SOURCE – You’ve got your new album, Boysetsfire. What was the process like in recording that album and what can Boy Sets Fire fans expect to hear on it?
Robert Ehrenbrand (Bass) – There is something really special about this record… it has a very energetic, yet hopeful undertone and it represents the band 100%. I have never before listened to one of our records so much before it came out. I feel we took the next step as musicians and grew even tighter as a band.
SOURCE – When you set out to start Boysetsfire as a band was that one of your goals, to break the mold?
Robert Ehrenbrand (Bass) – When Chad & Josh started this band on a frontporch in Delaware 21 years ago, they wanted it to be an outspoken band, a band that stands for something and speaks its mind and they wanted the band to tour… that was the initial goal. We always try to stay true to ourselves and what we set out to do. We are not willing to ever do anything for any other reason than that we feel good about it and feel that it’s what we really ant to do.
SOURCE – With the changes Boy Sets Fire has over the years, what are the challenges and obstacles you face and how does it help the band move forward?
Robert Ehrenbrand (Bass) – You are right, there have been many challenges for our band but I feel we (as musicians, people and as family) are in a better place now thanks to all that we have gone through. We know we can always rely on each other, trust eachother and we really love to still play, write, tour with each other. In my eyes we are not just another band, but rather a true family. We needed the challenges to bring out the best in us in a way.
SOURCE – As Boy Sets Fire, you’ve been around since 1994 and have been on Victory Records, Wind-Up Records, Equal Vision Records, and now End Hits Records. How has moving on to different labels affected the band?
Robert Ehrenbrand (Bass) – Well, END HITS RECORDS is our own label, so we finally have total control. No sleazy A&R people, no outside-producers, nothing. We write and control everything and Chad our guitarist produces our records… we are way to stubborn and opinionated to be on a label. We never want to do ANYTHING that doesn’t feel right and we never want to make any compromises regarding our band, so we are truly happy that we can have total freedom on our own label AND at the same time support/release bands that we love like FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND, BANE, WOLFXDOWN, etc… it’s a beautiful thing.
SOURCE – The music industry today is heavily focused on imagery and marketing across the board in all genres, and hardcore is not immune to that. It’s not like you always have control, first and foremost you’re musicians, but how do you separate yourselves from how various media outlets present you or how you are marketed?
Robert Ehrenbrand (Bass) – Like I said we really deeply care about this band and only do stuff we want to do and feel good about. We turn down A LOT of media requests or show requests etc that feel weird. We have no one influencing our decisions as a band. This way we usually never end up in weird situations or places we didn’t want to be in. If you are willing to put in the work and stand for something you will have a lot less problems than if you are just following someone’s orders (and that someone might be a marketing exec at a big label etc)… we are best friends that make music together, we record ourselves (partly even in our own studio) and we book our own tours. Pretty simple.
SOURCE – Social media has made it extremely simple for bands to interact on different levels with their fans. When you interact with your fans on Twitter, Spotfiy, Facebook etc. do you use discretion as you would in an interview or is it an outlet for you to open up to your fans?
Robert Ehrenbrand (Bass) – We are always 100% authentic and real… no matter if you talk to us in person, on FB or in an interview. We treat everyone with respect as long as we get treated with respect… we have no seperate agendas for different communication platforms at all, we are just US.
SOURCE – What does it feel like to be put on a pedestal for those kids out there that listen to your music?
Robert Ehrenbrand (Bass) – We don’t see ourselves as any more important than anyone else out there… period. We care about what we do and what you hear & read with BSF is always us and it’s real emotions and real feelings. But we are just normal guys who had the great luck of finding eachother and having a shared passion in music. We are really lucky, but would never see ourselves as more important than any one listening. We are all one.
SOURCE – Have you noticed any changes in your fan base over the years?
Robert Ehrenbrand (Bass) – We got a lot of new people on board with our album THE MISERY INDEX. This record means so much to us and our fans and songs like EMPIRE (f.e.) are now even more well known than (say) ROOKIE… so THE MISERY INDEX record
brought people on board that didn’t even know the band from before. And I have a feeling the new album might do the same. It never felt better to be in this band and I believe the new album carries that energy of freedom and power in these new songs.
SOURCE – Is there ever a desire to reinvent yourself, or is it more about giving the fans what they expect from Boy Sets
Fire?
Robert Ehrenbrand (Bass) – I feel if you listen to our records we steadily evolve our sound without turning our back on our foundation. We are naturally progressing as songwriters and musicians but we always stay true to what we are about. But we explore whatever we feel like so there are always surprises on each of our records.
SOURCE – Are there any questions that you’ve been waiting to answer that have not been asked?
Robert Ehrenbrand (Bass) – I believe we got asked pretty much everything over the course of the last 21 years BUT if you have a farout question you always wanted to try out on a band… we are ready for it.
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