Emerson Rose wins 2006 Battle of Birdy's...

Interview with Emerson Rose's vocalist Andrew Bean
By Mel Duncan

NUVO: What does the band plan to do with the $10,000 prize?
A.B.: "We haven't decided what to do with the money yet. Naturally, we will sit down as a band and figure out how it can best be utilized to further the goals we have set."

NUVO: Having to play the last set of the night, did your nerves ever get the best of you?
A.B.: "Actually, the band was the most relaxed that we had been for the entire battle. We have worked so meticulously over the last year honing our live skills and our live sets that we wanted to treat it like any one of our shows. Although we all wanted to win, I really believe that everyone tried to make this battle experience less confrontational and more a celebration of good music and quality performances. The feeling of being 'in the same boat' alleviated a great deal of the pre-show jitters."

NUVO: What can you say about your fans? They got you through three rounds and ultimately the final battle.
A.B.: "There are not many definitive statements that we ever make in regards to our music and what we do. But I maintain, without hesitation, that our fans are simply the best. I remember a moment in the third round of the battle in which my microphone cord came unplugged, and it didn't even matter because our fans were singing the words louder than I was. I stood outside [Saturday] with many of our fans who waited at least an hour in line so that they could see us play. They make us a better band, and we are forever in their debt."

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