Debut album ’Daydream’ merges soul, doo-wop, funk and indie rock.
Looking for the perfect song for your summer hijinks montage? It may be Empty Houses’ “Better of Me,” a bouncy, catchy song that’s packed with horns, handclaps and piano hooks. With singer Ali Shea’s full-bodied, sassy voice soaring over everything, all you need is a margarita, a pool and endless sunshine to complete the perfect summer day. The rest of the Detroit trio’s debut, Daydream, doesn’t disappoint, either. Alongside Adam Mercer and David Mackinder, Empty Houses captivates on all of its 10 tracks. Just call them the power pop trio.
Mercer talks to Myspace about their sound, how they got together and that time his grandma came to one of their shows.
Hometown and homebase:
Detroit!
How did you all meet? What made you want to form a band together?
We’ve been friends for a while and eventually realized we all love this kind of music and we decided we shouldn’t be not making it together.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Our influences are constantly changing as we hear new music and discover new artists and sounds, but if I had to narrow it down I’d say Stevie Wonder and The Muppets.
How do you describe your music to someone who’s never heard you before?
If Aretha Franklin had a cousin who was kinda sad but also listened to the Beach Boys and decided to make an album in 2015 it might sound something like ours.
Why are you called Empty Houses?
That name came from a lyric of an old song of ours and we felt it fit the vibe and represented this band well.
How does being from Detroit influence your music? Did you grow up listening to Motown or the White Stripes?
We all grew up listening to Motown so that kinda stuff is ingrained in us, but we also love The White Stripes and all of Jack White’s projects. Detroit is definitely in our music.
Can you explain your songwriting process?
It doesn’t involve a whole lot of thinking or over-analyzing; we just do what sounds and feels right to us.
Why is your album called Daydream?
It’s easy to get lost in your own head thinking about why things are a certain way, or how much older you’re getting, or thinking that things are worse than they actually are. Or you can overly romanticize things. A daydream take your mind to nice, pleasant places or dark ones and I think this record is about finding the balance.
What’s the craziest Empty Houses story so far?
We just finished our first tour ever which was very short, so we don’t have much in the way of tour stories. The craziest thing so far is probably that my grandma came to our Michigan show.
Who would you love to collaborate with?
What do you do for fun?
Go to a lake or any kind of outdoor activity, or write music. Writing music is very fun for us.
If you were a hashtag, what would you be?
#SexyChristmas
Do you have an awesome Myspace-related story as a musician?
Not really, but I hope Tom would like our band.