Kent: I looked through the CD liner, and it looks like the one constant is Willem doing guitar and vocals, so the first question I naturally have is, do the words Breaking Laces describe a one-man project or a band or what at this point?
Willem: I started making the album about a year ago on my own with producer Chris Liberti and a handful of musicians who sat in on a session or two. When it was done I knew I had to put a band behind it to start gigging again. I wanted to find people who would not only fill out the songs but have a good chance at becoming part of the core in the process. So at the moment, Breaking Laces is a solo project that is evolving into a band. The best comparison I can think of off the top of my head is "The Lemonheads" who could very easily be considered a solo project. But what would they be without Juliana Hatfield? The whole thing, though, should turn over once we record the next album. The liner notes on that one will look different.

K: For playing live, what does the line-up look like, and does it change from set to set?
W: It doesn't change from set to set and it's a trio. Right now I play acoustic guitar and sing with Rob Chojnacki on bass/vocals and Seth Mazarsky on the drums. We had a second guitarist who came in last month to try and fill things out but he unfortunately didn't click with the band so it's just the three of us for now. There is no denying though that the trio rips serious buttcakes so for the moment we're fine.

K: Did you just say "serious buttcakes"?
W: I don't really know how to convey it to you without sounding kind of stupid so I guess I figured I'd remove all doubt. In all sincerity the three of us together is magic. The musicians, the songs and the sound are all coming together super awesome in practice and on stage. But in the back of our minds we know that, eventually, those buttcakes I was talking about are gonna need some icing.

K: So what kind of person are you looking for?
W: Basically we need a Jonny Greenwood, someone who is rooted in guitar but can do a lot of different things as well. We actually talked about trying to kidnap Jonny and take him on tour in a cage. I have a feeling Radiohead would have some objections though. On top of that a friend of mine who is a lawyer said that kidnapping him would be against the law, really against the law. So I guess we'll find someone else. We've played a few sets with a Cellist and that's been the best yet. There's a lot of cello on the record as well and it seems to work with the music. I suppose the trick is to find a guy who can play a double necked cello where one neck is an electric guitar. Come to think of it, we might need two more people. Whatever it ends up being it won't mirror MC Hammer's entourage in number but it will revolve around the three of us and will certainly be "Proper".

K: When you write a new song, do you work with the band to arrange it once the words and music are written or do you just bring it to the band completed?
W: Sometimes you need to run a new song a few times to open it up but I often know when the structure is lacking and try not to introduce it until it's as close as I can get it. That's not to say it won't change or that Seth and Rob won't have a better idea on a part than I do, but it's easier for everyone to get a sense of the song right off the bat if it really resembles a song. If you know a song needs a bridge and you don't have a bridge then it's hard for Seth or Rob to say "That bridge sucks but I see what you were trying to do, what do you think of this?". That's when we all reach for our band pillows to prepare for yet another band pillow fight.

K: No one could take a look at Breaking Laces and not be intrigued and a little disarmed by the whole Drive for the Diamond. (If I were a girl, I'd call it cute; since I'm not, I'm still looking into whether or not I could pull that off.) The last update was in April. What's the latest? How goes the drive?
W: The Drive is somewhat over as of now, I called it last week in lieu of driving for something that my girlfriend needs more than anything which is a man with a steady job. She could entertain offers from guys pulling down serious duckets but the problem she has is she loves me the best so I'm gonna try and make things easy on her if I can. 

K: How did the whole Drive for the Diamond thing start?
W: The two constants in my life are my love for music and my love for my girlfriend. In this case they crossed paths in the early hours of the morning. My girlfriend Sarah has never asked me or indicated that she expects a ring from me which is something that's nice to clarify. I wasn't down there on orders from her like some would be inclined to imagine. In fact she didn't even know I was doing it. I know she would be happy with a plastic jammer from the five and dime but I couldn't help but thinking that it would be great if I could get her something on my own. The whole thing started late one night with one of those ideas that seems stupid at first but not so dumb the more you think about it. At first I had the same reaction you did. I wondered if I could pull it off, which is to say, I wondered if I had the balls to do it and what it would be like to try. So I did. I made a sign with Red foam Board, warmed up my portable amp and started what became The Drive for the Diamond. The first time I went down was really scary. I didn't know what to expect. I knew it wasn't as much about the money as it was the gesture. Don't get me wrong, I was serious about doing it but not so serious that I would really care if I collected any money or not. My first day and the ones after it were something to see though. Just watching people's reaction to the sign was pretty cool. Some would giggle, while others would steam by only to return for a second look. And once they got the gist of what I was doing the emotional reaction was quite warming. Old ladies gave me hugs and called me a "sweet man". Married men would give me verbal high-fives. And if I wasn't trying to buy a ring and get married I would have had a lot of phone numbers too but don't tell Sarah that. In the end I'm glad I tried it and I couldn't be any more grateful to all the people that made it such a great experience. If anyone from the subway is reading this, thanks for not beating me up. I managed to collect a little over $700, which I've put aside and won't touch until the time is right. Believe me I understand the Karmic relationship to that money and I know where it has to go to complete this cycle. If I end up making good money playing music I plan to donate the amount I collected down there to a charity in the name of "The Subway Riders of NYC". 

