Queer Screen Interview: Karen Knox and Lane Webber on their raucous indie rock film We Forgot to Break Up

The Curb

We Forgot to Break Up tells the story of fictional Canadian band The New Normals; an indie rock group that transcends labels and definition, and changes the scene of indie rock music. The New Normals is led by Evan (excellently portrayed by Lane Webber), a trans man singer-songwriter who has the big stage in mind all the while trying to navigate his relationship with his girlfriend Isis (June Laporte). Evan finds his relationships tested as the arrival of the new guitarist Lugh (Daniel Gravelle) catches his attention, and possible affection.

We Forgot to Break Up is adapted from Kayt Burgess' Heidegger Stairwell and feels pulled directly from an era where each new indie rock song that you heard spoke to your deepest emotions in a way that you'd never expected. The New Normals echoes the great bands of the era, with the strains of Broken Social Scene's guitars being felt throughout the soundtrack. There's a wealth of great original songs too written by Torquil Campbell from the band Stars. In one of the films many memorable moments, the band is living in a share house loft which acts as a creative space, and a space to earn money too, with bassist Coco (Hallea Jones) working as a phone sex worker to bring money in. Her responses to the client on the other end of the line spur Evan into writing a song that then becomes a hit for the band.

There's a wealth of heart and compassion within We Forgot to Break Up, but it's also a film that really sinks its fingers into the dirt and vibe of the indie rock scene, with Knox pulling from the aesthetic of the celebrated documentary Dig! We Forgot to Break Up really leans into that lived-in feeling, making the film feel almost documentary like at times, and in turn, it gives space to let the lives of the queer folk who make up the cast and characters simply live as they want to. While this is, ostensibly, a film about queer folks, their queer identity is not the main focus of the film, and that in itself is a refreshing, invigorating act of resistance.

In the following interview with Knox and Lane, recorded ahead of the films launch at the Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival on Tuesday 18 February, where they both will be in attendance for a Q&A, we chat about the creation of the film, the choice of songs featured, and how that lived in feeling was created on screen. We close the chat by talking about what it means to be telling Canadian queer stories on screen right now.

I had an absolute ball watching We Forgot to Break Up, lapping up the wicked guitar licks and band drama, all the while losing myself with the excellent performances. And that was just from watching it at home; so I can only imagine what the experience would be like to see it with a full audience. Make sure to pick up your tickets to see We Forgot to Break Up via QueerScreen.org.au.

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