‘They were part of my sinew’ Empire, the British band who changed the 80s without you knowing it
about 2 years in The guardian
Awkward, unambitious and with only one album, the trio still left a huge mark, influencing the Stone Roses as well as the entire DC hardcore scene. Empire retell their story, while Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto explains their impactAs the guitarist in Generation X, Bob “Derwood” Andrews crafted some of the most scorching and incisive riffs of the punk era. But in late 1979, after quitting the band, he was stacking chairs after boxing matches in Wembley Arena for a few pounds a night and his next musical venture, Empire, was about to prove a critical and commercial failure.Andrews, though, would end up inspiring some of the greatest artists ever to emerge from the American underground, including Fugazi and Henry Rollins, with Empire’s lone album Expensive Sound. A masterpiece of clarity and restraint, it is hailed by its numerous fans, who also include Johnny Marr of the Smiths and John Squire of the Stone Roses, as one of post-punk’s finest “lost albums”. Most remarkable of all is how circuitous the path to that recognition has been. Continue reading...
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