Rockezine.com interview with Boy Sets Fire on Nov 13, 2001

with Nathan on Nov 13, 2001

When I heard that I had the possibility to do an interview with Nathan from Boy sets Fire, I decided to find someone who was more dedicated to their emotional honest political music than I was. And I found someone who’s really into their music. His name is Yvo and he’s a boy from Arnhem who’s playing in a band called Antillectual. He’s dedicated to Boy Sets Fire because he can appreciate their personal things, and the political issues Boy Sets Fire uses in their music. Not that he agrees with every statement they make but he’s really interest in their political issues and way of looking at it. So I gave him the opportunity to do an unprepared interview with Nathan from Boy Sets Fire.
		I saw you three times here in Holland, two times in Amsterdam and once in Arnhem. The only major difference was the number of people you were playing for and the size of the place you where playing. What’s the main difference to you? The main difference is honestly just the size. It’s hard because when you’re getting bigger you can’t play at small places. Other people would be ripped of when we did. Than there are so many people who can’t fit. At the same time it sucks that’ it’s harder for the kids to get in on it because of the security and bouncers. I don’t want to talk shit about the security and bouncers: some of them are just doing their job. Just like anybody else. Some of them can be digs though. Same as some kids can be ashholes. It kind of sucks to have that whole political thing going on. But we definitely want to get bigger so it’s a deal. There are just so many things going on with getting bigger and you just have to deal with that.
		You’re getting into a lot of minds from kids standing there. Your music is pretty political influenced. What do you prefer bigger venues where you can spread your message or small venues? Well I think it’s a natural progression. We go from being a sort of big fish in a small bowl into a little fish in a huge bowl. Most of the kids are going nuts right away. I think it doesn’t matter how big the club is. The more popular you get the more people know your music and than the more they are able to get into it. So maybe next time people will be more into it. Even playing at a big venue like Deconstruction Tour not everyone is standing still. A lot of people were but still there were a lot of people going of and dancing. You don’t have to choose between those two sizes it just takes an automatic time where you just have to keep coming and keep playing. Keeping your music up to more kids and than in a while they will have fun. If they won’t I would give up!
		Would you give up? No oh no! For the past seven years we’ve only been growing. There hasn’t been like a drop off. But even if we would get nowhere and there was a point where we just start going down hill we would properly continue playing music. Even if there were just ten people left playing for we would go on. We would properly have to find a job but it’s worth it! The band now means a lot to all of us. It’s pretty easy to say all this right now but I think I would continue in the music industry as a band or anywhere else in the music industry. Whatever happens it will be still music!
		You’re so motivated you can see that ten miles from here. You’re dancing all over the place, laying on the ground, spitting all over yourself. You’re spreading personal and also political messages. How would you describe your own political convictions? Me and one of our guitar players Josh belong to the American Communist Party that doesn’t mean that I’m a flag waver cause I’m not. I don’t like being just one thing. The reason that I joint the Party was to be with likeminded individuals so that would be growing and do something like talk about it getting things done. I have a lot of believes that are rooted in anarchy and socialistic ideas, so I went with it. And for the band is combining personal and political things important cause they do so much to a human being that when you do only one thing in it is sort of boring. Just to me these bands not combining I don’t want to be like they are boring but to me they are. I can’t get off on it. If you can’t mix the political with the personal it doesn’t mean much to me. You need to hit people where they feel. Not only intellectual like: war is bad yeah, kill them whatever, but if you can make it feel personal to somebody and make them feel and you get that lump in their throat. Like whooo this is bad this is so wrong. That’s something than you’re going somewhere. If you can’t mix the personal and the politic you can almost make them the same like the same fight and not only a fight but also make it fun. Who wants somebody up there like we have to do this and that blablabla? Listening to someone being serious all the time or even on the other site the personal bands who have to be poetic and intense all the time please laugh a little dance have fun!!!!!!!
		One song from you is just about good things. And to me that song means a lot to me cause you can sing about everything that’s wrong, thrilled and that it has to be changed but that’s not honest to all the good thing which are good. There is so much beauty and if you don’t show the beauty where does anybody has to life for? If you can’t show that, there are these things where we can fight for they are good and right and we can get behind, what’s the point? You better fucking shoot yourself when everything sucks.
		That wouldn’t change a thing! Your last record was released on Victory but now you changed labels and went to Wind-up. Why? We had a one record contract deal with victory and when we were done with that contract we didn’t feel like we should continue with them. It didn’t had anything to do with politics it had to do with the relationship we had with some of the people there, and some other people from Victory are friends of ours still. There were problems and nothing where I have any business talking about. We just had some problems so it wasn’t in our best interest to stay so we went with Wind-up who we felt we could do a better job for. We already met them and they became friends of ours. Now they are sort of like family of ours according to that it was more a healthy decision emotionally and financially.
		Is it important for you to work with people who or friendly and are sort of friends for the band? Yes we have like our lawyer who lives in California and he’s one of our best friends and we have a manager now and we just met him and he just became manager and we are building on it. You have to build on it you don’t become automatically friends with your business associations but still it’s something we try to work on. I don’t wan to say to friendly, because than you can get screwed and than when someone screws you you’re like he’s my friend I don’t want to hurt him. Having an honest and friendly relationship is really important to us. So we can call up and say: “Hey how are you doing should we get something to eat together”or that we can go out and having a couple of beers together. And it’s also important that when we leave we will have a hug instead of a well hey goodbye and a handshake.
