Interview with Jered of I, The Breather

We recently talked with up and coming metal band I, The Breather about their new album, touring and more!

Christian Rock Rocks (Brooks Ginnan): Can you say your name and what you do in I, The Breather?
Jered Youngbar (I, The Breather): My name is Jered and I play guitar in I, The Breather.

CRR (Gary Mark Peterson): First off, congrats on signing to Sumerian. How did signing with them come about and what made you decide on them?
Jered: Thanks a lot. Our manager Chris is good friends with Shawn and Ash of Sumerian Records. So he helped us a lot with the process and got our music into the right hands. We love Sumerian Records and are really pumped to be part of the family.

CRR: How was the writing process for the record? How does everyone contribute to the actual songwriting process? Is everyone involved or do only a few core members write the music?
Jered: Normally how it goes is that Justin will write the skeleton of a song, and then Morgan, him, and I will practice together and work out the kinks and get it exactly how we want it. We're very picky and particular when it comes to writing music, haha.

CRR: I love how I, The Breather put out videos that were basically instructionals on how to play ITB songs. I thought it was very unique and showed that you guys care about your fans deeply. Who thought of that and why?
Jered: Kids would ask us often at our shows and on the Internet about how to play our songs. So we decided to do the videos. We figured that would be the best way for them to learn and play along.

CRR: I saw you guys at Scream The Prayer and was blown away. I had already heard of ITB and knew I wanted the music but was amazed at how tight y'all are live. How were you received overall? Anything that you guys would like to improve upon in regards to your live shows (not that I found any flaws)?
Jered: Thanks man. We loved Scream The Prayer! It was awesome to see the kids get into it and have fun. We are constantly trying to improve our live show and with our stage presence. It's very important to us that kids can see that we're having fun on stage and it not just being a routine.

CRR: You guys were billed a little higher than some of the other, shall we say, more established, bands on Scream The Prayer. You seemed to take full advantage of the nice billing with the performances. How did you guys end up with that slot?
Jered: Honestly, we thought we were opening the tour beforehand. And then first day of the tour we found out we were fourth every night.

CRR: I noticed on Twitter that you started having a few van issues towards the end of STP. Please tell me the issues are being handled and that we'll be able to see you guys on more tours soon? We all know that being on the road is hard on you guys so what are some ways fans can make your travels a little easier?
Jered: Yes, we had some major problems happen to our van, but we got everything fixed and we'll be back on the road in a few weeks. And to answer your other question, just come to our shows, support us, and buy our merch. It helps more that you think.

CRR: Speaking of travel, when can we expect the new album and tour supporting it? In regards to the new album, what can we expect in terms of release, length, amount of songs, etc.?
Jered: The album is scheduled to be released on December 21st. It will have 11 tracks and I believe runs about 40 minutes. Tours will follow and are being worked out right now.

CRR: Do you have a name yet for the album?
Jered: Persecutors

CRR: How did you get started as a band?
Jered: We started in August of 2009. We all were good friends with each other, but were in different bands at the time. Eventually we all came together and formed I, The Breather.

CRR: What role does your faith play in your music?
Jered: It plays a huge role in not just our band, but with everything in our lives. We all believe strongly in Jesus Christ and try our best to show His love to everyone we meet.

CRR: Any last things you'd like to say?
Jered: I just wanna say thanks to everyone that comes out to our shows and supports us. We have two tours coming up soon so check out our Myspace and Facebook for the dates and we'll see you guys soon!