Active Listening: Night on Earth
Empath goes far beyond the sound of birds faintly chirping. They’re a band that writes songs like communing with nature, bringing all their fuzzed and tripped out idiosyncrasies into harmony. Empath began in 2016 when Garrett Koloski, Emily "Jem" Shanahan, and Catherine Elicson moved into a house in West Philadelphia together, with Randall Coon joining shortly after. Even with the simple vision to shred, there’s a natural sensitivity in the way Empath communicates. Between the contrast of Elicson’s lush, almost delicate vocals, Koloski’s boisterous drumming, and the half-harmonious wash of guitar and Shanahan and Coon’s synths, Empath equips us with a healthy dose of emotional repose. The noise punk band broke onto the national scene with the release of 'Liberating Guilt and Fear' EP with renowned DIY Philly punk label Get Better Records in 2018 which drew praise from Pitchfork, NPR, FADER, Rolling Stone and more, being compared to acts such as Broken Social Scene, Sonic Youth, Times New Viking, New Age and Priests. The lead single “The Eye” was deemed “Best New Track” by Pitchfork and Empath was tagged as a rising artist in the US indie music scene. Over the course of 2019 Empath cemented themselves as one of the buzziest emerging bands in indie music, being heralded as “America’s most inventive young psychedelic band” by Rolling Stone Magazine. They also garnered more support from Pitchfork, FADER, Stereogum, NPR and more around “Soft Shape” and “Hanging Out of Cars,” the two standout singles from 'Active Listening: Night on Earth' LP. Their last single “Roses That Cry” received the “Best New Track” title from Pitchfork. Upon releasing the debut LP it received rave reviews from the top music publications in the world; being called “a noise pop gem” and given a 3.5/5 stars by Rolling Stone Magazine and receiving an 8.0 from Pitchfork. After cultivating great success at the grass roots level Empath is ready to take the next step into their meteoritic rise with indie taste-maker Fat Possum Records. With the new global support of Fat Possum Records, Empath will be reissuing both 'Active Listening: Night on Earth' LP and 'Liberating Guilt and Fear' EP as a special edition dual-release with Get Better Records and taking to the road both in North America and overseas!
The Philadelphia quartet’s full-length debut showcases their defiant brand of noise-pop, a big rainbow of chaos.
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Philly-based four-piece Empath grew organically out of noisy basement jam sessions and free jazz listening parties between close friends living in a communal house.
West Philly weirdos Empath's first full-length sets out of its stall early on—on addictive opener "Soft Shape," a blend of gentle psych, pastoral orchestration and tribal percussion lift Catherine Elicson's fragile but complex melodies and plaintive voc
The willingness of Philadelphia quartet Empath to tear up the rulebook on Active Listening: Night On Earth is exhilarating fun.