“You can't always write a sad song.”
That’s Empire Cinema frontman Brendon Hock explaining his band’s bright new single, “Pretty Reckless,” which will appear on the Tampa trio’s debut full length due sometime this fall.
“It's about a person who wishes they handled things differently in their life,” Hock, 30, added, “how they treated friends, family, significant others. How they wish they could have spent more time on the important things.”
Hock seems to have figured out what’s important for his band, which hasn’t released a batch of new music since 2013’s Esse Quam Videri EP. His bandmates — bassist Mike Raimondi and drummer Andrew Pellegrino — have been in the lineup for two years, and they’ve spent the last 18 months playing exclusively as a three piece (their second guitarist dropped out the day before Empire Cinema headed to the studio to work on the LP).
“There's a level of comfort and trust that's there with what we do,” Hock said, adding that’s it’s the first time the band features true friends playing together. “It's [not] musicians I met on Craigslist. We seem to get each other pretty well. We've also had to grow together during the recording of this album.”
The unity is tangible on the rollicking four-minute track recorded, mixed and mastered by Frank Calcaterra (Atomic Audio, DieAlps!). The lyrics are dark, but the song — complete with harmonies — may be one of the catchiest ones Empire Cinema has ever written.
Listen to it — and read a short Q&A with Hock — below. Catch the band on March 26 when they play The Bricks in Ybor City alongside The Blonde Tongues and Michael Barrow (DAWNS).
Empire Cinema w/The Blonde Tongues/Michael Barrow
You’ve been in this lineup for a while now (how long exactly?).
We've been playing together for about 2 years, but only a year and a half as a three piece.
Frank recorded, mixed and mastered?
Frank did indeed record, mix and master it.
What has playing with the same guys for so long done for your ability to create a sonic statement that represents the ideas in your head?
There's a level of comfort and trust that's there with what we do. As well it's the first time the band has been composed of friends as opposed to musicians met on Craigslist. We seem to get each other pretty well. We've also had to grow together during the recording of this album. Literally our second guitarist dropped out the day before our first day in the studio, and it wasn't until after playing two shows with with amazing feedback that we decided to keep it that way. Writing and working together comes pretty effortlessly now.
There’s a little bit of a bright tone (if not a complete bright side) on the hook for this one. What gives?
Haha is there a bright tone? I think we had talked in previous interviews about how some of my favorite musicians/artists are people who can write some of the most devastating lyrics to some of the catchiest music. If anything we can chalk it up to being one of our more hook riddled songs on the album. You can't always write a sad song… plus I do feel it is fairly sad, it's about a person who wishes they handled things differently in their life, how they treated friends/family/significant others. How they wish they could have spent more time on the important things.
What guitars are you playing on this one? Specifically the solo.
As for guitars, I myself am playing a fender jaguar with dual humbucking pickups and Mike is playing a Fender P Bass Deluxe with active pickups.
Who did the harmonies at the end of the song?
The harmonies are done by Andrew and myself. He came up with that part to be honest. I thought it was brilliant and it needed to be on the song.
This song is obviously part of a bigger release. Can you tell me about that?
It will be a part of our debut full length. A 10 song album that will be released by fall of this year. We will tour for the album, as well playing all around the southeast for the meantime.
This article appears in Mar 23-30, 2017.