Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)
Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) | |
---|---|
Origin | Fenton, Michigan |
Genres | Emo,[1] indie rock |
Years active | 2006–2016 |
Labels | Count Your Lucky Stars, Topshelf |
Members |
Keith Latinen Cathy Latinen |
Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) was an American emo[2] band from Michigan. It was formed in 2006 originally as a solo project of band member Keith Latinen. The band's music is most often described as emotional indie rock reminiscent of '90s emo bands such as Mineral and American Football. The band's first release was in 2007 with an EP titled When The Sea Became A Giant. The band released a full-length album, What It Takes To Move Forward, in 2009. The band is signed to Count Your Lucky Stars Records and has released albums on a number of other labels, such as strictly no capital letters (UK), Topshelf Records, Stiff Slack (Japan), and Hobbledehoy Record Co (Australia). The band released their second album You Will Eventually Be Forgotten on August 19, 2014. On February 16, 2016, the band announced their final tour before their breakup on their official Facebook page.[3]
Name
Latinen thought of the band's long name when it was still his solo project. He wanted a name that sounded "elaborate and artistic" but admits that if he would have known that the project would form into a full band he would have chosen something easier to remember.[4]
Keith explains the name:
- "As for the meaning behind the name, I’ve had a lifetime of bands not working out, and so I chose a name to reflect my frustration. I tend to hide lyrics and names behind a lot of dense symbolism, so here’s the general break-down of the name. “Empire! Empire!” is that one evasive dream that you want so badly, and you will always chase it, but it never seems quite in reach. The “(I Was a Lonely Estate)” portion was where I felt I was incomplete and insignificant. It’s hard to get off the ground if you can’t find reliable people to share your dream. The exclamation points mark how important the dream is, and the parenthesis signify that I feel like I am unimportant and unnoticed."[4]
Members
Final Lineup
- Keith Latinen - Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Trumpet, Cello
- Cathy Latinen - Guitar, Vocals
- Jon Steinhoff - Drums, Vocals
- Joseph "Gooey" Dane - Bass
Past members
- Drums - Jon Steinhoff, Ryan Stailey, Jon Murrell, Matt Brim
- Bass - DJ Degennaro, Ahmad Naboulsi, Rich Ayers, Danny Miller, Derek McNelly
Jon Murrell, Rich, Ahmad, or Danny have never written/recorded anything with the band.[5]
Discography
Studio albums
EPs
- When the Sea Became a Giant EP (2007)[8]
- Summer Tour EP '09 (2009)
- Home After Three Months Away 7" (2011)
- On Time Spent Waiting, or Placing the Weight of the World on the Shoulders of Those You Love the Most 7" (2011)
- In Which the Choices We Didn't Make Were Better Than the Ones That We Did (2013)
7"s
- Year of the Rabbit 7" (2008)[9]
- SXSW Promo 7" (2011)
- Bramble Jam II Promo 7" (2012)
Splits
- Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) / Football, Etc. Split (2009)
- Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) / Into It. Over It. Split (2010)
- Annabel/Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)/ Joie De Vivre/The Reptilian 4-Way Split 7" (2011)
- Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)/ Mountains For Clouds/ Two Knights/ Driving On City Sidewalks 4-Way Split 7" (2012)
- Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)/ Arrows Split 7" (2012)
- Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)/ Rika Split 7" (2012)
- Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)/ Malegoat Split (2013)
- Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)/ Your Neighbour, the Liar/ The Smithsonian Split 7" (2013)
- Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate)/ Dikembe/ The Hotel Year/ Modern Baseball/ Old Gray/ Pentimento (2013)
Compilations
- Early Discography CS (2010)
- Middle Discography (2011)
Reviews
- Collective Zine: What it Takes to Move Forward
- Sputnik Music: What it Takes to Move Forward
- Positivexposure: What it Takes to Move Forward
- Altsounds: Year of the Rabbit
- Decoy Music: Year of the Rabbit
- Music Emissions: When The Sea Became A Giant
- Absolute Punk: When The Sea Became A Giant
References
- ↑ http://www.stereogum.com/1503252/
- ↑ DeVille, Chris. "12 Bands To Know From The Emo Revival". Stereogum. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- ↑ "Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) breaking up after final tour (dates)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
- 1 2 Diatribe Inc. "Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate) interview", 5/21/2010
- ↑ "Empire! Empire! (I was A Lonely Estate) Tumblr". tumblr.com. Retrieved 2013-03-03.
- ↑ "What It Takes to Move Forward: Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate): MP3". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
- ↑ "You Will Eventually Be Forgotten: Empire! Empire! (I Was a Lonely Estate): MP3". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-07-23.
- ↑ "When the Sea Became a Giant". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-06-19.
- ↑ "Year of the Rabbit". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-06-19.