DJ Interviews: Empire Of Lights

Hello there guys DJ Dizzy here & I sat down with a band who are based in Wales & they answer to the name of Empire of Lights as they shared their success.

1/ How'd you get started in music?

As a band we formed in December 2018, just with me and 2 guys from my local area, Eifion on drums and Simon on bass.  I started playing keyboard and piano when I was 11. I started on guitar when I was 16, which is the age of our drummer right now. He's a big of a prodigy—already a drum teacher and virtuoso at just 16. The bass player has a degree in music technology and runs some community music groups.

For me, I think I started as a musician because I loved music. I remember jumping around the room listening to The Beatles, Ike & Turner Turner, and all sorts of music when I was very young. I had a little zither cymbala for my first instrument. I remember plucking the strings for that and making melodies. This was when I was 3 or 4 years old. I tried drumming too. My Dad had an Arabic style hand drum, a doumbek. I never learned to play that properly, but I tried.

2/ What are your inspirations or influences?

I think as a band we are very much influenced by 60s and 70s rock—Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder.

Generally as a band, we are into all sorts of music—metal, rock, funk, blues, country, hip hop, pop, jazz, funk. I think we are all very versatile players and can play whatever we set our minds to.

Thematically, we are influenced by science fiction stories. Our first single, Chasing Stardust is about flying among the stars and colonising the universe. Some of our biggest thematic influences are science fiction writers like Octavia Butler, Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick.

3/ What advice would offer aspiring performers?

Practice, practice, practice. And learn how to promote your music on social media. I probably spend more time promoting my music than making music. It is an essential part of being a musician today, and if I had taken it seriously from the start, I would have had a much easier time.

4/ Any new gigs or albums in the future?

We are releasing a new single every month for the foreseeable future. The next single coming out in September is called Wake Me Up. It's a dark, spacey and psychedelic song.

Special thanks to them for doing this interview & I wish them lots of luck in their music. So until then I'll catch you on The Flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll!