BOYSETSFIRE RELEASE BRAND NEW ALBUM THE MISERY INDEX : NOTES FROM THE PLAGUE YEARS THIS WEEK ON BURNING HEART / SHOCK

THE BASICS
Name : robert ehrenbrand
Band : boysetsfire
Job In Band : bass and occasional screams, enthusiasm
Website Address : www.boysetsfire.org
Hometown : munich,GERMANY (heart), baltimore,MARYLAND (body)
Best thing about the music scene in your hometown : my roommate matt from strike anywhere

THE BAND

What's the story behind the name?
the name was chosen after a book of inspirational poetry called "the boy who set the fire"...it got shortened and was kept ever since.

How did the band come together?
i think josh and chad (our guitarists) founded the band on a couch somewhere near newark, DEALAWARE...that was long before my time though...i think they've been around for almost 12 years...i joined 4 years ago and turned the band into a horrible mess...

How long has the band been around?
see answer above!

How would you describe your sound?
i would say it's rockmusic with a punk ethic and very emotional, but not "emo"...fragile and pissed off at the same time.

What's your current release? Tell us a little about it…
our new record is called "the misery index; notes from the plague years" and will be released late february through our friends from Burning Heart in Europe...it took us a long time to get it on the way due to label problems and many other dark things happening around us, but we made it and we love it and hopefully you will too...it's a very frantic piece of music and we really didn't hold back in any way...it's a trip!

OFF THE STAGE

When did you decide you had to be a musician, and how did you go about it?
i decided to become a musician after seeing metallica perform "for whom the bell tolls" at donington monster's of rock...i must have watched the video for that around a 100 times and then i declared my decision to my parents,haha after that i stayed in my room and tried to learn all metallica songs for a year or so...

What was your first band name and what style did you play?
the first band i founded was called "for movement's sake" and was metal-hardcore like life of agony or sick of it all during the "just look around" period...

Tell us three albums you couldn't live without in your collection
bob marley "uprising"
whiskeytown "pneumonia"
shelter "attaining the supreme" (my number one record of all time...cover, music, lyrics...great!!!)

Best piece of musical advice you've been given
don't read/believe the reviews about you (miles davis)

Two groups/artists you'd love to take out on the road
the bronx from california and 108, if they decide to continue playing shows...

Favourite song of your group?
"so long and thanx for the crutches" on the new album...

The thing you most look forward to just before a tour is
packing, i think i'm the only person in the world who loves getting his stuff together...

The thing you least look forward to before a tour is
the usual tour-cold...i could definately live without being sick on tour...it sucks.

When your not doing band related stuff, what are you usually found doing?
riding a motorcycle, playing music with other people, reading (especially about old indian philosophy), surfing and watching dvd's...and then some more reading. eating indian food.

ON THE STAGE / ROAD

What gear do you use?
a rickenbacker bass 1975, a fender jazz bass...an ampeg tube head, a ampeg 8x10 cab and d'addario strings 50-105...i alos use a tech 21 sans amp and a BBE soundsupporting system...planet wave cables.

Favourite place (city/town/country) you've toured… and why?
ATHENS, Greece was an intense and wonderful place and their appetizers made it really easy to find vegan food for me...i loved playing there. great, warm-hearted people!

Favourite venue to perform at… and why?
the NORVA in norfolk, VIRGINIA, because they have a hot tub and mister pibb on tab...

Who hogs the stereo in the van the most?
the driver...if i have a drink-free tour, mostly me...

After a week in the van/bus on tour which band member will have the messiest section, and what would we most likely find stashed there?
josh would steal the cake for messy living...mostly books and clothes and some more books...

Who in your group has the worst "bad habit" on tour, and what is it?
too many to name,haha

Most embarrassing moment on tour?
being out of tune for a huge german festival for about 4 or 5 songs before i noticed...i was tuned completely wrong !!! pretty bad, huh?!

Give us a good quick 'on the road' story, funny, embarrassing, memorable, whatever…
what happens on tour stays on tour...sorry, but it's the golden rule : )

RIGHT NOW

What's getting the most spins in your stereo right now?
the beatsteakes "smacksmash" paul westerberg, 108 "threefold misery" alkaline trio "crimson" bouncing souls, ryan adams

Tell us a band or artist everyone should check out and why…
the beatsteakes and flyswatter...two great german bands...

If you could change one thing about the music industry today, what would it be?
get flyswatter signed. they deserve it.