EMPYRE – Self Aware (acoustic) album out now!!

3 TIMES ‘CLASSIC ROCK TRACK OF THE WEEK’ WINNERS EMPYRE, CELEBRATE THE RELEASE OF SELF AWARE (ACOUSTIC) AND ANNOUNCE MORE THAN 20 LIVE DATES FOR 2021

Today Empyre – acknowledged as one of the hardest working bands during lockdown – release the accomplished and acclaimed acoustic album The Other Side.

The Other Side totals 9 acoustic reinterpretations (8 studio-recorded and 1 live version) of tracks from Empyre’s Self Aware album. Highlights include stirring piano-based versions of My Bad and Only Way Out, the radio edit for which includes heart-rendering orchestral parts and was mixed by Grammy-winning producer Mike Exeter.

Empyre’s acoustic pedigree has been growing steadily, they already performed acoustic sets at Arena Birmingham before the likes of Eagles, Shinedown and Alter Bridge, and also performed on ‘Whispering’ Bob Harris’ “Under The Apple Tree” Sessions. Lead Singer Henrik Steenholdt comments:

“I’ve always had a love of acoustic versions of my favourite songs. Growing up I would spend hours ferociously searching through HMV, Virgin Megastore, Our Price and other record shops scouring the CD and cassette singles and album bonus tracks for acoustic versions. That affinity with the acoustic side of rock has never left me, sadly however I think that acoustic versions can sometimes be overlooked by fans and critics. Regardless of that fact, this is something we wanted to do and as a result, we put as much creative energy into The Other Side as we did with Self Aware. This is by no means a throwaway album release in our eyes. It is also our homage to the heydays of “MTV Unplugged” and a genre that we adore, acoustic rock.”

Without the opportunity to throw an album launch party gig on release day Empyre go live on their Facebook page at 8 pm (BST) with a mix of performance, stories from the band, never before seen footage and a nostalgic look back at their releases across the Lockdown and the pandemic.
With more gigs still to be announced, 2021 looks set to be a great year for a band that was already relentless throughout the global pandemic of the past year, seeing them release an incredible 7 singles and over 15 music videos. Empyre is currently back in the studio recording the follow-up to their 2019 debut electric album Self Aware.

See all their recent highlights here: https://www.empyre.co.uk/epk

In the run-up to The Other Side release, Empyre announced a UK tour in September and October with Mason Hill and a double whammy of both acoustic and electric performances at Ramblin’ Man Fair in July.

Tracklisting:
Only Way Out (Piano Acoustic)
Drive (Acoustic)
Too Close (Acoustic)
Cut To The Core (Acoustic)
Just A Ride (Acoustic)
My Bad (Piano Acoustic)
Stone (Acoustic)
Homegrown (Live Acoustic)
Only Way Out (Radio Edit)

UK Tour Dates
Sunday 30th May – The Waterloo, Blackpool (Acoustic)
Friday 9th July – Call Of The Wild Festival, Lincoln
Saturday 17th July – Ramblin’ Man Fair
Sun 25th July – Steelhouse Festival, Wales
Sat 31st July – SavFest, Nottingham
Sat 14th Aug – Live At The Platform, Morecambe
Sat 28th Aug – Aylesbury ‘Live in the Park’
Sat 11th Sept – Rockin’ The Bowl, Sheffield
Tues 14th Sept – Junction 2, Cambridge
Weds 15th Sept – The Corporation, Sheffield
Thurs 16th Sept – Fleece, Bristol
Fri 17th Sept – Brighton, Patterns (Acoustic)
Sat 18th Sept – Leos’, Gravesend
Mon 20th Sept – The Globe, Cardiff
Wed 22nd Sept – Nightrain, Bradford
Thurs 23rd Sept – The Waterloo, Blackpool
Fri 24th Sept – Underworld, London
Sat 25th Sept – Rebellion, Manchester
Sun 26th Sept -KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
Sun 3rd Oct – Key Club, Leeds
Mon 4th Oct – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
Tues 5th Oct – Waterfront, Norwich
Weds 6th Oct – Cluny 2, Newcastle
Thurs 7th Oct – Arts Club, Liverpool
Fri 8th Oct – Booking Hall, Dover
Sat 9th Oct – Academy 2, Oxford
Fri 12th Nov – HRH ABC, Great Yarmouth
12-14th Nov – Planet Rockstock, Trecco Bay, Wales
26-28th Nov – WinterStorm, Troon, Scotland

Quotes:
“Everything about Empyre’s beguiling music is colossal sounding” – Planet Rock

“Empyre … sound slick, vast and like the music was written with the help of an architectural blueprint for an arena” – Kerrang!

“Empyre have become masters at taking the formula for British atmospheric rock and infusing it with their arena-ready signature sound” – Guitar World

“No stage is too big for these guys” – BBC Introducing

EMPYRE is:
Henrik Steenholdt – Vocals & rhythm guitar
Did Coles – Lead guitar
Grant Hockley – Bass
Elliot Bale – Drums