There are bands that like to evolve and others that like to stay in safe waters. I Am Empire is a band that dares to try out new things and they follow their heart rather than their minds when it comes to new music. The band’s vocalist & songwriter talked to Grande Rock and explained all things about the new album and not only… Read below…
Hi Austin… How are things now after the release of your third album?
A: Things are going great! We are always excited to release new music to our fans.
Some say that the third album of every band is like a barometer… it actually shows if the band can make a big step and become very successful eventually. What do you believe?
A: Well our “success” is measured by our happiness in the band not how many units we sell or what tours we are on. We love this record and that’s success to me. (i.n.: That’s a great way to see things dude…)
What do you have in mind, as a music direction, when you start working on songs for a new album?
A: We are currently discussing that but we don’t want to put our music in a bax. whatever inspires us in the next year we will write about. Maybe there won’t be a single guitar solo. Maybe there will a crazy amount of harmonies and drum circles. Who knows. Time will tell…
I believe that along with a band’s evolution, maturity and change also come. That’s quite obvious if one listens to your new album. You intentionally wanted to do something else than to repeat yourselves, right?
A: Yeah, we wanted to make a raw record that defied what the industry wanted us to do. We cut all “production” such as electronics/fake strings etc.
This time it was more about the melodies, the feelings and the hooks on this album, or not? Your sound did change a bit for the better I think… right? What other things have changed since “Kings”?
A: I think our attitude changed the most and that’s what defined the record. We don’t care what people want or expect out of us. We write music for the love of writing not for money and “popularity”…
And what about some fans that are complaining that the new work is not like the old one?
A: They can continue to listen to “Kings”. We aren’t ever going to rewrite “Kings” so either follow us or don’t doesn’t matter to me. (i.n.: I agree on that… it’s like “my way” or the “highway” guys… musicians must always follow their hearts.)
I’m sure you can’t please all the fans at once. If you went the same way then some would say that you didn’t have any inspiration and you started copying yourselves… if you go the other way then they whine… it’s like a vicious circle, huh?!
A: Yeah, you can’t win unless you want to give up your art and be a boring band. That might pay the bills but I choose to keep music my art.
You stated that you have got rid of your anchors. Is that why you named it “Anchors”?
A: This record is all about progression. Getting rid of the weight that holds you down.
We also see that little boy on the cover artwork holding an anchor. Is he strongly connected with the band? Are we gonna see him in the future again?
A: “Anchors” is the next step from “Kings” lyrically so we thought it was cool to use the same kid. Not sure what the next record holds.
I also think that the album is a bit short, only 32 minutes. You said that you had lots of songs ready… so why did only 10 of them make it to the album? Did you try to keep it more consistent?
A: We have 3 unreleased b sides. Only our favorites made the record. we wanted it to be consistent.
The video for “Remedy” is already out. Should we wait for any other video anytime soon?
A: Probably not but I’d like to do a video for “Blackout”… (i.n.: They finally did make an acoustic video for this song.)
How did you choose to cooperate with Brian McTernan (Thrice, Circa Survive, Senses Fail and Hot Water Music) for the album’s production? Are you totally satisfied with the final result?
A: Our label hooked us up with him. He was awesome and perfect for the vibe of the record.
I’ve written: “…It’s obvious that I Am Empire are making an opening to a bigger audience with this album…”. Do you agree?
A: Maybe. We will see in a few months I guess… (i.n.: Sure!)
What are the plans for future live appearances?
A: None at the moment…
Since you’re a young band, what do you wish to accomplish with I Am Empire in the next years?
A: No clue...
How do you see all this “free download culture” of our time? Do fans/downloaders have the right to claim that if a band wants to make some bucks it must go on tour while it’s their “right” to download the albums for free? What must be done to get people to buy the actual product in the end?
A: There’s not much we can do to make people buy a record. it’s up to the person.
Any last words?
A: Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To those who have picked up “Anchors” thank you times a million. For those of you who haven’t heard it check it out on Spotify and see if our music is worthy of your time and money. Thanks for the support. Hope to see you all on the road soon.
