed Reakt Clothing (http://www.reaktclothing.com/store), with the band Three Days Grace as first endorsees. Augustine also has formed a production company called Stringnoise that provided sound and lights for Thousand Foot Krutch and other touring acts.

While with the release of Phenomenon, Thousand Foot Krutch is just at the beginning of the proverbial road, the band is already about giving back. "We were teenagers when we started. We have been through messed-up situations, but we're almost thankful that they happened, because we learned so much. We're prepared to take the next step and excited to see what happens. We're still working really hard and playing lots of shows like we always have. But," McNevan concludes, "There have been a lot of new doors opening for us and now we have an amazing team of people who are allowing a lot of this to be possible. It's been a lot of fun!" And for TFK, the fun has just begun.

Management:
Dryve Artist Management, LLC.
James Hodgin: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
PO Box 682546 - Franklin, TN 37068-2546

Publicity:
Big Machine Media
Brad Taylor: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Leslie Kellner: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it