Empire 21 is a brand new Hardrock/Metal act from Sweden, featuring members from Narnia, Darkwater, Harmony, Rob Rock and more. Determined to bring you a debut album as strong as it gets. Neither the band nor the album to come was brought together by coincidence, but rather by a urgent need to fill a gap in todays music scene. Their self-titled debut album will be released on November 28th in Europe and December 2nd in North America through the bands own label Empire 21 Records. Recently we have conducted an interview with the members of Empire 21. The interview follows below:
TMR: Hey guys, this is The Metal Resource from Holland, how are things going there in Sweden?
CJ: Not too bad…it’s raining as usual, but that’s the way it is ; )
TMR: ‘Empire 21’ is composed of musicians from different great metal bands. Could you Introduce yourself and the band please.
Guitars: CJ Grimmark, Vocals: Ricard Hulteke (The Rain Town Poets), Keyboards: John Svensson (Harmony, Songs by JR), Bass: Andreas Ålöv (A Secret River), Drums: Tobias “Toby” Enbert (Harmony & Darkwater)
TMR: Please tell us the brief history of ‘Empire 21’.
T: one day CJ called me and asked me to fill in for Andreas in Narnia, so i did. On tour we had alot of fun. When CJ put Narnia on ice, German and me wanted to continue to do something. I had a song in my computer (would you) and we asked CJ to add guitars to it. He remodelled the song and putted some mighty guitars on it. We talked CJ into the idea of a new band, and soon we were looking for a full line-up. CJ and Andy had played together before, and after a videoaudition he was our bassplayer. John and I had played before, and he started to work in the same musicstore as CJ. As John is a talented piano and keyboardplayer, we asked him to join the band. After a videoaudition (as well as Andy) we wanted John to play with us.
Soon we recorded the album with great succes, and we were happy to work with great Tobias Lindell and Tomas “plec” Johansson. To promote the album we desided to shoot a video on the song “all is lost”. When shooting the video we noticed we had different opinions on certain things. After long discussions we parted ways with singer German. This was a really hard time for all us. No recordlable wanted to have us without a leadsinger, and we had spend lits of time and money on an album and a video. This was totally draining our energy!
Meanwhile, Ricard was in the mood for buying a new guitar. He went to the music store where CJ and John works. Since he and CJ were old friends, CJ told Ricard about Germans departure. CJ asked Ricard to do an audition, and after some laughing he actually did. Ricard had no experience in metal singing, but after hearing his incredible voice we knew we were back on track! We deleted Germans recording and forced Ricard in the studio and, well, the result of it all you all can hear:)
TMR: And why the name ‘Empire 21’? Is there a story behind it?
CJ: That’s something we will let You think about for quite a while ; )
TMR: Everyone, what is your musical background?
CJ: I have a long background in hardrock/metal, playing with many bands such as Narnia and Rob Rock and others. I also play keyboards and guitars live with the classic rock band Jerusalem, which strays away from the “metal” genre.
R: I am a soul singer with lots and lots of background vocal gigs. My first record performance was actually on a vinyl! This is actually my first hardrock experience and I loved it! The only band I have tried to follow is U2.
J: I’ve grown up listening to melodic pop and rock, and branched out into electronic music as well as progressive rock and hardrock in my late teenage years. At that time I joined two bands; a pop/rock band and an instrumental electro/bitpop band. The rock band split up after two years, but the electro band stuck together for seven years. Well produced, catchy and creative pop/rock lies closest to my heart, and since Empire 21 fulfills quite a lot of that, it wasn’t hard for me to hop on!
A: I have a very broad background, having grown up playing brass instruments and classical music, while also starting on bass and falling in love with rock and metal. From there, I branched out and tried to learn about all kinds of music. I ended up getting a masters degree in music theory, and today I teach piano and guitar. I also do freelance stuff, playing in all sorts of constellations. Apart from Empire 21, I also sing and play bass in a prog band called A Secret River.
T: My father took me to a rock concert when i was three years old. After that, all i wanted to do was playing the drums. I play lots of different stiles, but i love playing metal! I’m also drummer in Harmony and darkwater.
TMR: Who writes the music and lyrics? How do you get in the mood for writing music? And which bands or situations have inspired you to write music and lyrics?
CJ: I wrote most of this album, both music and lyrics, myself. Tobias wrote the song “Would You”, though. After all those years doing this I know myself pretty well, so I said to my bandmates that I have a certain vision as far as musical direction. I knew that if the direction would head in the complete opposite direction of my personal taste, I wouldn’t be able to mobilize the energy needed to keep doing this for an extended period of time. Now that we’re heading this certain direction, I’m all ears as far as ideas for future material that is somewhat compatible with our sound. Next album will probably be more of a “group effort”.
TMR: Is there already a highlight you will always remember, since the beginning of ‘Empire 21’? (Everyone)
CJ: The moment when we had the final master in our hands was a quite good one.