A: Things are going great! We are always excited to release new music to our fans.
Some say that the third album of every band is like a barometer… it actually shows if the band can make a big step and become very successful eventually. What do you believe?
A: Well our “success” is measured by our happiness in the band not how many units we sell or what tours we are on. We love this record and that’s success to me. (i.n.: That’s a great way to see things dude…)
What do you have in mind, as a music direction, when you start working on songs for a new album?
A: We are currently discussing that but we don’t want to put our music in a bax. whatever inspires us in the next year we will write about. Maybe there won’t be a single guitar solo. Maybe there will a crazy amount of harmonies and drum circles. Who knows. Time will tell…
I believe that along with a band’s evolution, maturity and change also come. That’s quite obvious if one listens to your new album. You intentionally wanted to do something else than to repeat yourselves, right?
A: Yeah, we wanted to make a raw record that defied what the industry wanted us to do. We cut all “production” such as electronics/fake strings etc.
This time it was more about the melodies, the feelings and the hooks on this album, or not? Your sound did change a bit for the better I think… right? What other things have changed since “Kings”?
A: I think our attitude changed the most and that’s what defined the record. We don’t care what people want or expect out of us. We write music for the love of writing not for money and “popularity”…
And what about some fans that are complaining that the new work is not like the old one?
A: They can continue to listen to “Kings”. We aren’t ever going to rewrite “Kings” so either follow us or don’t doesn’t matter to me. (i.n.: I agree on that… it’s like “my way” or the “highway” guys… musicians must always follow their hearts.)
I’m sure you can’t please all the fans at once. If you went the same way then some would say that you didn’t have any inspiration and you started copying yourselves… if you go the other way then they whine… it’s like a vicious circle, huh?!
A: Yeah, you can’t win unless you want to give up your art and be a boring band. That might pay the bills but I choose to keep music my art.
You stated that you have got rid of your anchors. Is that why you named it “Anchors”?
A: This record is all about progression. Getting rid of the weight that holds you down.
We also see that little boy on the cover artwork holding an anchor. Is he strongly connected with the band? Are we gonna see him in the future again?
A: “Anchors” is the next step from “Kings” lyrically so we thought it was cool to use the same kid. Not sure what the next record holds.
I also think that the album is a bit short, only 32 minutes. You said that you had lots of songs ready… so why did only 10 of them make it to the album? Did you try to keep it more consistent?
A: We have 3 unreleased b sides. Only our favorites made the record. we wanted it to be consistent.
The video for “Remedy” is already out. Should we wait for any other video anytime soon?
A: Probably not but I’d like to do a video for “Blackout”… (i.n.: They finally did make an acoustic video for this song.)
How did you choose to cooperate with Brian McTernan (Thrice, Circa Survive, Senses Fail and Hot Water Music) for the album’s production? Are you totally satisfied with the final result?
A: Our label hooked us up with him. He was awesome and perfect for the vibe of the record.
Can you say that “Anchors’ is indeed a “positive & emotive” album on the whole? How would you describe it with just a sentence?
A: “Anchors” is the next step. A hard but positive one…
A: “Anchors” is the next step. A hard but positive one…
I’ve written: “…It’s obvious that I Am Empire are making an opening to a bigger audience with this album…”. Do you agree?
A: Maybe. We will see in a few months I guess… (i.n.: Sure!)
What are the plans for future live appearances?
A: None at the moment…
Since you’re a young band, what do you wish to accomplish with I Am Empire in the next years?
A: No clue...
How do you see all this “free download culture” of our time? Do fans/downloaders have the right to claim that if a band wants to make some bucks it must go on tour while it’s their “right” to download the albums for free? What must be done to get people to buy the actual product in the end?
A: There’s not much we can do to make people buy a record. it’s up to the person.
Any last words?
A: Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To those who have picked up “Anchors” thank you times a million. For those of you who haven’t heard it check it out on Spotify and see if our music is worthy of your time and money. Thanks for the support. Hope to see you all on the road soon.