Free Music: Awaken The Empire Offer Two New Songs + Take the PV Q&A
Awaken The Empire are aiming to start a revolution of mind and music, and with their refreshing fusion of electro and alt-rock already garnering attention from big-names like Alternative Press and AMP, they're making serious headway. We had a chance to catch up with the band about their recent signing to Maphia Management, the importance of following your dreams and making the music you want, and their insomnia-led underground movement that's building the bonds between artist and fan. Check it out, and grab both of their new singles "Rise and Fall" and "Cross My Heart" as free downloads for a limited time.
PureVolume: It‘s a pretty fresh initiative to incorporate electronica into a dominantly alt-rock sound. How did that blend to come to be?
Awaken The Empire: When I started the band a couple of years ago, I was in one of those ‘I don't give a fuck about anyone but myself’ music phases. I had been in a bunch of bands that didn't work out, and I just wanted to do what felt right to me.
PV: When you initially started making music, were both genres weighty inspirations, or did one come before the other?
ATE: Actually, the first incarnation of the band was much more electronic. The only live instruments were guitar and bass, and the rest was all programmed. Over time, as more members joined, the sound evolved into something with a little more balance between electro and rock.
PV: Congrats on your signing to Maphia Management! What was it that drew you to them and made you feel as though they were the right fit for you musically and creatively?
ATE: Thank you! It's funny, I would be at shows in LA and see this guy that always looked really familiar -- every time I saw him, I would be like ‘Who the fuck is that guy?!’ One night at the Key Club, our producer Erik Ron wanted to introduce me to his friend Dave Aguilera, and it just happened to be the guy I always recognized. Working with Dave and Maphia has been awesome because he's seen [and] experienced everything from both the band side and the managerial side. He's got a ton of valuable insight that you can't always find in your typical industry manager.
PV: You’ve already had major backing from heavyweights like Alt Press and AMP. Can you talk about the feeling that comes along with attaining such support?
ATE: It's so fulfilling, because as an artist you really need to believe in what you're doing to push through all the failures and successes. Having such big, influential names embrace us has really inspired us to keep pushing forward no matter what. It's nice to know we have people in this industry that really believe in us.
PV: In that AltPress write-up, you mentioned the theme of your band was “that of an underground movement to encourage people to follow their dreams at all costs.” Does that have anything to do with the Insomniacs Underground Network you reference on your socials?
ATE: Definitely. The idea of the movement is really simple, but the mode in which we convey the message tends to vary between "in your face" and completely subliminal.
PV: Can you expand on that and how, especially, the Insomniacs reference came to be?
ATE: I'm an INSOMNIAC. For as long as I can remember, I have had trouble sleeping, so I used to post things like ‘INSOMNIACS UNITE!’ late at night, and our fans just embraced the idea. They began to refer to themselves as INSOMNIACS and it grew from there. Also, given the fact that our name refers to waking up an empire, there is something very powerful about being someone that can't sleep.
PV: Similarly, what does the code of numbers you reference [18-9-19-5 1-14-4 6-1-12-12 13-21-19-9-3 22-9-4-5-15 16-18-5-13-9-5-18-5-19 19-15-15-14] symbolize?
ATE: It's a simple number/letter cypher. I'm pretty obsessed with codes [and] code breaking, so I like to use hidden messages every chance I get. That particular code is very simple to figure out if you go online and do a little research. Some of the other codes I've used [and continue to] use are much more complex -- it’s all meant to challenge our fans, and inspire them to look past what is just handed to them.
PV: Do you have plans to drop a full-length in the near future?
ATE: Yes! We're hoping for this fall. We are in talks with a couple labels and are getting close to making a final decision.
PV: What’s one thing fans can expect from this new effort and what’s one thing you think will surprise them?
ATE: Expect to be surprised, and be surprised by the unexpected -- wait what?
PV: Any other forthcoming plans you can share with us?
ATE: Our new video for "RISE+FALL" will be premiering on MTV's Buzzworthy very soon! Find us on Facebook because we are constantly on there interacting with our fans and posting all the latest news. INSOMNIACS UNITE!
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TheClassicCrime14 is listening to: Reasons To Turn Back by Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!
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