"Six hands, three bodies-that's who we are," says lead vocalist/guitarist/main songwriter WILLEM HARTONG of BREAKING LACES. It's a simple declaration of artistic purpose, but one that underlines the special charm of this three-piece alternative acoustic rock trio from Brooklyn, NY who'll debut new material from their third album-due out later this year--during two shows at SXSW in March (see itinerary below). "I hope the album makes people cry happy tears," WILLEM continues. "I hope it makes people want to dance and have sex with each other. I hope it makes people feel less alone."

Having earned praise for their 2003 debut album Sohcahtoa from Rolling Stone ("[Breaking Laces] provide more substance than any toss-off singer-songwriter") and Paste ("Exactly what Indie Rock needs now"), BREAKING LACES kept the momentum going with their second album Lemonade (2005) and 2006 EP Astronomy Is My Life But I Love You. They were declared the 2006 Best Band in NYC by Indie Sounds NY, scored the honor of being the XM Radio Artist in Residence for June 2007, and flat out won the 2007 National Starbucks Music Makers Competition. Rounded out by ROB CHOJNACKI (bass, keys and backing vocals) and SETH MASARSKY (drums), BREAKING LACES began with a grassroots vision and big time goals, and after years of fever touring-logging over 350 shows-they've built a loyal following.

The music of BREAKING LACES--honest and free, earnest and pop-infused, different, yet familiar--takes flight onstage, with infectious band chemistry and a dynamic mastery of sound that resonates on trademark songs like "Geek In Love, "Garbanzo Beans" and "Plain Jane" and new tunes like "Before You Drown" and "When It Starts To Break," not to mention the random cover of the unusual such as Radiohead's "Talk Show Host." Says WILLEM: "It's extremely cool to cover a band like Radiohead, Built To Spill or The Flaming Lips and have that be an invitation to a new audience member to join us on common ground. It's an ice breaker of which we can then really get to know each other."