Breaking Laces

New Yorkers, picky as they are, are taking notice of Willem Hartong, singer songwriter and brainchild of Brooklyn based Breaking Laces. When not wowing audiences all over New York City clubs, Willem's dedication can be seen on Subway platforms where he plays beside a large homemade cardboard sign that reads "I want to propose to my girlfriend but I can't afford a ring." The Ring-o-Meter on BreakingLaces.com is at $519.18 this week and counting, and a photo of Willem busking turned up in The New York Times a few weeks ago.

This is all nice but small news for Hartong, whose music career began back in the 4th grade, when he beat out brown-noser Tommy Spencer for the Choir Achievement award. His last band, In The Attic, toured extensively and sold over 10,000 CDs. He also managed to win a Homegrown Award from Acoustic Guitar Magazine for a recent solo record, 'The Ariadne Thread.'

Now he is hard at work with Breaking Laces, his four-piece acoustic rock band. Breaking Laces debut CD, Sohcahtoa, comes out this fall on Sidewinder Records. Sohcahtoa, an acronym for remembering trig ratios in right triangles, is dedicated to Willem's brother who is a mathematician.

The album is a collection of 12 songs ranging from melodic acoustics to pounding rock. The record applies a mix of live musicians and sampling, which revolve around Willem's sharp arrangements and inspired melodies. The sound created is reminiscent of the punkish pop of the Violent Femmes and exudes the craftsmanship of the Lemonheads and Radiohead while lyrically finding a place all it's own. It's a record teeming with superb songwriting, catchy melodies, interesting lyrics, and solid production.

After wrapping up the recording of Sohcahtoa, Willem's main concern was finding the right musicians to lift his songs to a whole new level on stage and help turn his solo efforts into a band worthy of massive attention. With a drummer, bassist, and guitarist now solidly in the mix, one of the best singer-songwriters in the country finds himself backed by one of the best rhythm sections New York City has to offer. Nothing can stop this band on stage. Not even a power outage or really grabbie groupies.

With an extensive tour of the Northeast gearing up for the Fall and encore performances at every venue they've played in NYC thus far, Breaking Laces is poised and ready to rock your sox off. Catch them in a smelly club near you.

Sochcahtoa - Street Date September 16, 2003 - On Sidewinder Records