An interview with Empires. You want to know this band.

By Ryan G

We meet and/or hear about a lot of artists on the upswing. This band, empires, is performing on David Letterman tonight (the day of this posting). I loved their performance at Bunbury Festival last summer so naturally I felt inclined to follow up with this band who is quickly on the rise. Their drummer, Mike Robinson, graciously took some time to offer thoughts to Tuned Up readers that we might get to know them better. Check out their EP, How Good Does It Feel, out now via Island/Chop Shop!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1dLU2ARuxI[/youtube]

Tuned Up: What summer blockbuster film does Empires most want to check out?

Mike Robinson: The new Transformers or Godzilla. I think Godzilla wins.

What beverage should be enjoyed at an Empires show?

Modelo + lime

I first encountered your music at Bunbury Festival (Cincinnati) last summer. I loved the energy you had on the main stage (higher than Maps and Atlases the year prior at the same time of day). How you think that festival went?

We had a great time at the festival. It was very well done and the whole day we spent there was awesome.

What is your favorite summer anthem of all time?

Bennie & The Jets for suuuuure.

What song of 2014 do you think will be looked back on as being a part of this year’s summer soundtrack?

Happy by Pharrell

What do you find the most encouraging about today’s music industry? The most discouraging?

The more people we meet, the smaller the industry gets. I think it’s really interesting that playing a show in a random town can potentially put you one degree closer to musicians that you look up to or listen to. That’s definitely encouraging.

The ups and downs of the industry lend themselves to both sides of the story here. The downs can be very discouraging.

What have been some of the best albums to be released in 2014 thus far?

The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream

Queens Of The Stone Age – …Like Clockwork

Tinariwen – Emmaar

Warpaint – Warpaint

St. Vincent – St. Vincent

I’m sure there are many more that I’m missing

If you had to describe your progression on the new EP from old Empires in five words, what would you say?

More experienced, weathered, and sexier

Have you met a musician you’ve looked up to who’s personality surprised you? If so, who and what happened?

We met LL Cool J at BottleRock in Napa. He has to be the coolest dude ever.

How does Empires prefer to pass the time during long drives on tour?

We listen to a lot of podcasts about ghosts and aliens.

Tell us about a unique venue you played in recently. What made it so?

We played at a venue called Doug Fir in Portland a week ago. It ruled. It was in the basement of an awesome building and the whole thing felt like some modern, psychedelic cabin.

Finally, why should we catch you guys live this summer? What makes you different?

Pyrotechnics.