K: Is there a story behind the name Breaking Laces?
W: A few years ago, some guy with an uppity accent at a velvet-roped off disco down an alley off the Public Garden of Boston wouldn't let me into his club because I was wearing sneakers. I argued with him for about ten minutes that they weren't sneakers but my semi-suede dancing shoes and I couldn't dance without them. We went back and forth about whether or not my shoes were sneakers and finally he said "But what about the breaking laces?". I paused for a moment and tried to figure out what he meant. Then I realized he thought my shoelaces were reminiscent of the fat laces that break-dancers used to wear. I didn't know what to say to that except to laugh. We had reached an impasse. I told him to go f--- himself and then went down the street to some pub and got drunk with my friends there. That bar didn't seem to have a problem with my black sneakers and their breaking laces and God bless them for it.

K: There are probably easier places to survive as an independent musician than NYC. What do you do to keep food in the house and a house around your food? What's your day job?
W: I live in Brooklyn which makes things a bit easier on the wallet from the get go. As far as a job is concerned, a while back in Boston I was working as both a substitute teacher and a secret shopper which is sort of an undercover sales evaluator. I tried to hook up with a company down here but needless to say there's not a lot of work out there as of late. At the moment I'm living off of savings mixed with some family money and working full-time on trying to make the music happen. It's borrowed time for sure but I'm okay with it for now and intend to do something with it because it's not going to last very long. I live a somewhat low impact life as far as financials are concerned, though. I like to buy comic books every now and then and sure would love that new semi-hollow body Gretsch I saw the other day at Guitar Center, but it'll have to wait. As far as food is concerned I've been going to Costco lately and buying large quantities of chow and spreading it out over stretches. You'd be surprised how far a three pack of Raisin Bran can take you.

K: How has the adjustment been from playing your songs in a subway station with just yourself and a guitar to going out on the road with a band?  Which do you prefer?
W: There is nothing like drums and bass to make you feel less alone. Whenever I play alone I always hear a band but then come to realize they aren't there. Then I think to myself, "It's really cold down here in the Subway and people are grumpy because its Tuesday and I don't blame them and I think I'm gonna go home and try to find someone else to play with, preferably in a setting that involves temperature control and electrical outlets."

K: How has the response been so far beyond the borders of NYC? Any immediate plans to tour a little further away?
W: NYC has been great and our out of town gigs have been sparsely to well attended. We are still acquainting ourselves to a lot of areas. The good thing is that wherever we go we always leave a majority of believers and even if there are only 20 people in the room it feels like a small victory every time. We've also picked up a lot of help from people in other towns. Good people who see what we are doing and want to be a part of it. This November we go as far West as Cleveland and as far South as Virginia with a lot in between. The Spring will be even better.

K: The first time I listened to the record, I thought, "This could have pretty big mainstream success in the hands of the right producer and the right promotion..." What are your thoughts on "pretty big mainstream success"? There are pros and cons to being on a major label. Is that the direction you'd like to go with Breaking Laces or is that an eventual goal a ways off or what?
W: "Pretty big mainstream success" to me means gainful employment to a certain degree so yes that's an eventual goal. On top of that who doesn't want a chance to reach more people? The Major Label is a tricky concept. They aren't the destination as much as they are a conduit to a bigger audience. We've all heard the horror stories of bands signed and dropped and I don't doubt for a second that they are true. I suppose what doesn't surprise me is when a band that clearly sucks has a single that becomes a hit. Then it takes a year for the people to figure out they suck, then the label realizes it when the follow up tanks and finally the band is last to know assuming they figure it out at all. Then the rationale is that the mainstream is fickle which they are. In reality even a good band only enjoys a spell in the extreme spotlight. What amounts to whether they survive it is not only force of will but whether they are a good band to begin with and then get better. Pleasing the mainstream seems a bit like chasing your tail. If I was constantly trying to solve the Pop equation and really worried about getting that ever elusive right answer I'd be pretty miserable and my music wouldn't be much better.

