Chicago rockers EMPIRES are thrilled to be hitting the road this summer in support of their highly praised EP, BANG. Beginning May 15th in La Crosse, WI, the band will embark on a five-week national tour with songs that The Chicago Tribune calls “refreshingly unpredictable,” MTV praises as “all ethereal and doomy like the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or the Black Angels, but with a little bit of My Chemical Romance snarl thrown in for good measure” and Metromix raves “pretty much out-Killers the Killers.”

To get fans excited about the upcoming tour dates, EMPIRES is offering the soaring and anthemic DAMN THINGS OVER, for free download at http://weareempires.com/download/damnthingsover.mp3

Since the beginning, EMPIRES has taken full advantage of the Internet and online communities as a means for getting the word our about their music. Allowing kids to download their music for free, the band offered various releases via their website, www.weareempires.com. By the end of the 2009, the band’s self-released debut HOWL had earned over 60,000 album downloads and more than 600,000 listens on MySpace and had caught the attention of kids and critics across the country.

The band’s DIY approach to the production and distribution of their music has left the band feeling totally liberated; free from creative restraints and able to explore any sound they want, thereby creating an identity that is true to their vision. Empires write, engineer, produce, mix and art direct all of their music, with youngest member, Max Steger at the helm of the tracking and engineering recording sessions.

EMPIRES’ latest EP, BANG, is an exciting collection of songs that were released for free download once a week this past March, surrounding the band’s successful visit to this year’s SXSW Music Conference in Austin, TX.

TOUR DATES:
With TV/TV
May 15 The Warehouse La Crosse, WI
May 16 The Vault Buffalo, MN
May 18 Mac’s Bar Lansing, MI
May 19 Rockstar Cleveland, OH
May 20 Scranton Vintage Theatre Scranton, PA
May 21 The Fire Philadelphia, PA
May 22 Hardware Naples, NY
May 23 Hangar 84 Vineland, NJ
May 24 Ottobar Baltimore, MD
May 26 Crocodile Café Allentown, PA
May 27 Sparks Contemporary Art Syracuse, NY
May 28 Outback Teen Center New Canaan, CT
May 29 Vibe Lounge Rockville, NY

Verge Music Festival (with Three Days Grace, Eagles of Death Metal, She & Him)
June 4 Henry Majer Festival Park Milwaukee, WI

With Motion City Soundtrack
June 5 People’s Court Des Moines, IA

With Lights Resolve and Harvard
June 6 Subterranean Chicago, IL
June 8 Knickerbockers Lincoln, NE
June 9 Riot Room Kansas City, MO
June 10 The End Nashville, TN
June 11 Big Daddy’s Tallahassee, FL
June 12 The Nightlife Tampa, FL
June 13 Rockettown Pompano Beach, FL
June 14 The Cameo Theatre Orlando, FL
June 15 TBA Jacksonville, FL
June 16 Tasty World Athens, GA
June 17 TBA Charleston, SC
June 18 Tremont Music Hall Charlotte, NC
June 19 Legit Biz Greensboro, NC
June 20 Alley Katz Richmond, VA
June 21 The Fire Philadelphia, PA
June 22 Webster Hall Studio New York, NY
June 23 TT The Bear’s Boston, MA