R: The moment the guys welcomed me in the family and asked me to bunker myself in the studio to give our debut album my soul-ish vocals…
J: I probably won’t forget the feeling I felt when the release date were set. Everything became a bit more real, that was really exciting!
A: Laying down the bass for the album and then sitting down in front of the speakers going “is that me?”. CJ’s songs are awesome, and he did a great job producing, since he didn’t leave me alone until I’d given everything I had.
T: when I/we talked CJ into this projekt.
TMR: And the worst thing were (if there is one)?
CJ: Probably the times around Germán’s departure…
R: The time between the recording and the release!
J: Recording the first music video was quite challenging… Not to mention carrying 18 speaker cabinets to the second floor of the industry building where we were shooting because it had no elevator!
A: I’d have to agree with CJ. Seeing all this obvious talent and all these great songs and then not knowing if there was a way forward. Luckily, there was.
T: The times around German’s departure was hard. It took alot of energy. Luckily we found Ricard!
TMR: Speaking of recording, your self-titled debut album will be released on November 28th. What can you tell us about the album (such as the recording process, the songs, record label etc).
A: As far as I remember, CJ had some stuff done by the time I auditioned in early 2012, and then it grew. Week by week and day by day, more stuff emerged. Then Toby did his drums, I spent a weekend at CJ’s house doing the bass, after that CJ locked himself in his dungeon with his guitars and amps (and emerged victorious!). John did his stuff and German (the original singer) added vocals. We sent the whole thing off to master mixer Tobbe Lindell. Then when German and the band went different ways, Ricard came in and, having NEVER done metal vocals before, rose to the challenge and redid the whole thing in a ridiculously short amount if time. We managed to replace the old vocals with the new without altering the original mix too noticeably. After talking to some record companies we decided that it would be a smart move to self-release this record. There are obviously pros and cons, but there is something to be said for being your own boss, at least when it comes to making your first mark on the scene.
TMR: About the cover artwork. Do you think it is as important as your music? Does it visualize the lyrics of your songs or what’s the actual story behind its concept?
T: I don’t think it is as important as the music, but i think it is important though. I think good artwork visualize the feeling of the band, and its music and lyrics. If not, it’s just random pics and something to put the CD in? We used Markus Sigfridsson (guitarrplayer in Harmony and Darkwater), who is brilliant in artwork. He listened to the music, and showed us an idea for a lay-out, and we liked it alot!
TMR: What was the last album you bought?
A: “English Electric Full Power” by Big Big Train.
CJ: Pink Floyd’s “Division Bell” on Vinyl. I already had the CD:)
R: Dirty Loop’s Loopified.
J: “When I Was Younger” by Colony House.
T: A secret river’s debutalbum. Great bassplaying on that one;)
TMR: Are you visiting many gigs and what do you listen to these days?
CJ: I don’t see many gigs at all, actually. Except for the times when friends’ bands are playing I sometimes go and see Dream Theater or Peter Gabriel when I get the chance, but that pretty much covers it all nowadays.
R: I always visit U2s gigs when they are in our country. I am very fascinated by the twist you get when you mix acoustic soulful music with the new electronica and chill lounge. It get’s crispy and organic!
J: I’ve been really bad at visiting concerts these last years, something I’ve been angry with myself for. This year I’ve begun working on the issue by seeing Dream Theater and Peter Gabriel, two cool concerts! A gig I went to last year that was great was Wintergatan when they were playing in my home town. I really wish more great bands like that would stop by here!
A: I try to make to a few gigs every year, and when I do, it’s usually some sort of prog rock/metal. In the past year I’ve seen bands like The Flower Kings, Jerusalem, Anathema and Dream Theater. When it comes to my listening habits, they are extremely diverse. I work as a music teacher and try to keep up with the current stuff, but that’s really for “professional reasons”. As far as listening for my own personal enjoyment, it’s mainly progressive rock (Anathema, Haken, Rush and a hundred other bands…), but also a mix of death metal, classic rock and stuff like jazz and fusion. I don’t really like to limit myself…
T: I love live shows, so I try to go as often as i can. I like festivals, where you can see lots of bands. This summer me and my wife were on Sweden Rock Festival, and enjoyed bands like Alterbridge, Therion, Masterplan, Uriah Heep, Skillet, Wasp and so on:)
TMR: How do you promote your band and shows?
J: We’re getting lots of help from Emil at Ulterium Records. It’s a lot of PR Wizardry going on, but we’re fairly sure he’s using the Internet in one way or the other! Jokes aside, these days a big part of promotion are done through Facebook, and to some extent other social media. Blogs and music sites are another big part, but we will also give interviews for some paper magazines that are still going strong. Since we haven’t had any shows yet, that part of the question is harder to answer!
TMR: How do you prepare for a show?
CJ: I make sure that the material is in my whole system, and not just in my brain. Playing a gig “theoretically” is not playing…it’s mental exercise.
R: I was born prepared.
