Not many rock bands strive for that towering arena filling sound early in their career. Unperturbed ambitious alt-rock trio EMPRA continue to turn things up to 11 with new single Rebecca.
After the tragic passing of bandmate Wayne Thunder in 2007 vocalist and guitarist Sanny Veloo wound up Singapore outfit Boredphucks and relocated to Melbourne with renewed purpose and aspirations to bring his own brand of uplifting rock music to the world.
Aggressive and uplifting, EMPRA bring plenty of charisma to their latest single Rebecca, the power trio imbued with classic rock style.
Since the group’s inception in 2011 EMPRA have toured prolifically building a following not only in Australia but also South East Asia and the United States. In 2013 the group met with international acclaim after taking out first place in music industry juggernaut Live Nation’s international battle of the band’s style competition the In House Artist Project in 2013.
With the assistance of bassist Matt Agius and drummer Georgia Flipo EMPRA’s current line-up combines the influence of alt-rock legends the Foo Fighters with the hard hitting rock crunch of Royal Blood for latest single Rebecca.
Driven by a chunky bassline, crashing guitar licks, playful drumming pattern and melodic call and response vocals, Rebecca’s narrative lyric tells the tale of an unrequited love on the dance floor at Melbourne’s iconic rock haven Cherry Bar. Veloo’s proclivity for writing a slick rock track has often been praised and cannot be faulted here.
There is always a certain playful character which underpins EMPRA’s signature sound, evident here in Veloo’s vocals carrying out a one man rock opera pantomime where he plays both the part of an aggressive narrator and lovelorn protagonist.
While cynics might view lyrcis like “Making out at the back of the club / with a connection we forged over rock ‘n’ roll” as being a bit on the nose, there is a certain throwback to the playful simplicity and spirited rock of classic rock tracks of acts like Kiss, Poison or Cheap Trick. Raw and simple Rebecca might not provide us any deeply introspective insights, but can’t be faulted for inviting the listener to throw their hair back, dance, sing along and have a good time.
With their latest single EMPRA continue to make their mark on the rock world and lay down warm uplifting arena rock. For those looking to catch the band before they embark on another round of international touring the power trio will be launching their new single at Melbourne’s Revolver on September 19th.
