Denver-based indie rock group Instant Empire stride into 2019 with the release of their two new singles, “Impossibly Perfect” and “Sugar Sweet”.
On “Impossibly Perfect” frontman, Scotty Saunders’ vocals float on a bed of warm fuzz and lush reverb as he delivers lyrics self-described as “about as close as you’ll get to a love song on this album.” This bittersweet take on love finds Instant Empire confronting the fragility of human relationships. Saunders explains, “[the song] juxtaposes the sheer awe that comes with connecting with someone … with a simultaneous feeling that some day, it could all crumble and fade away. “
In comparison “Sugar Sweet” is Instant Empire at their most adventurous. By the time Scotty’s singing “I feel free, I feel empty. I’m a parade … I’m the confetti … I’m kinda floating down” the song feels buoyant, damn near joyous. It’s manic, schizophrenic indie rock at its finest.
These singles are released ahead of the June 14 release of the band’s Cathedrals album. Saunders outlines the overarching theme of the record; “much of our latest album deals with the need for connection in our modern world … most of all what it means to be human at this moment of time.”
Featuring characters in various states of personal crisis and existential dread, Cathedrals takes after its name and offers a sanctuary for the lost and lonely. A list of style-and-genre-bending tracks makes up the LP, helping to achieve the band’s goal of expanding upon their distinct, meticulously crafted sound. Fans will be aware of many of the tracks on Cathedrals, which were released throughout the past year as part of the band’s 12×12 project, where they wrote, recorded, and released a new song every month.
Instant Empire is a five-man group, comprised of members Scotty Saunders (vocals/lyrics), Sean Connaughty (guitar/keys), Lou Kucera (guitar/keys), Jacob Porter (bass), and Matt Grizzell (drums). Between vivid storytelling and fractured, impressionistic poetry, Instant Empire uses their unique take on indie rock to write music that explores what it means to be a human in the modern world.