Empty Spaces Release High Energy Single (Irish Rock)
‘Do You Wanna Be The One’ is the blistering debut single from Empty Spaces. A high energy, pedal to the metal, amps dialled to 11, snarling beast of a track. The four piece have been making a name for themselves in the Belfast live music scene, building a rep for high energy, intense live shows. Pulling on influences as diverse as the southern blues drawl of Muddy Waters and BB King to the rock and roll viscera of Foo Fighters and Royal Blood. The band are using their flag in the moon moment to showcase their rock side of their sound.
The band consist of tight bro’s from way back when; Stephen (vocals/guitar) and Rahul (bass/vocals) who were later joined by Paul (guitar/vocals) and Alex (drums). Taking their name from a Pink Floyd song, as a nod to another influence and facet of their sound. The band have started to imbue the name with their own meaning. Song writing happens in a very organic way with members bringing in ideas to the practice room to see if they pass the Empty Spaces litmus test, the band then bring their respective hammers to the anvil, working through ideas, allowing the song to take shape.
‘Do You Wanna Be The One’ was no different starting off as a voice memo Stephen had hummed into his phone. This simple melody was then transformed into the track we hear today. ‘Do You Wanna Be The One’ wastes not one second of its 2 minutes 43 seconds run time as it rips out of the speakers, after a quick three count in the band are already hitting 100 miles per hour. Stephen and Pauls dual guitars create a wall of distortion, as Alex’s snare drum punctuates like a gun shot. The verse drops down to create space for Rahul’s bass to lock in perfectly with Alex’s stadium sized heavy tom groove. As the band start to ramp up again for the chorus, guitar chords ring out before gang vocals and the rhetorical question is posed to the listener ‘Do you wanna be the one to know?’ It’s a huge hook that will forever remain unanswered. When the band are pressed on any meaning attached to the lyrics they prefer to let the audience hold a mirror up to themselves and ask themselves the question, bringing their own meaning to the song. The track doesn’t let up and as we hit the middle the band take it up another notch, feeling like were being thrown around a bend at break neck speed, tyres squealing underneath and the weightless euphoria that comes right before a crash. Luckily they pull it back and the chorus see’s us home safely.
The band clearly wanting to make an impression from the off, decided to work with Michael Bell in the prestigious Start Together Studio. Pre-production talks with Michael brought forth additional sounds and ideas to help shape the track.
Given the high energy of the track the band decided to capture this is a live video from a recent live show in Belfast’s own Union Bar, a cornerstone of the local scene. The video gives a visual language to crashing drums, walls of distortion, rumbling bass and larynx shredding vocals.
A confident and self-assured debut release from a band that are only giving us a glimpse at what they’re capable of. This high energy, distortion set to 11 track is not one to go on a Sunday drive to, but for those nights when the needle needs to creep higher and higher, there is no better soundtrack.
Empty Spaces – Do You Wanna Be The One (Spotify Link)