Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: BreakTime is a Bayonne, New Jersey indie-pop four-piece writing modern pop tunes
with generous vintage allusions to artists such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The group started in 2018 as a ragtag five-piece
standard-issue Jersey classic rock cover band. We went through many debilitating
lineup changes as I enlisted high school colleagues who went about band operations in
an unprofessional manner and did not want to commit long-term. I compiled original
works throughout this disorienting period and decided with our lead guitarist, Thommy
Delaney, to release the tune “Rock N’ Roll Refugee” in July 2021 with BreakTime being
a studio duo, enlist part-time players to play live and build some degree of momentum
from the rock bottom we had experienced, and leverage that momentum for the
committed players we wanted. We were fortunate to recruit Douglas Lupo on rhythm
guitar in September 2021 and Peter Roefaro on drums in January 2022. After so much
time with amateurs keeping the group from prospering, the past year turned out to be
our first full year with “real” paid gigs and culminated in our debut EP release entitled
Great Times on December 16 th .
Since infancy, I grew up with an almost-exclusively-Beatles listening palette with
intermittent cameos from WCBSFM 101.1. Nothing has ever affected me as much as
The Beatles’ original output; and, being exposed to the breadth of musicians and
everyday people whom The Beatles culturally impacted, I felt inspired to become a
master song craftsman using my creations to engender happiness. Thommy had a
similar upbringing featuring such seminal artists as The Beatles, The Monkees, Brian
Setzer, and Elton John. Upon playing “Guitar Hero 3” and “Rock Band,” he wanted to
continue the enjoyment and perform on a real instrument. After observing my
songwriting, Thommy “got the itch” to write and contribute to BreakTime’s original
output. Douglas started his music career in the local musical circuit. He soon outgrew it,
for he desired to learn the skills to play in a band and (not unlike the artists he heard on
the radio) share his original work with the world. Finally, Michael Jackson’s dynamic
performances entranced Peter and caused him to create near-perfect dance renditions
of any videos he could find on MTV Clips. From there, Peter drifted from piano to guitar
and found passion in drumming. He decided he wanted to learn and grow as a person
through his experiences as a musician.
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
A: We have all had some degree of formal music training in our academic careers. I
have classical training in piano performance (though I have not performed classical
music since a college-mandated jury and much prefer classic rock or gospel piano) and
the violin while I trained myself on the bass guitar and (passably) drum kit. Thommy and
Doug acquired some classical guitar training in their high school years under the
tutelage of the legendary Vin Downes while they trained themselves in piano
fundamentals. Peter continually trains in jazz performance on the drum kit and, like
Thommy and Doug, is working on his piano chops.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘BreakTime’?
A: My first and most-sustaining musical influences are The Beatles and The Beach
Boys. It is an instinct of mine to write material at the level of/greater than The Beatles’s
songcraft and construct harmonies as emotionally-affecting as those of The Beach
Boys. Brian Setzer and Adam Schlesinger are major influences for Thommy as they
personify a mindset of creative versatility. Doug similarly enjoys a vintage sound and
genre-hopping; thus, The Black Keys’ modernization of a Rolling Stones-esque sonic
profile and Dr. Dog’s folk-to-lofi breadth greatly affect him. Peter appreciates the
tradition set by jazz greats in the Bill Evans Trio and the opposite and unconventional
force from The Police’s Sting.
My uncle and his friend originated “BreakTime.” They discussed band names over
drinks at a local Bayonne bar called The Starting Point; soon, they arrived at
“BreakTime,” to which the friend remarked, “You know…Everyone needs a good
BreakTime.” My uncle still thinks the name is stupid; though, he’s obviously wrong!
Q: You have just released your new album, ‘Great Times’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Great Times came about from our slogan “BreakTime’s a Great Time!” Back in the
tumultuous times (also known as pre-Doug-and-Peter), we guested on a close friend’s
live interview show to discuss various music-related subjects. Near the end of one such
guest appearance, I uttered the phrase, “BreakTime’s a Great Time,” in all its cheeky
glory. An original inside joke, it’s now our official slogan and something I believed an
obvious contender for the album’s title.
