The roots of New Orleans-based rock band The Breton Sound can be traced back to a Weezer cover band that lead singer Jonathan Pretus formed while attending LSU.
Pretus would post flyers around campus advertising tWeezer shows, trolling people by making the letter “t” as small as possible. The band’s performances garnered considerable attention, even if some who were there thought they were seeing Weezer.
Through the University and tWeezer, Pretus met lead guitarist Stephen Turner. The two formed The Breton Sound in 2011, an unlikely pairing considering their tastes lay on opposite ends of the rock spectrum.
The band combined Turner’s hard rock edge with Pretus’s footing in pop rock to create a unique multi-layer sound. With the addition of twins John and Joe Bourgeois, the band’s style has developed into a Foo Fighters-esque sound pairing loud, up-tempo rock beats with sing-along choruses.
The band established its sound with the release of its first EP in 2015, “Don’t Be Afraid of Rock and Roll,” which featured heavy production. The group’s latest single “Why Are You Still Here?” — released in October — strips back on the production value to channel the feeling of The Breton Sound’s live performances, which feature band members climbing speakers and jumping into the crowd.
“We tried to capture the energy of how we play live which is, I think, the bread and butter of what we do,” Pretus said. “We’re a tight and powerful live band.”
Whether playing smaller venues or large festivals like New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival or Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, Pretus lives for the moment of unity between the band and the audience during live performances.
“There’s a moment in a show where the barrier between the band and the listener disappears, and everyone becomes part of this one big moving thing,” Pretus said. “It goes from feeling like there’s four people in the band to 404 people in the band. It’s a great moment that nothing else can really touch, and it’s such a pleasure to experience.”
Through The Breton Sound’s music and live shows, Pretus hopes to bring people together and remind them we’re more alike than we are different.
“I want people to understand that everybody goes through the same emotions as each other,” Pretus said. “Whether you feel like you’re alone with it or not, it’s nice to know that you’re not.”
The band is currently working on its second EP, which they hope will be relatable but also fun to belt out while driving, he said.
“We’re really just trying to make something that’s fun and energetic and that you can roll the windows down in your car and sing it while you’re driving down the highway,” Pretus said.
Pretus was surrounded by music from an early age — his grandmother and uncle are musicians — but it wasn’t until he heard rock that he fell in love with music.
“It was really just the melody, the power and the feeling in rock music that always kind of grabbed me,” Pretus said. “When you’re kind of a young, awkward teenager, when you find something that makes you feel completely kickass, you tend to latch onto it.”
And he hasn’t let go since.
The Breton Sound will open for Foxhunter at The Varsity Theatre Tuesday night. Those interested can listen to their new single, “ Why Are You Still Here?” on Spotify, iTunes or YouTube.
Guitarist and singer for The Breton Sound Jonathan Pretus speaking about how being from New Orleans has impacted the members' appreciation and understanding of music on Saturday Oct. 29, 2016 at the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience (Voodoo Festival) at City Park in New Orleans, Louisiana.
