Will Breman - “Broken Leg”

Photo by Sela Shiloni

Santa Barbara-based singer-songwriter Will Breman arrives on the blog with his new song, “Broken Leg,” an indie folk gem about taking control of your mental health.

The song begins rather ominously, with the plucks from a banjo and some ghostly background vocals. And although it is not immediately apparent, “Broken Leg” takes a rather uplifting turn once Breman begins his story. Fans of Gregory Alan Isakov will be quite pleased with this vocal performance, as Breman’s tenor resides right inside of that sweet spot, as though he was always destined for this brand of storytelling.

Anyone familiar with the turmoil that depression can cause will find the lyrics very relatable, as they describe, in great detail, the struggle, not to mention how those closest to us often disregard mental health ailments as something that can be easily slain with exercise or by simply thinking about something else. By now, you’ve all caught on to the metaphor in the song’s title, and how dealing with something invisible is still a crippling wound that needs to be mended.

The production here is quite extravagant, and it’s worth mentioning that Breman recorded all of the instruments himself– we’re also assuming that he did the multiple layers of vocals, which are what successfully add such a glorious width to the arrangement. While we firmly believe that the best art comes from our pain, we hope that Breman has found some sort of catharsis with “Broken Leg” and we are looking forward to see what he comes up with next.

-TM