Air Max Day 2023: Creative Rebellion with Bree Carter

At the core of invention and creation, there is struggle. Struggle with pre-conceived ideas, or beliefs, or a struggle with physics and the limits of science itself – nothing important or long last-lasting has ever been created without it. A struggle is often seen as a kind of rebellion against the status quo and those in power will move to stamp it out but truly good creations or ideas can never be put away for good.

That’s exactly what happened with the Air Max 1 - the first silhouette to ever feature visible Air.

Nike was the new kid, they disrupted the scene by taking chances, by rebelling against how things “should be done”. But even for Nike in the mid-80s, many execs held the notion that Air technology was something that should be ‘felt and not seen’. The Air Max 1, Tinker Hatfield’s revolutionary design, almost didn’t happen but with the right backing from the right, like-minded rebels, the Air Max 1 hit the shelves on the 26th of March 1987 and the rest is history.

Except it wasn’t, because much to the dismay of Nike engineers they found that the ‘Big Bubble’ AM1 ’86 had a bad habit of cracking when temperatures dropped. Damn you science. Back at the drawing board once again, Tinker shrunk the Air bag in both length and width, before Nike quietly slipped this new design onto the market, giving us the world-renowned icon we have today. And it truly is an icon, to anyone today it seems obvious, but behind those decades of success there were innumerable failures, mistakes, and struggles.

That’s why the return of the ‘Big Bubble’ Air Max 1 ‘86 is something to be celebrated because without it, without the One before the 1, we don’t have the Air Max as we know it.

The struggle before success is something Bree Carter knows a lot about. The lead singer for her eponymous band, Bree is forging her own path in the music industry unflinchingly putting it all on the line every time. Marked by soaring highs and difficult lows, Bree remains unwaveringly true to her vision and to herself.

With every setback, there is only the possibility for growth and with each lesson Bree builds upon her talents, climbing toward the future she knows she can realize. People won’t always understand the vision right away and that’s okay, but when you continue to fight for your vision, to fail forward, they will.

Let’s meet Bree Carter.

When did you realize you wanted to be a musician? Was there a lightbulb moment?

Music has always been a big part of my life. Since I was very young, I have always sung, danced, and played guitar. My mother was an ice dancer, so there have always been pictures of her on the ice, which inspired me to pursue a creative path myself.

When I started playing guitar in third grade, my interest in singing and playing at the same time began. Alongside my lessons in sheet music/classical guitar, I taught myself to play chords via YouTube. It was probably around that time that I became hooked on performing. Though it wasn't until later, that it really hit me that I wanted to pursue a career in music when I wrote my first song. Suddenly, I received recognition for something that I had created myself. Now I was able to play music with my own words, melodies, and chords. For me, it became, and still is, a tool for expressing myself and my feelings.

You’ve signed with Sony, huge congrats on that, but growing up and starting your career - did a path to your record deal always seem clear?

No, it has been a long journey up to our signing. While all my friends were talking about starting university after graduating, I told my entire circle of friends and family that I wanted to pursue a career in music. We've all had to stand up and defend why we've chosen to not follow the norm. But I think that if you don't take chances and let yourself dream big, you can end up looking back and regretting it.

Perhaps it also has something to do with the fact that I lost my mother at an early age. I have all my life been told that she always followed her dreams and did not let herself be limited because of people's opinions.

You and your band have evolved your sound over the years from indie rock, to RnB and Pop, do you let the mood dictate the genre or how do you go about it?

We have spent many years playing and developing our sound. We love to mix genres and often make music based on our current moods, experiences, and surroundings. We actually write a lot of music when we're traveling. It's always special to start new ideas in foreign places and bring them with you home to producers.
Over the last few years, we've gradually been writing more and more songs. This has pushed us to explore different genres, which helped us make Pop music, with our own twist.

Do you ever have thoughts or worries about failing? How do you deal with that?

I am probably my own biggest critic and I can be incredibly hard on myself for no reason. It can really put an end to my creative flow and mess with my head.
However, I try to become more aware of it, and as a band, we're good at supporting each other. We often check up on each other and try to make sure that we’re not being too hard on ourselves.
As an artist, it is important to remind yourself that you have to do a lot of shitty songs in order to get one good. I think in the end it's about being persistent and getting back up when you fall.

What’s the vision for Bree Carter going forward?

To keep growing as a band, as an artist, and as a woman.

Are there any events or release coming up you can tell us about?

We have a lot of studio sessions these days, and at the moment we are finishing and writing a lot of songs that we hope will see the light of day, very soon. Expect something before the summer. We are also playing at the Aia Sound Festival this summer - Hope to see you there. <3