K: There are several love songs on the record and a few that seem to deal with rising above mediocrity or escaping a less-than-ideal situation (or maybe I'm just way off). Are there any particular beliefs, ideals,convictions, or whatever that you you try to communicate with what you do or that drive you to keep going? What is the message of Breaking Laces?
W: You know, I was on my stoop tonight enjoying some Earl Grey Tea in the September air and there was this girl walking along the sidewalk with a guy and she was bawling her eyes out. She was carrying a plastic shopping bag that was "full of all her stuff" and it soon became apparent to me that she had just broken up with her boyfriend and cleaned out the things she kept at his apartment. The guy who was with her was obviously a friend who was trying to console her. She kept shouting at him when he tried to offer up soothing words with things like, "No! I don't want to be with Paulie! That's not how I want to live my life!". Then she paused and said, "But why, why does it hurt so much? All I did was try to love him!" Then she cried some more. It was none of my business and I stayed out of it but gosh it was hard to hear and watch. I don't know exactly what happened between her and Paulie but it seems she reached a point where she realized she was living in mediocrity and a less than ideal situation. There aren't any beliefs or ideals I consciously try to convey but I know something of the like can be gotten from the songs you are talking about. I suppose it's an attempt at honesty and humility in the face of what seems impossible at times. The message might very well be that the meek will inherit the love as long as they keep at it.

Kent: OK, enough with the trivialities. On to something a little more meaningful.

- Cheez-Its or Goldfish?

I'm not partial to either really but if I had to take my pick it'd be Cheez-its. Goldfish in theory are delicious but after about five I'm looking to move on to other snacks.

- Best book ever written:

The last two great books I read were "Empire Falls" by Richard Russo and "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon. 
But since I could name about twenty other novels which could vie for this position I'm going to have to choose an unlikely candidate in 
The Dictionary. I know it makes me sound like the kind of nerd you want to beat on but I'm always amazed at this book which I use a lot 
while reading. I can't imagine the writer who put that thing together. They must be in some sort of asylum and for that reason I feel their work shouldn't go unrecognized. Plus my Dictionary has little pictures or photos on every page to highlight different words. You should see the one for "electric guitar". There's this dorky looking guy smiling and holding an "electric guitar".

- Best thing to happen to music in 2003:

O-town. When are they coming out with a live CD? I pulled a calf muscle trying to dance like those hunks and I think I deserve something in return.

- Worst thing to happen to music in 2003:

The record companies suing a bunch of kids when they should be finding a way to embrace an estranged public. It's really sad they feel they have to resort to that kind of action. Sure the computer and file sharing have presented obvious problems but they don't seem too intent on looking at and solving their own. When you create a reckless $ 5 million budget for an album and then expect the consumer to pay for it in installments of $20.99 you've got a problem when the music can be gotten at a lesser quality for nothing.

- The best season of the year:

Fall. It just smells and feels good.

- What kind of guitar do you play?

My Acoustic is an all Mahogany Larivee and my electric is a '52 Reissue Telecaster. [Note: The Telecaster is the greatest guitar ever made.]

- Complete the following sentence: "I would not be writing the music I am today if it were not for [name of artist]."

Does it have to be a band? Can't it be like Bo and Luke Duke? Gosh, there's so many. How about Soul Coughing, Nirvana and Liz Phair ala 
Exile.

K: Alright. Something deep and insightful, witty and amusing, or cryptic and artistic to share in closing?
W: Happy Birthday Bee. She's my niece. Today's the 26th right? [Note: It was indeed the 26th when this interview was conducted.] I think it's her birthday. Oh crap now I got that "I'm an awful Uncle" feeling. Being the youngest of four I think I can get away with it though. The youngest always gets away with it.

Thanks for doing this! Best of luck with your endeavors. I'll be sure to keep up with your success!
Right back at ya Kent. Remain Fresh and be well.