Interviews: Empire Of None

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Alternative Pop Rock band Empire Of None from Sweden. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did the name Empire of None come from, and what does it represent for the band?

Martin: Back in 2018, we were throwing around a bunch of different name ideas. Personally, I always thought “Empire” sounded really badass. Suddenly, we found ourselves with a three-word band name, even though we were honestly pretty tired of long band names at the time, haha! Over time, though, the name has taken on a bigger meaning for us, especially since we do everything ourselves, completely in-house. There’s a real “no one owns me” kind of feeling behind it.

2. How did the project first come together back in 2018, and what was the original vision?

Martin: Filip and I have been playing together in different bands since we were around 14–15 years old. Though before starting Empire of None, we were both playing in separate bands. One day, Filip called me and said he wanted to put together a band, or more like a studio project at first. I asked Joel Ermestål, the drummer in my band at the time, if he wanted to join, and he was in straight away. Being a trio just felt right, and that’s basically how it all started.

3. What does releasing your debut album Keepsake mean to you, after years of building toward this moment?

Martin: It means EVERYTHING to us. The fact that we were actually able to do this completely on our own is honestly crazy when you think about it. But whenever this question comes up, I always have to give credit to Filip. What a guy. He’s been the one behind the board through all of this, and he’s done an incredible job bringing everything to life.

4. The album explores memory, identity, loss, and emotional growth. Was there a central idea or experience that tied all these themes together?

Martin: At first, no. The original plan was just to record an EP, and I think you have a bit more freedom when approaching a project like that. But once the idea of making a full album came up, a lot of the lyrics started taking on new meaning as well. That’s when the title “Keepsake” was born, a collection of the things we carry close to our hearts and minds. Memories of grief, happiness, and everything in between.

5. How would you describe the balance between alternative rock, alt-pop, emo, and post-hardcore influences in your sound?

Martin: It’s hard to say, we just write the kind of music we like. We all come from those kinds of roots, so it’s deeply embedded in who we are as musicians. I think that’s really the recipe for Empire of None. We just sound the way we sound, haha!

6. You’ve maintained a fully DIY approach since the beginning. What are the biggest advantages and challenges of handling everything in-house?

Martin: The biggest advantage is definitely that you don’t have to answer to anyone. Of course, we still take advice from the people around us, but at the end of the day, the decisions are ours. The downside is probably the lack of “muscles” behind it all. It’s a lot harder to reach people and break into the bigger leagues in today’s climate when you’re doing everything independently.

7. How did that DIY process shape the final sound and identity of Keepsake? 

Martin: The DIY process shaped “Keepsake” in every possible way. Since everything was done in-house, there was never any pressure to fit into a certain sound or follow trends. We had the freedom to experiment, take risks, scrap ideas, and rebuild songs until they genuinely felt like us. I think that’s why the album feels so personal. Every detail from the songwriting and production to the visuals and videos came straight from our own heads and hearts.

8. The track writing feels very personal and story-driven. Do you usually start with lyrics, melody, or atmosphere first?

Martin: It varies, but it’s almost never the lyrics first. Most of the time, it starts with a riff or a chorus idea. From there, we usually build the songs in the studio, layering everything piece by piece: melodies, synths, textures, and whatever feels right for the song.

9. What bands or artists had the biggest influence on your sound growing up? 

Martin: My big awakening was “American Idiot” in 2004, haha! But once I really started taking music seriously, bands like Thirty Seconds to Mars, Saosin, Silverstein, and My Chemical Romance were huge inspirations for me.

10. In 2023, you placed 2nd in Sweden’s Rockflödet Unsigned competition. How did that moment impact your confidence and direction as a band?

Martin: It meant a lot to us. It felt like proof that people actually saw us as a band worth paying attention to, a band to take seriously. So much came out of it as well. We suddenly found ourselves with a whole new network of people around us, and it also led to our first conversations with Heli Wiklund, who later became our manager. We also got the chance to record with Kristoffer at Black Madam Studios, which was a really fun and valuable experience for us.

11. How do you translate deeply emotional studio recordings into a live setting? 

Martin: We try to recreate the atmosphere and intensity of the recordings while still letting the songs breathe naturally on stage. Some parts become heavier live, some become more emotional.

12. What was the most challenging song to write or record on Keepsake?

Martin: For me, it was definitely “Where Are You”. That song sits both really high and really low vocally, so there’s a lot of jumping back and forth between ranges. On top of that, there are all these huge harmonies layered even higher, haha!

13. How do you avoid falling into trends while still keeping your sound accessible and modern?

Martin: I think the key is that we’ve never really tried to chase trends in the first place. We write music that we genuinely want to hear ourselves, and because our influences come from so many different eras and styles, the sound naturally ends up feeling both familiar and fresh.

14. If Keepsake had a visual or cinematic identity, what would it look like?

Martin: I think “Keepsake” would look very dark, atmospheric, and emotional, but still with moments of warmth and hope breaking through the cracks. Visually, it would probably feel like empty streets at night, flickering lights, old photographs, worn-out memories, and that constant contrast between beauty and decay.

15. What role does collaboration play within the band when shaping songs and production?

Martin: Filip is definitely the driving force when it comes to melodies, riffs, and a lot of the core ideas. After that, collaboration becomes a huge part of the process. That’s when we sit together in our studio and start piecing everything together. When it comes to the lyrics on “Keepsake”, Henrik and I worked very closely together. We really clicked creatively in that area, and I think that chemistry helped shape a lot of the emotional side of the album. But I also think we’re good at really owning our individual instruments and roles in the band. For example, Christoffer works insanely hard behind the drums to come up with fresh beats and patterns that give the songs their own energy and character.

16. Is there any direction in modern alternative music you deliberately avoid? 

Martin: Not consciously, really. We try not to put too many rules or limitations on ourselves creatively. But I think we naturally avoid things that feel forced or overly calculated just to fit into a trend.

17. What do you want listeners to take away after experiencing the full album? 

Martin: I hope people walk away feeling something real. “Keepsake” is an album about the things we carry with us. Grief, memories, relationships, fear, hope, all of it. So if someone can hear these songs and feel understood, connected, or even just less alone for a moment, then we’ve done something right.

18. Now that Keepsake is out, what does the next chapter for Empire of None look like?

Martin: I honestly don’t really know yet, and that actually feels pretty nice, haha! We’re about to start writing new music again, which is really exciting. We’ve lived and breathed this album for almost two years, so right now we mainly just want to get out there and play these songs live. But there’s something refreshing about not having every step planned out. It feels like a blank page where anything can happen.

19. What are your thoughts on staying independent versus signing with a label at this stage?

Martin: Right now, being independent feels very natural to us because it’s how we’ve always worked. We’ve built everything ourselves from the ground up, and there’s a lot of freedom in that. We get to make our own decisions creatively, move at our own pace, and keep the identity of the band completely authentic. At the same time, we’re not naive about how tough the industry is today. There are definitely limitations when you’re independent, especially when it comes to reach, resources, and getting your music in front of bigger audiences. So we’re not against the idea of working with a label if it feels right.

20. Any final message you want people to hear when they press play on Keepsake? 

Martin: Enjoy!

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