WATCH: Kagan Breitenbach, Megan Joy and Quinn Allman Unleash Project ’Bloody Cabaret’
WATCH: Kagan Breitenbach, Megan Joy and Quinn Allman Unleash Project ’Bloody Cabaret’
This supergroup shares their debut album and video project, a theatrical experience.
Words by: Ysabela De Ocampo
Kagan Breitenbach, Megan Joy [VadaWave], and Quinn Allman [ex- The Used] release their debut record and video project, Bloody Cabaret. The project is a fusion of rock and orchestral music, theatrical performance and a showcasing of elaborate orchestration and musical arrangements. The trio explore themes of love, death, heartbreak and the macabre while blending folk, classical and rock musical styles.
Bloody Cabaret is a supergroup of vocalists, a chamber orchestra and occasionally supplemented by a full string orchestra. The project stems from the groups shared passion for creating music, and horror. It was originally a live music experience that turned into a recording project to adjust to the current global situation. “These songs are our deepest expressions of death and life through loss and love. We hope to invoke raw emotion in people, perhaps leading to a release and healing in a tender heart and soul. May we all overcome our sorrows through shared emotional expression, understanding and love.” shares the trio.
Each track is filmed in a different light and setting. It is all around cinematic to enhance the instrumental mood and effectively tell the story of the lyrics. The vocalists take turns at the forefront expressing the stories and emotions in a highly theatrical way. Every song is unique from the last, showcasing the array of music styles each virtuous musician is able to perform and write. The project is graceful and menacing, storytelling and heartbreaking, and all-around entertaining.
The whole video is divided into several chapters, each with a corresponding title for each track. From solemn ballad styles on tracks like, “Phony,” to sinister tales like “Murder Dream” — the overarching story of the record explores feelings of tragedy and it’s only fitting that weeping strings spearhead the expressions of heartbreak, or even rejoice, in most tracks. Occasionally the vocal features are joined by grandiose choirs to further dramatize tracks like “Burying Puppies.” Every flavor between orchestral and rock music is heard in under roughly 50-minutes of the whole album. It’s the first of its kind, and an innovative adjustment due to the restrictions on live performance.
Kagan is the classical pillar of the group. He is formally trained as a composer and orchestrator, who has work showcased in prestigious film festivals like Sundance and South by Southwest. His works have been performed by orchestras in North America and Europe. He debuts his skills as a vocalist, pianist and songwriter on the project. Quinn is a guitarist, producer and songwriter. He is known as a co-founder of the pioneering emo-rock band The Used. Quinn showcases his skills as a musician, filmmaker and visual artist on Bloody Cabaret. And lastly, Megan is an internationally renown vocal talent. Her first taste of the spotlight was in 2009 when she became a finalist on American Idol, she is the frontwoman for VadaWave and has two additional solo albums. She debuts her most personal songs that showcase her best songwriting and vocal skills for Bloody Cabaret.
Additional musicians featured on this project include string quartet performed by John Shin on Violin 1, Jesse Massey on Violin 2, Sunny Johnson on Viola, and Lauren Posey on Cello. The quartet is occasionally supplemented by a full string orchestra performed by the Moscow Bow Tie Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Podgoretsky. Tracks that feature trumpets include Grammy nominated Matt Appleton. Lap steel guitar is performed by multi-instrumentalist Aaron Child, and additional vocals by the project’s music mixer Joel Pack. Bloody Cabaret is a mix of nearly 60 musicians and is completely self-funded. Overall, the project took over a year to complete and used several locations globally to film.