The EP features eight songs we created from August 2021 to January 2022. As it
frequently genre hops, I dubbed it an Ed Sullivan Show for the ears. You can find hard
rock in “Mastermind,” pop in “Maybe No, Maybe Yes,” surf rock in “Good To You,” and
traditional rockabilly/rock ‘n’ roll in the closing track “Catch A Ride, 425.” If you like jazz,
we even have that in “Jam Sauce.” We originally had designs on releasing Great Times
as a Summer follow-up to our January 2022 “Mastermind” single release; however,
vocal issues and recording quality concerns prevented us from sharing this bright and
summery work until the cold winter in December. It now provides an uplifting force for a
typically dreary season.
Q: What is the message of your music?
A: BreakTime seeks to create simple, non-preachy original music bridging the gap from
the long-loved songs of the 1960s and 70s to today’s modern audiences. If you’re bored
with the status quo in pop music and appreciate artists who solely desire to bring a
smile to your face, we lovingly welcome you into our family.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: Hummable melodies, dramatic chord progressions, and a loveable youthful energy
are our most resonant qualities expressed through our music. The “BreakTime sound” is
a modern vintage sonic celebration of youthful craft. It’s the music you wish the radio
played instead of the cookie-cutter material songwriting teams churn out!
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: We truthfully experience moments of doubt and burnout; however, we understand
these emotions are inherently of the artistic experience. They challenge us to push
further than we did before and grow as both artists and people. We expect the world of
ourselves and prioritize responsibility to our craft; therefore, we will always expect more.
If we didn’t, what would be next to do?
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: My process is flexible and dynamic. I sometimes construct songs from a melodic
idea; meanwhile, I hear or read a phrase and create a song lyrics-first. When the
melody is first, I follow with the chord progression on my piano and jot lyrics down to aid
in pitch recall. When the lyrics are first, I derive melodic contour and rhythm from them
and ascertain chords last. I’m very independent in my songwriting as I have a strong
music theory knowledge base and years of experience writing alone; so, I typically bring
complete songs with arrangement ideas to the band in our studio: BT Studio One. I call
myself head songwriter and I back it up. Haha!
Thommy’s process is typically grounded in chord progressions. He attempts to find
melody in the chord movement and renders lyrics last. Guitar solos arrive from
Thommy’s mix-and-match approach regarding scales. Brian Setzer’s influence
compelled Thommy to continually learn higher levels of music theory so he could create
unique and emotive leads for our songs.
Doug is about experimentation. Like my process, he can start anywhere as long as he
arrives at a song rich in relatable lyrical content.
Peter begins by assigning drum themes to each section of the musical form; then, he
arranges the chords according to rhythmic cues. His jazz education guides him to
atypical songwriting choices when he pulls from such genres as Latin, funk, hip hop,
and reggae. Drum solos are like a crescendo as he works around the kit and utilizes
such techniques as loosening the snare wires and pitch-bending on the toms.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: BreakTime’s first years were the most difficult thing I have had to endure in my music
career and life. I used to freely grant anyone my trust as soon as they expressed they
would join the band, opening myself up to crippling rejection when musician after
musician came and went. Within that time period, I put too much significance into some
bandmembers as I believed I could not attain progress or success without them. I had
low self-esteem and did not realize the responsibility for BreakTime’s ascent rested on
me outlasting the amateur players I put my faith in and being mature enough to know
when someone wasn’t meant for the position/couldn’t live up to what their bandmates
would ask of them.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: BreakTime’s January 2022 “Mastermind” release was my first proud moment for the
band. Peter had been with us for no more than two weeks. We recorded the track in
about 4-6 takes and you can hear the positive anxiety in the result! About two months
later, we played a March originals-and-covers show at a Bayonne bar called Buttero
and people packed the hall for our first show with the new lineup. It was stunning as I
did not realize how many people learned about us from our last show (also at Buttero on
December 17th, 2021) to that “new lineup debut” show. We felt the hometown love! Our
July 2 nd headlining show at The Crossroads in Garwood cemented BreakTime’s moving
onward from the trials and tribulations we endured prior.