J: Practice, practice and practice! Getting the songs into the muscle memory frees up the brain to do other fun things on the stage at the same time you’re playing!
A: First, know your stuff. Preferably, know the other guys’ stuff, too. Second, try not to spend too much energy on unnecessary things on the day of the show (there will always be a hundred problems to solve – Solve them but don’t let them shake you). Warm up in good time, and then just trust that you’ve done all you could.
T: Before shows its important to practice alot. If it’s all in your muscle memory, you can relax and enjoy playing. On show day: Lots of coffe and having fun:)
TMR: What are the biggest obstacles for a band?
CJ: Schedules, planning and economy…that sort of stuff.
R: Yeah. I agree with CJ. A boring answer, but that’s spot on.
A: I would add, breaking through the noise. With all the millions of bands around these days, and with the increased accessibility of all that music, the competition is a lot stiffer. How do you rise above all the others and get noticed?
T: Economy and focus! Music don’t bring that much money these days, so you have to “take” it from something else. Life is about alot of things and to be a great band, you need to focus on it. Sometimes it can be really hard.
TMR: What advice would you give to fellow bands?
J: Number one: have fun!! Number two (the longer advice): Don’t try to do too much too soon yourselves. In its essence, a band plays songs. That’s it. You rehearse, then you play shows. Mastering your instruments and your stage performance is the foremost thing that will be demanded of you. Try to be the absolute best you can be at this! Then, if you have one or more band members that are also good song writers, great. Master that as well. Otherwise, don’t be afraid to ask around for good songs that others might want to write for you. Better play hits that someone else has written than clinging to some pride of having done everything yourselves and ending up with bad songs! Finally, try to get advice and honest opinions from experienced bands or music industry people. Hopefully, they can point out what you’re doing good, what you need to work on, and what you need to stop doing and let others do for you!
TMR: So, what makes you laugh?
CJ: Cats.
R: My kids. … and cats. Ehh..
J: Cats.
A: I guess I should say ‘cats’, but also mindless stuff like damnyouautocorrect.com. It never gets old.
T: My friends!
TMR: And what is your biggest fear?
CJ: There’s so much to fear that it wouldn’t make sense focusing on it. Looking at the news gives us a lot of options as far as fear.
R: Well … the guys in the band finally realizing a soul singer is a soul singer is not a metal singer.
J: Losing my fingers in an accident!!
A: Not being the best father I could be to my kids. It’s the best and hardest job in the world…
T: Living a “normal” life.
TMR: Are there some key principles or philosophies that you hold onto as foundational stones as who you are as a person?
R: Love people! Love living! Live loving!
A: Do unto others… Also, think about the way you view the world, and dare follow that thought through to its logical conclusion. Be honest.
TMR: What is the dumbest question you have ever been asked? (Everyone)
CJ: How about this one? : )
R: I am a high school teacher and we where on an school trip to Stockholm, I received a text message from a student that was a bit lost in the big city asking: “where am I?”
J: If the color of a stomp box affects the sound… Though it turned out that the guy were a friend of some friends and were just tricking me…
A: “How do I know I exist?” (answer: “Who’s asking?”)
T: One or two bassdrums?
TMR: What are some of the things you like to do away from the band? (Everyone)
CJ: Spending time with my family is a great thing to do. I also enjoy to sit down and enjoy a good vinyl LP and high quality coffee;)
R: I am the king of nerds and for five years I was the president of the Swedish Dendrobatid society (please google dendrobates) and at the end of the day it was all about flies. I am a family guy with three kids and my sweet life companion. To hang with them is just the essence of life!
J: I enjoy playing board games and similar parlour games with friends. I’m pretty deep into the collecting card game Magic the Gathering, and I’m starting to build up quite the card collection… It’s starting to pick up a fair bit in value, though it will be hard ever selling it all!
A: Enjoying my amazing family. Also, creating new music. Reading and studying, everything from languages and religion to history and hard science. I try to make the most of the fact that I live in a part of the world where university education is free and for everyone.
T: I am remodelling my house, and i like it alot! There is problems to get solved everywhere:) I also like to spend time with my wife and my friends. Make a fire and drink coffe is not bad at all:)
TMR: What are your plans for the near future? European tour maybe?
CJ: First we need to get this album out to the people and we’re, as You know, right in the process of doing just that. Then we’d love to play shows, no doubt.
We will get together and prepare for that and rehearse as soon as we can.
TMR: Guys, thank you for your time and the interview. We wish ‘Empire 21’ all the best… Is there anything you wanna add?
T: See you on tour!: )
Empire 21 line-up
CJ Grimmark [Rob Rock, Narnia] – Guitars
Ricard Hulteke – Vocals
Tobias Enbert [Darkwater, Harmony] – Drums
Andreas Ålöv – Bass
John Svensson [Harmony] – Keyboards
Weblinks: Website / Facebook / Twitter
The album can be pre-ordered at the bands website: www.empire21.se
Video below Album Teaser