Conversations with Michael Espinach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Espinach.

Hi Michael, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey as a musician started when I was a teenager, obsessed with blink-182. I just wanted to play bass like Mark Hoppus. Before I knew it, I was learning from Earth, Wind, and Fire, Pink Floyd, The Cure, and many others. By the time I started college, I started messing around with a guitar and eventually got my first part-time job so I could buy my first electric guitar: A Fender Jazzmaster. When I was around 20 years old, I started writing music and started my first band, I’mU. We were a three-piece Psychedelic Instrumental band. We were around for about 5 years and called it quits during the recording of our first record. In that time, I had been sitting on a batch of solo material, so I had to decide to keep moving forward as a musician and started the project BREATHERRR. At its inception, I intended BREATHERRR to be a sort of ambient, noise-based project spliced with film samples and guitar passages. However, once I learned how to use software, I was off to the races. In 2014, I put out my first record, RESIN BALLET, and started doing solo shows.

In an effort to be entertaining and engaging for the audience (and also to combat my nerves), I established an intense live show, with my body being thrown about and guitars being splashed with blood. Around mid-2015, I decided to quit drinking, which further pushed my live show as I was more present than ever in not only my day-to-day activities but on stage as well. I found a new form of euphoria in it, but eventually, the toll of writing, producing, performing, booking, and merchandising by myself began to wear on me. After three records in the can, ALMOND NOIR and FEAR FLORA respectively, I decided to expand to a full band. In 2019, we debuted with a sold-out show opening for one of my favorite bands, HEALTH. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit in 2020, leaving us unable to play shows. However, that did not stop us from working remotely. Over the following 3 years, we finished our newest record, BLISS CONDITION, which is due out June 9, 2023, with a major release celebration at the Art Theatre of Long Beach, on June 29, 2023.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Although I consider myself very fortunate to be able to play music, and I have a day job to help support it, it is far from an easy lifestyle. Pursuing a career in music demands a lot from you. Lifestyle changes are essential, especially in terms of your health. There’s a lot of myth around rockstar escapades, but you can’t be productive if you’re hungover. Quitting drinking was the best decision I ever made, and I would not be where I am had I not knocked it off. You need to stay focused, not be weighed down energy-draining distractions. Because when it comes time to work, you’ve got to make it count. You need to believe in what you’re doing, especially when you face rejection. Which is quite often. Sometimes, you won’t even hear a “No,” you’ll hear nothing at all. If I stopped when my first band called it quits and didn’t take a chance on myself, I wouldn’t be where I’m at. You can pour your heart into a record, and maybe a handful of people will listen to it, which can be a heartbreaking. At the same time though, the joy of creation is absolutely enthralling. The sweaty palms before the first note is played on stage is what you crave. And that’s why you keep going.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
BREATHERRR has developed legs over its nine years existence. Genre can always be tricky to pinpoint, but there has always been an emphasis on heavy, overwhelming sound. It has Industrial size drums, R&B / Hip Hop rhythms, Doom metal guitars, euphoric synthesized melodies, and androgynous vocals. We rely heavily on dynamics, going from intense to meditative, sometimes within the same song. The live show has a penchant for intensity, and I believe is why I’ve created a name for myself. I’ve always thrown myself completely into the performance, often feeling sore for days after the show. To be honest, I definitely have chronic pain I deal with every day that stems from live performance for over a decade. Beyond the actual music, the aesthetic of the band has been shaped by sensuality and horror movies.

Those themes have always been of utter fascination to me, and I believe people have come to expect that spin on it from me. We recently launched a line of hot sauces, RIM*WRECKER, which has been our most popular merchandise to date. They are often named with a hypothetical horror-porn title such as RIM*WRECKER II: GAPE THE TRUTH, or RIM*WRECKER III: RAW DOG REALITY. Although the music is often exploring very serious themes and is quite therapeutic/cathartic for me, there is clearly a heavy emphasis on humor with this project. Anytime somebody buys a piece of merchandise or comes out to a show, I’m proud of what BREATHERRR has been growing to be. Our most recent record, BLISS CONDITION, and every piece of media we’ve developed for it has made me very proud of what we’ve accomplished. There’s a time where you love the art you make simply because you made it. However, if you stick with it long enough, you create the things you can’t find anywhere else, the things you truly hunger for.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Every day I wake up I feel like the luckiest person. Loving family, supportive friends. I’m not suffering from any handicaps or diseases. I have a good day job. I can pay for food and rent. I live a couple of blocks from the beach. I’m incredibly lucky. I still work very hard, and a career in music is definitely the long game. However, everything I have ultimately contributes to where I’m at and being able to continue the work and continue to have fun. I would definitely agree that there is a major factor of timing and being in the right place, but I believe staying grounded and focused is ultimately what keeps things happening for you, and just being grateful for everything along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.breatherrr.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/breatherrr
• Facebook: facebook.com/breatherrr999
• Twitter: twitter.com/breatherrr999
• Youtube: youtube.com/@breatherrr999
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/breatherrr

Image Credits
Live Photos: Veronica Avina 8-bit photo: Aaron Giron Selfie + Hot Sauce: Michael Espinach