Alex Henderson

Brian Larsen

By Alex Henderson



Very few musicians who are in their early twenties can honestly say that they have been recording artists for over a decade, but 23-year-old Brian Larsen has been steadily building a catalogue since the age of 11—and with his new solo album BREAKing (released on his own label, Protocol Records), the Maryland native takes it to the next level as a singer, songwriter and producer. Larsen can say, with confidence, that BREAKing is his most mature, focused, consistent and personal album to date, and it is an album that underscores his hands-on approach to indie rock and adult alternative pop-rock. In addition to producing and arranging the album and writing all 13 of the songs, Larsen plays all of the instruments (including guitar, bass, drums and percussion). Larsen was the CD’s art director, and he provides all of the background vocals that are used in support of his lead vocals.

 “The albums I recorded as a pre-teen, as a teenager and as a very young adult were a progression for me,” explains Larsen, who recorded as the leader of the group Twilights Moon in the past but is now recording under his own name. “Those albums were part of the growth process. But my world view has expanded over time as I’ve gained experience—and along the way, I’ve improved my recording technique, my songwriting technique, my performing technique and my singing technique. BREAKing is very personal to me because it reflects my growth and evolution not only as an artist and an entertainer, but as a person.”

Drawing on influences that range from John Mayer and REM to Lindsey Buckingham, Fleetwood Mac, the Byrds and the Beatles, BREAKing (the first album released under Larsen’s own name) shows a strong appreciation of the classic rock of the 1960s and 1970s but is also quite relevant to the adult alternative pop-rock and indie rock of the late 2000s. From “Running out of Breath” to “Hang On” to “Stand My Ground,” BREAKing illustrates Larsen’s ability to be musically inspired by both the past and the present.

“I have three brothers who are older than me, and growing up, we had a huge collection of records,” Larsen recalls. “So I listened to a lot of classic rock growing up. As a kid, Lindsey Buckingham’s versatility in the studio was such an inspiration to me. But I also have contemporary influences; I’m also a big fan of John Mayer. The classic rock influence will always be there, but the songs on BREAKing don’t sound like they were recorded in the 1970s. I see myself as a tie-in between the classic rock that existed back in the 1960s and 1970s and the indie rock music of today.”

Although Larsen doesn’t consider BREAKing a concept album, it has no problem functioning as a cohesive whole. “These 13 songs are loosely strung together by the word ‘breaking,’ which appears in almost every song,” Larsen notes. “The word ‘breaking’ can mean so many different things, and it took on so many different connotations as I recorded the album—from breaking someone’s heart to breaking down boundaries or barriers. Breaking can also mean breaking news. The album represents so many different emotions, and yet, the songs are tied together by the word breaking. Instead of becoming a snapshot or a picture, it became more of a movie, if you will.”

As introspective and personal as the songs on BREAKing are, Larsen has received hundreds of e-mails from young fans telling him how much they relate to his lyrics. They relate to “In the Winter,” which uses winter as a metaphor for dealing with challenges and adversity. They relate to “Watching the World Go By” (a song that reflects on life’s uncertainty) as well as to “Watching You Fall,” which speaks of persevering despite having doubts and insecurities. And they relate to “Will You Remember Me?,” which is about examining one’s place in the world.

Larsen explains: “‘Will You Remember Me?,’ is saying that if my time in the world ended tomorrow, would people remember me? I think that with the uncertainty of the world we are in, a lot of people are asking themselves that. ‘Will You Remember Me?’ is about my place and everyone else’s place in the grand scheme of things.”

For Larsen, it has been gratifying to see that the thoughts, feelings and emotions expressed on BREAKing are also the thoughts, feelings and emotions of fans. But while tracks like “Gotta Get You,” “Hold Me Down,” “Frozen” and the title song give listeners a lot to think about lyrically, they also pull listeners in right away with their captivating melodies. BREAKing  achieves lyrical complexity, but it also leaves no doubt that Larsen has thoroughly mastered the art of giving fans infectious pop-rock hooks to grab onto. And another thing that Larsen has clearly mastered is an ability to make his one-man-band approach sound as organic as possible. The use of overdubbing allowed Larsen to bring together his vocals (both lead and background), guitar, bass and drums, but instead of sounding overproduced, BREAKing maintains a warm production and always sounds natural rather than forced.

Building a fan base has been an ongoing process for Larsen, who was born on April 9, 1986 and was only ten when he formed Twilights Moon in 1996. In 1998, Larsen released Twilights Moon’s first album, Pi, on his Protocol label. Larsen, who grew up in Laurel, Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, DC, continued to build Twilights Moon’s catalogue with albums that included Classics in 1999, Slope in 2000 and Emergency Exit and Clockwork in 2001. Reviewing Clockwork in The All Music Guide, music journalist Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted Larsen’s “desire to twist McCartneyesque piano ballads, folky acoustic tunes and Brian Wilson-inspired studio craft into personal expression” and described Clockwork as “an original, intriguing work that suggests  Larsen is on his way to developing his own distinctive voice.”

Twilights Moon followed up Clockwork with Broken Windows in 2003, The Last of the Romantics in 2005 and the EP In the Meantime in 2006, and one of the things that became increasingly evident along the way was that Larsen (who was raised Christian but has since converted to Hinduism) was not only a singer/songwriter and producer, but also, a talented actor, comedian and all-around entertainer. Larsen has had offers to act in independent films, and as deep-thinking and introspective as his lyrics can be, the Maryland resident also has his humorous side—which is exemplified by the comic videos that he has been posting on YouTube. Larsen explains: “In addition to being a musician—which will always be my heart and soul—I also want to be an entertainer. I might write a lot of songs about unrequited love or about feeling frustrated or disappointed, but you can’t feel that way all the time. I also enjoy being funny, and my comedic videos reflect that side of me. Everything about my entertainment career is just about me being natural and being myself. If people can connect with that—if they can laugh me with, laugh at me, or relate to me—then that’s great. I want to be active in the whole of the entertainment industry.”

From singing, writing and producing to comedy and acting, Larsen has a lot on his plate—and his spirit of dedication is evident throughout BREAKing. “The songs on BREAKing are such a natural and organic reflection of who I am as a person,” Larsen stresses. “BREAKing is an album I will still be proud of ten years from now.”♦♦♦



Photos by Marcus Hyde