Bread is back and they’re Toast: An interview with the USA’s No.1 tribute band to Bread

Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Jeff Clark, lead frontman of the group Toast, a tribute band dedicated to the 1970s soft rock group Bread.  

Humorously, I enquired as to whether he thinks Toast is in fact the best way of consuming Bread, to which Clark replied, “Toast is bread … well done.” He cites Bread and David Gates, Bread’s vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, as his main inspirations since high school. The Californian soft-rock band carved out a highly successful niche in music, securing an impressive thirteen singles on the coveted US Billboard Top 100 chart during their prime.   

Their breakthrough moment came in 1970 with their timeless smash hit ‘Make It With You’, which soared all the way to the number one spot. Their success was not limited to the US, with five of their singles charting within the highly competitive UK Top 40. It’s safe to say that Bread’s melodies, gentle instrumentation, and heartfelt, romantic lyrics defined the burgeoning soft-rock genre, leaving a lasting mark on pop music that continues to resonate today. 

The show was a bigger hit than we could have imagined

Jeff Clark

The defining moment for Toast was set at an amphitheatre in Utah in 2019. Clark invited his friends to perform with him at a single Bread tribute show titled A Toast to Bread. “The show was a bigger hit than we could have imagined. The rest, as they say, is history.” Their performances often leave the audience amazed at just how much the band is able to recreate Bread’s sound, whether that be recreating their voices or instrumentation.  

The artistry of a tribute band is towing the fine line between paying homage to the original artist whilst having some creative freedom in reinterpreting their music. Toast put in countless hours to make sure they replicate Bread’s sound as accurately as possible. Clark himself practices Bread’s lead singers, David Gates and James Griffin’s vocal styles. So, their hardwork certainly pays off as audiences agree that Toast gets as close as possible to the original sound. 

Even whilst being a tribute artist, the band makes sure to take creative liberties when performing Bread’s music. For instance, Troy Jolley, keyboardist for Toast, acts as a ‘digital orchestra’ and harmonica player, filling in Bread’s original violin and harmonica sounds.  

Their sound engineer, John Hanson, also joins them on stage to play guitar for a few songs.  Lead guitarist, Rich Bischoff, even performs a solo at the end of ‘Guitar Man’. However, the band’s musical roots will always go back to Bread. Their original songs, ‘Sing Us Your Stories’ and ‘A Little Longer’, pay homage to this heritage, being inspired by David Gates and serving as a tribute to James Griffin respectively. 

Bread fans can expect to be taken back in time as the group performs tender moments that tug at the heartstrings

When curating the setlist for their tours, they make sure to include Bread’s Top 40 hits alongside some deeper cuts. With their upcoming and first-ever UK & Ireland Tour in the autumn of this year, Bread fans can expect to be taken back in time as the group performs tender moments that tug at the heartstrings, followed by upbeat classics that compel you to jump out of your seat and dance. When combined with truly timeless music, this concert will rise to the top as one of your absolute favourite concerts of all time! If you leave the concert craving more Toast (or Bread akin music), Clark suggests listening to artists that inspired Bread, such as James Taylor. He recommends ‘Thankin’ You Sweet Baby James’, a song Gates wrote inspired by James Taylor.  

Bread’s music has now been passed onto Toast, and the band have happily taken up this responsibility, making sure that audiences in the 21st century will be able to listen to all of Bread’s best hits live on the big stage! Far from a mere cover act, Toast is dedicated to preserving the feel-good spirit and exceptional talent that defined Bread’s golden era.