The Firebird Band are rawkin' their way right out of Chicago and into your living room. Featuring members of bands like BRAID, AMERICAN FOOTBALL, JOAN OF ARC, and more. One Mr. Chris Broach was nice enough to explain the phenomena. Interview by: Jennifer Perkins

The Firebird Band is somewhat of an Indie rock super group. American Football, Joan of Arc and Braid these are names that ring bells with people. However, The Firebird Band really sounds distinct and different compared to all of the members past bands. How did you all get together and come to terms with your urges to fondle drum machines and synthesizers?

it was really just kind of a solo project that i started for the record. then i got eric and andy to join during the recording and we added a few songs to the record by writing some stuff together. mostly though it was a bunch of songs i had been writing over the past year or so and had been sitting on waiting to decide what to do with them. when braid broke up i went into the studio pretty soon after to start working on these songs. i'm happy with the end result.

Do you guys all still live in Chicago? What is the scene like there? What do you think the Firebird Band embraces from the windy city, especially in a time when a lot of bands coming out of there all sound a lot like The Sea and Cake.

i think that chicago is a new indie mecca. but i think that a lot of the bands sound exactly the same. they use the same instruments and the have the same effect on you . it's boring. the only thing that that record has from chicago was the sadness and coldness. and the loneliness.. there are some bands that stand out of course. andy, our guitarist still lives in chicago, and i live in urbana Illinois along with steve and ben. and aaron.

What are your current releases? Do you have any release plans for the future? If you guys ever did a cover song, any ideas about what it might be?

we have a 7" record out called THE FIREBIRD SUITE "new york" an EP out called THE FIREBIRD PROJECT "feel alright" both on the mintaka conspiracy and a new cd called THE FIREBIRD BAND "the setting sun and its satellites" headhunter/cargo/mintaka we will be doing a couple of EPs in the spring and starting work on a new full length in the fall. we will be doing some covers and they are in the works. i can't tell you what they are.

How about tour plans. How was the winter tour? Did you play with any up and coming bands we should all rush right out and check out? Do you have a favorite place to play on tour?

we did some great shows. a band called document from detroit was great. faraquet in DC were great along with El Guapo. keep your eyes out for defender from chicago. we love boston(the city not the band) NYC is always great as well.. we will be doing some extensive touring in the summer and fall. a couple of sporadic tours in the spring.

The Firebird Band does a really interesting job of keeping their sound up to date with the Indie times, but at the same time really meshes in well some old New Wave sounds. Hence the comparisons you guys get to The Cure and such. How do you feel about these comparisons? Are bands like The Cure just something you grew up with? Do you have a favorite Cure song? The original name for my zine was going to be Fire In Cairo, after The Cure song, but fireincario.com is taken so Naughty Secretary Club won.

i grew up listening to the cure and all those types of bands. and also a lot of minor threat and some other hardcore and skate rock. the pixies are also one of my favorites. the cure though takes the cake for awesome love songs. and terribly sad slow songs. lovesong is great and so is just like heaven. but i like caterpillar and close to me. boys don't cry. a forest. soo many to even name .. those are just off the top of my head. i like fire i cairo as well.. i like mostly the pop songs. not the slow cure .. the fast poppy cure.

How do you think people have embraced The Firebird Band? Like the people that followed you over from your Braid days? I know I was surprised to hear keyboards and drum machines. I guess if you are still lamenting over the Braid break up Hey Mercedes should be more the band for you.

i guess you're probably right. i like using drum machines because i can. i'm happier now dong this music than ever before. i think that people know what they are getting now, and if they don't they are surprised. but i don't think in a bad way. i like the record a lot. and i am glad to see that it has gotten so many good responses. especially since it doesn't sound a lot like a former band. it won't and that's the point.

Hey Mercedes started after the end of Braid, while The Firebird band was something you had going all along on the side. Due to the differences musically I can’t help but imagine that The Firebird Band in some ways started out originally as a way for you to incorporate your obvious fascination with dancier music.

sure. i guess. it was just another outlet. and now it is a full time outlet. i like dance music.

Hey Mercedes. Do you guys still go to each others shows when convenient. I assume the break up of Braid was nothing bitter and nasty. Do you have a copy of the Hey Mercedes record?

i have a copy of the hey mercedes EP and they have copies of the firebird's record. we get along as well, we all live in different cities now. i went to see them when they played here in urbana/ and i assume that they would come to see me if we played in milwaukee.

What made you decide to quote PJ Harvey on your last record? Does she know about it?

the line just fit. i don't know if she knows. i don't think so.

Here at the start of the new year I guess an obvious interview question would be what were some of your favorite records of last year? Clique, yes, but informative and interesting.

the pixies are always in the top ten i don't listen to a lot of music on purpose. i just hear it somewhere and i know that i like it or i don't. i like morcheeba and stereolab. i like right said fred sometimes.

Read a review of The Firebird Band's CD The Setting Sun and It's Satellites here.

Read a review of The Firebird Band's CD EP The Drive here.