Building an Empire
Empire are an Indie rock band from Yorkshire. They’ve gone (in their own words) “from playing live on pallets in a farm shed……to working with the same company that championed the likes of Kasabian and The Libertines.”
It’s easy to see why Empire have attracted so much attention. Their debut album ‘God Bless the Empire’ is a blend of indie rock with some soulful singing across a dystopian landscape of twisted melodies. Opening track ‘Honestly’ is a proper foot stomper, and features some excellent keyboard work from Alex Fairhurst. His style is reminiscent of the dearly missed Ken Hensley of Uriah Heep. Like Hensley, Fairhurst plays like a man in a rush to attack the keyboard. It’s captivating stuff.
‘Angeline’ twangs along at the same tempo as a ride at Banksy’s Dismaland theme park, whilst Noah Clegg’s vocals croon a tale of insecurity and challenging relationships.
Being a rock band from Yorkshire, there are always going to be comparisons made with the Artic Monkeys. Tracks such as the riff heavy ‘The Morning After the Night Before’ and ‘Houseparty’ are the clearest examples of the crossover. In fact, if you’re thinking of having a beer-keg house party, invite Empire along. It’ll be messy, but fun.
MakeIt-Loud 