BOYSETSFIRE - The Deconstruction Interview

Chad Istvan (guitar) and Robert Ehrenbrand (bass) chat behind the scenes at the Deconstruction Tour 2005 about problems with labels, the joys of the live experience and the longed-for new release we can expect in our shops "Fall 1st"

Photo by Matt Pritchard

Sophie caught up with two of the guys from Boysetsfire, Chad Istvan (guitar) and Robert Ehrenbrand (bass) to chat behind the scenes at the Deconstruction Tour 2005 about problems with labels, the joys of the live experience and the longed-for new release we can expect in our shops on Fall 1st, whatever that means.

Robert: Hello! Thanks for taking your time Sophie, we appreciate it.
Thank you!
Oh, we have nothing but time... nothing... BUTT, time.
Chad: it's emPHAsis on the right sylLAble.
R: Exactly, that's what makes the difference.

First of all, how are you doing this fine English evening?
C: We're doing alright! I think we're all a little bit tired.
R: Yeah we're trying back into the touring mode because it's been quiet. We haven’t been touring this much for a long time. It's a mixture between exhaustion and excitement I think.

I was gonna ask you, where have you guys been?
C: We've been writing a record. And then we wrote another one, and then we wrote another one, pretty much.
R: Yeah we have like, about 25 or 30 songs. We built a studio so we have our own little studio that only Chad knows how to use. I still don't know what all those cables do.
C: I tried...
R: He did try. It's a hopeless cause. So that's pretty much what we've been doing. We actually thought we would have that record out a long time ago.
C: A year ago.
R: Yeah a year ago that was our goal. We started writing right after the world tour ended, we went to Australia, I think it was our very last tour of that whole touring cycle, and it didn't take that long.
C: We already had like 4 songs in the works...
R: So we figured we'd do it really fast, but then the powers that be were in the way a little.
I heard you had some disagreements...
C: A wind up.
You were winding us up, or they were winding you up?
C: Well, both... No no no, that was our label. It wasn't disagreements, it was just... They needed different things from us and we needed different things from them.
R: It was not like a big drama, it was just a partnership that grew to be more and more unhealthy, because we couldn't provide they wanted, or didn't want to, and they couldn't really do what we really wanted them to do, which was put out our record the way we wanted and loved it. We have the songs, we believe they're great otherwise we wouldn't have presented them, you know? We tried to be open and take a humble approach, but then it came to a point where we thought, "wow", we thought we could've done that record a long time ago and it didn't happen. It got rescheduled numerous times, and we were like "ok, finally, it’s ready, let's go" and it would get rescheduled again. It became a little silly towards the end.
C: I think it was the third one when were like, "ok, we're done".
R: But really like a week before, we were practically packing from the studio and got called back. And it was just that time we saw there was no real passion for us as a band there.
C: From them.
R: And we felt it would be time to move on and they were actually not in our way with that at all. I think they were quite glad to get rid of that difficult band..!

Has the band changed after taking time out from touring?
C: Well we didn't take time out from each other.
R: We tried!
C: Yeah.
Just couldn’t live without each other?
R: More or less! (laughs)
C: I don't think the change that took place was anything.. I mean, of course we changed, but it wasn't in any major way.
R: We just, you know, wanted to write a record. We loved the record.
C: We were very very happy with what we did. The only hang-up, and correct me if I'm wrong, was that they [the label] didn't see mass commercial potential for it.
R: Which I didn't either because I don't even know what that means! (laughs)
C: Yeah I don't know what that means either, and that's ok!
R: It wasn't an insult at all! It was like "guys, here it comes, don't freak out... it might not be an instant smash hit on that record" and we all looked in the air, and we were like, "but what do you think of the songs?!" I wasn't insulted at all, I don't even listen to the radio, I don't know what that means.
Well if that's what you're aiming for, at least in my opinion, you're doing something wrong really...
C: I think yeah, if that's your only goal then you're selling yourself short.
R: I would agree.
C: So our goal was for us to be happy with what we did and we accomplished that. So at that point it was just like, (claps) break, we're out.

What have you missed the most about being on tour?
C: Just being able to play every day and playing every day is really fun cos you get kind of into a rhythm where I know when he's gonna do something, he knows when I'm gonna do something. Just the feeling of being able to do that with music and collectively create that one thing. I love that about touring.
R: There's a lot of things that I don't miss about touring, like being away from family and stuff, but on the other hand I would agree. It's really that playing. And I know every band would probably give you the same reason... Actually I don't know about that. I know people who tour for very different reasons. I like travelling and stuff, and I know when other bands say that they say it like it's just a vacation, and I have to say it's not true, because touring is not as easy as people say it is. There's more to it, like life is. It's a little more multi-layered. I think the creating music and playing music live was what I missed a lot. And I think we all did.
C: We just didn't have the opportunity when we’re at home to play together every day. I mean, even that's different, you're just playing together. Playing a show is playing a show but at the same time it taps into each of our skills and that's what we want to do together. I really love that.

