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Empire Electric

Indie // Ballyshannon, Donegal

Most people would find the sight of a man brandishing a megaphone while surrounded by a litany of synthesizers quite intimidating but ‘Empire Electric’ aren’t your run of the mill rock n’ roll band.

A sound that addresses the topics such as social disarray, a-list culture and the isolation of fame which has been described as the electronic lovechild of Brian Wilson and Kate Bush set somewhere in the 1950s.

‘Empire Electric’ are a young group that have been pioneering a unique sound that more than provides the neccesary kick in the ass the Irish scene desperately needs. “We want to move away from the artificial music scene that has been more-so image-based rather than based on a want to create music” says Shaun Gallagher, lead singer of the outfit. Bass Player Marc McMenamin goes on to argue that the bands that inspired our music come from a standpoint where music is used as a creative tool to get people out dancing and that is exactly what ‘Empire Electric’ is about; “acts like Jackie Wilson, Chuck Berry or Marc Bolan which make you want to get up out of your seat grab the nearest girl and dance” ‘Empire Electric’, though new to the scene, has had their fair share of gigs in the North and West of the Island both together and with different outfits. The band has spent the last few months preparing their material for an upcoming album, tentatively titled “Mail This to the Marx Brothers”, Which is be available for download in July with promotional dates scheduled for Galway, Cork the Midlands Dublin and their own native Donegal.

‘Empire Electric’ are Shaun Gallagher (a.k.a. Stephen Dedalus) vox/synths/guitar, Marc McMenamin Bass/vox, Turlough McIntyre guitar/vox, and Johnny Keenaghan on drums/vox .