For more than 20 years, NEEDTOBREATHE has been bringing its unique brand of rock music to the masses. The band’s sound transcends genre and its ninth studio album, Caves, available now, exemplifies NEEDTOBREATHE’s prowess as captivating songwriters and arena mainstays.
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Formed in 2001 in South Carolina, the rockers haven’t shied away from putting in the work after two decades together. The five-piece recorded its latest project in two parts–during a band getaway in Utah and then after returning to the road with OneRepublic. Each member had a hand in writing the songs and fleshing out the album’s sound.
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“It feels like it’s a band record,” frontman Bear Rinehart tells American Songwriter. “Not many people are making band records anymore. We all want to have an influence on the record musically and lyrically and it feels like it’s all of our voices at the same time.”
Rinehart says the band is still “incredibly hungry” and remains willing to chase a song idea in any direction it may go. Guitar player Tyler Burkum says NEEDTOBREATHE is never complacent.
“We all have families and everything but when we get to Utah, it feels like we’re like 22-year-old kids being like, ‘Oh, I love music. Let’s just see what happens,’” Burkum says. “I think that is rare.”
Adds keyboardist Josh Lovelace: “I really do feel like we lean on each other and we are hungry and we’re able to sharpen each other and push each other towards the finish line. … I don’t know of a lot of bands that are still doing it that way. But for us, it’s the best way that we know how to do it.”
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Caves see NEEDTOBREATHE collaborating with acts from all genres of music, like country stars Carly Pearce and Old Dominion to Northern Irish singer/songwriter Foy Vance. Alternative rockers and upcoming tourmates Judah & the Lion also make an appearance on the 11-track project.
A spirit of gratitude and forgiveness peppers the songs on Caves. The anthemic “When You Forgive Someone” has the group advising When you forgive someone / You set yourself free. Later, on the soaring piano ballad “Reaching Out to Find You” the band sings There’s always give in the forgiveness / I guess that’s just the chance we’ll have to take. While it wasn’t an intentional theme, Rinehart notes how he and his bandmates “keep saying this record is very thankful.”
“It’s from where we are culturally,” Rinehart says. “It just came out naturally. I didn’t put the bullet points up of what the album is gonna be about, but those are the kinds of things because we know them to be true also that we relate to the most.”
Adds Lovelace: “Thankful is the thing that we keep coming back to on this record, but it’s also thankful for the process. Talking about forgiveness, you’re thankful that you go through these hard times and you can see yourself out of the cave. Also, as a band, we always take the time to make the hard choices and the hard decisions when we’re making records.
“At this point, we’re exhausted by this thing in the best way,” Lovelace continues. “So I’m thankful for that. After nine albums [we’re] still hungry in that way and not just phoning it in.”
This gratitude falls into all aspects of NEEDTOBREATHE’s life. Rinehart describes the band as a basketball team as every member has a role. “It has to be selfless,” he notes.
The band credits “Dreams” featuring Judah & The Lion as a song that further brings this message of home. It’s a triumphant anthem they’re most excited to perform with Judah & the Lion each night on tour. The band plans to dedicate it to the fans who have stuck with them for over 20 years and have given them “the best job that we could have ever dreamed of,” Lovelace says.
“Before we walk on stage I’ll say to the band a lot of times, ‘We get to do this. We didn’t earn it.’ You can’t earn this. Yes, we work incredibly hard and yes, we’ve stayed together somehow but the real thing is that you got chosen in some way to do this. To enjoy it in that way, to look at it like that is what gets you through at this point.
“There’s no amount of people at the show or money that’s going to be the thing that satisfies. I think that thankfulness of, ‘This really means a lot to a lot of people and we got to be the ones to deliver that’ is really inspiring to us and keeps us alive night to night. That’s where the inspiration is coming from for us so to have songs on the record that actually say that, it feels real true.”
Photo Credit David Od / The GREENROOM
