I was driving when I first listened to Can’t Break What’s Broken and, look, I recommend not doing that. Because this song is a dream pop wonder; so slow and rhythmic, so tonally warm, so utterly hypnotic that you will lose track of yourself. You’ll stare off into the distance, the world around you will blur at the edges, and, at 2:52, you’ll blink back awake — in my case, 4+ miles further along the highway that I don’t remember traveling.
WtMM is excited to premiere Can’t Break What’s Broken, the lead single of Tadrick and the Water’s debut EP Dreams Are Not Fantasy — out this week on all digital platforms and available for purchase via email/DM through the band’s Instagram.
The EP as a whole is a rich blend of acoustic, indie, progressive, and alternative rock, with tinges of dream pop and psychedelia that add great texture. Tadrick’s vocals (sounding a lot like Arctic Monkeys‘ lead singer Alex Turner in tone and timbre) and his guitar solos ably flex from the hushed quiet of Can’t Break What’s Broken to more muscular, soaring tracks on the EP.
Ahead of the EP release, Tadrick shared with WtMM a bit about himself, his music, and the band’s first-ever record.
[WtMM] We are really loving your track “Can’t Break What’s Broken.” How did you come to write the song and what does it mean to you?
It came from my friends who had broken home stories from their family. It broke my heart when they told me the stories, back in the day.
What is going on musically in this song? What’s special about it for you?
What makes me feel special about this song: I’m watching the wheels go around and I could figure’em out into the song and melodies.
You are a singer-songwriter from Indonesia. What part of Indonesia is home for you? How would you describe it?
Pekalongan is a town on Central Java, Indonesia. If you ever heard of “Batik” that came from my hometown. One of the best batik producers is from here. [Ed. note: Batik is both craft and art: a specialized textile and fabric and an art form with historical roots in traditional Javanese and Indonesian culture.]
Is being from and living in that place a source of inspiration in your music? Or struggle?
Not really that much for the inspirations came from my “place/hometown”. But the people, people who used to get around me. Especially my family and friends.
How and when did you first start writing music?
Since I was child, I used to sing what my father played on tapes/records. I started to write circa 2013.
Who have been your major musical influences and inspirations?
Too many, some of them are THE GREATS. Like The Beatles (all of their albums, even after they broke up to their solo careers); Pink Floyd (Syd era, Darkside of the Moon; Division Bell); Zeppelin (Physical Graffiti; Houses of the Holy); Dylan; Nick Drake; 90s music.
What is the theme of your upcoming EP Dreams Are Not Fantasy?
It’s like a story that relates one to the other. I call it as a process for what people will go through when they have such big dreams. And, it won’t be a fantasy if they keep on and on, step by step to get what they dreamin about.
What does it mean to you to be releasing this record?
It’s my first step on my music career. At least I should try to release and let the people listen to what I’m going to spill.
Where can people find, stream, or buy your music?
Order the EP via email/DM on our Instagram. It’s also available on every digital platform.
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Thanks to Tadrick and the Water for sharing his thoughts with WtMM! Follow them through the links below and look for “Dreams Are Not Fantasy,” out now on all major digital platforms.
Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Spotify