		Friends are obviously very important for you. Another thing I reckoned with you and the way you thread people is that immediately after the show your going off the stage to talk with people. How come that you still have all that energy? Maybe you noticed that I’m always downstairs and never in the backstage room and if I’m in there than it’s most of times for an interview. Usually I’m out there hanging out with people cause I don’t see the point doing what I do if I don’t. I don’t care how tired I am. Interviews I try to do them right away get off the stage and immediately talk with the people. A lot of times it’s signing stuff but also just being a real person for people instead of an icon or idol. It’s very important for people to meet a band and for us to take care of the fact that at least one of us is talking with the people.
		Isn’t it true than when you show the audience that you are a real person instead of an idol that they also take your message more serious because they know that your feelings are based on real human thoughts. Right! But I don’t want to sound like that I do it on purpose to make a point. I do it because that’s why I’m in a band I love people! And what we’re talking about and stuff like that is because I want meet people. I like making new friends. It’s not that I’m trying to be human it’s cause I am. I have for myself no other choice than go down there and hang out with people. It’s kind of funny because a lot of times it had been backfired on me they call me a rock star. They do that cause when a kid runs to me asking can I have an autograph I’m like : YES! I love doing autographs taking pictures, talking, and hanging out its so much fun. And that person I hang out with or I gave an autograph things he he’s cool and would go back to listen to what you have to say. It’s better than being a jerk like oh I have had so many arguments with so many stupid bands they say: your signing autographs that so fucking dumb. I just say: Okay you tell the kids, you go out there explain to them when they ask you an autograph give them an hour distortion about why you think autographs are to rock star. And see how long they will listen to you. No kids are going to be like: yeah you’re right I shouldn’t get autographs from you because blablabla and the system does did it’s dumb. Sign damn autograph and be friendly. I’m getting all excited now because I have so much fun I love what I do because I can’t find a reason to be miserable or exostid this is my job.
		It’s so important for people because they find out what the band is like in real life, it gives an extra dimension to the music. People appreciate a band more when they appreciate their fans - after all you wouldn’t be there with out them would you? They are paying my salary basically. I don’t have to work because of these people. That would be a digheaded thing from me to not appreciate what they do for me. They are paying my bills and keeping my son a live. I feed my kid with the money they give me. I appreciate the hell about everyone we come to our shows. So it’s amazing to hang out with them and I have a lot of energy to so for me it’s easy.
		I just noticed by myself then when you’re giving a gig and everyone is going crazy like we had in a real small place everyone was going crazy and it gave me kind of wings is that also where you get your energy from? When you feel that, and even when the are having just fun and are jumping around, it seems that they are getting the same out it as you get. Even when I’m playing the most old song ever and we have played it over and over again the past seven years it can give me energy because it can be new to these people. And than you feel like it’s a new song and the emotions all over again.
		Do you still got angry and emotional every time you get on stage? Yes, most of the times because it’s easy to re live it when people are with you and they are angry to. The let me having that passion again. There are sometimes though that you’re just doing you performance. That’s just an human thing to do it doesn’t means that I don’t feel passions for the subject anymore it means that there are this rare times when you tired nobody is really into it. Everything is not working and than it’s hard to feel the passion you felt when you wrote the song. The only thing you do is going threw the set.
		You guys seem to be consciously touring you did Europe and when you got back you immediately did a United States tour after it. How do you keep up? It’s ruff espacially since Russ and Josh are married they have kids I have a kid, Rob is engaged and matt he doesn’t really counts. We just all have amazing families they are very understanding and support us in everything we do. Still it’s hard because you leave and when you comeback your child has grown up and does things he didn’t do before. But whenever something is going on at home and it’s important we will stay home that’s for sure. And I think all the hard work is worth it. And I see my kid more than I did when I had a 40 hours job. I’m not that tired anymore.
		I have one last question because there is always one big rumour going on: a lot of people label you as a straight edge band. I think it’s strange because you guys aren’t and you never said you were. Do you have any idea where it might come from? I have no idea. The only thing I can come up with is that our old bas-player was Straight Edge but he’s not in the band anymore. None of the rest of us has ever been straight edge like never ever. We come from a town in the United States called Noir Delaware. We all were a bunch of drunks. It’s a college town and that makes it a party town every like to party a lot.
		I heard that a lot of people are making a connection between political bands and being straight edge what’s your opinion about that? That doesn’t makes much sense to me. I think there are also a lot of political things going on by people who are drinking beer. If you look to big revolutions a lot of people drank something while starting them (laughs). I don’t understand why people related political things to being straight edge it doesn’t makes sense to me but I also have nothing bad to say about people being straight edge lifestyle. Anybody can be it when that is what makes you feel better if it brings the fire behind your ash to do something than fucking do it.
		Well thank you for this interviews it felt more like a conversation though. That’s the way it should be.
Who this guy is one of the most wonderful persons I ever met what a charisma! When you’re ever going to a Boy Sets Fire show go out and talk to him! He’s great. (Rose Nillisen)