I don't actually know how to interview you without asking you about your live performance. Does it take a lot out of you to get up there and deliver such an intense experience?
C: Yes, I think it does!
R: It does take a lot out of me, I'm just limping the rest of the day now.
C: And I sound like this the rest of the day (a little bit husky, but not THAT bad Chad! – Soph)
R: And that's what I meant. Not to say, I mean, it's not THAT hard, I've worked factory lines before and that was way harder. But it is more exhausting than it looks, maybe? Like a racing car driver, when you look at him going in circles and you think "that sounds like FUN!!" but it is a hard job. So I think every individual has parts to their job and it's definitely draining, and I think we all have our own physical shortcomings - the back, the legs, the whatever - but you just do what you feel is right. So yeah it does take a lot out of you but it's a lot of fun.

Do you have to do stretches before you go onstage like Joe from Smoke or Fire does?
C: Yeah there's a thing that Robert just learned that I didn’t know he didn't know though...
R: Yeah...
C: You have to stretch AFTERWARDS too!
R: I do it for running but I never thought! See I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, as you may have noticed by now...and I did not make the connection. I talked to my friend in another band, and I told him about the problems with my legs and he said I needed to stretch afterwards too, so I presented this golden truth to my band member (laughs) and Chad said, in a very matter of fact way, "of course..." C: I'm sorry... I apologise...
Did you take the piss, then? (laughs)
C: Robert's a very very health conscious person! He does run and he's been physically active for his entire life and does sports, I on the other hand am not a sports guy I just assumed he would know. (laughs)
R: Honestly, you would think! But it completely escaped my... So today this will be the very first day I stretch afterwards.
Good luck with that experience!

Do you still feel the passion of your music after the thousandth time you've sung it?
R: Oh, no. No way! (laughs)
C: Definitely.
R: It grows I think, once you've learned it, the more you know about it.
C: Maybe not for everyone, and maybe not for every band or for everyone listening. But I know for myself there's a little bit more depth every time. You hear it the first time and you think, 'yeah, rock!' and then you maybe hear some lyrics and once it goes beyond that, literally there's the initial spark of what you wanted to do and what you were trying to get across, and that's always there, even if that isn't what's presented or what's accepted, it's always there.
R: I would say that's very true. You dive into it a little deeper. And that pure rock with your friends it gets transcended. And it gets cathar..sit...
C: Cathartic?
R: That's the word. I think it grows. It becomes better, more meaningful maybe. Not for our cock rock cover, though.
C: Speaking of cock rock... Literally when you fall in love with someone and you spend a lot of time with someone, you're no longer enamoured by her appearance, it’s the little things that you absolutely love, and that's what happens with songs and music. The people you're playing with as you look over and you just have eye contact and have a little smile, and you just know, he's having a great time and he's gonna do this... Every time you think, well, I've done that, I've done this, there's always something else you can do and really learn about everyone else . Not that I deserve it but I find myself in a very lucky position to be surrounded by people that have a real depth of personality and to learn that and interact with that on different levels is always fascinating and something to be passionate about.

Why do you think your fans should make the effort to come out and see you live rather than (or as well as) buying your records?
R: It's up to anybody, but I think it's very important to present songs in a live environment. And not because we include jams of twenty minutes or drum solos...
C: Which we do, that shit is awesome, man!
R: I think you get more of an idea about what the band is about. I think the two go together [records and live shows]. If I'm a real big fan of the band I want to do both.
C: I'm a little different. I wanna listen to the record. If I get to see them live, cool. I generally don't go out of my way. I'm kind of a snob. Well, not really, but I figure people put their greatest performances of music on a record. It's the way they wanna present it. When you go live, it's a different thing, which I like, but I prefer the record.

If you had to pick one, what one message do you think kids should leave your shows with?
C: Phwoar (thinks). Be passionate about what you do.
R: And it doesn't have to be music.
C: Yeah, live by example.

What do you guys have left to achieve... I mean, have you achieved everything you wanted to?
C: I achieved every dream that I have set out with, about, 7 years ago. Every moment as of then has been, a blessing. There is nothing specifically left, I mean, I want to go to Japan, we've never been there, but on like a list of things I want to do... nothing.
R: There are little things that would be fun but it doesn’t burn inside of you. I surpassed my musical dreams so much that everything is... wow! But in my personal life, there's things that I want to do, like starting a family would be great, and I think everything's moving in a good direction, but musically? Fulfilled.
C: Music was never in the way of anything, everything else was in the way of music. I don't mean to sound that my wife and kids and everything is in the way of music, but when I met my wife, I told her that this is what I love doing and for some reason some kids thought I was ok at it and I wanna keep doing it. And she was very...not supportive, but we got over that. She's very supportive of it now.
R: It seems to be in relationships two different things. A romantic night agreeing, and then having the grind of someone not there for a long time. But I think a real friendship and a real relationship can deal. My girlfriend tours too, so that makes it easier.

So when do we expect the album then? Any firm dates?
R: Fall. That's what I keep saying and I can't really elaborate!
C: Yeah it will be Fall 1st. (laughs) I think we're gonna make it September 27 but, not sure.
R: Early Fall.
C: The earlier the better!

Good Luck to Josh Latshaw (guitarist) who had to pull out of the recent tour with Boysetsfire due to health problems.

by Sophie Baker

Further links

Boysetsfire.com

Home to the passionate melodic hardcore tones of Boysetsfire