Empire of One
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Empire of One

Los Angeles, California, United States | SELF

Los Angeles, California, United States | SELF
Band Rock Alternative

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"Melodic Net - Empire of One"

Melodic.net has been a big fan of Wil Seabrook since he got signed to Madonna's former label Maverick. Unfortunately, the album was not released, but it got me interested and since then follow him with great delight. He has managed to charm me over and over with his warm and sunny pop / rock. Sometimes a little groovier and sometimes a little more emotional, but always with a great sense of heart and soul. The results have always been impressive and this EP under the name Empire Of One is no exception. Together with Luke Thomas on guitar, Darwin Johnson on bass and Alexander E. Gonzalez on drums, Wil has created a handful of really strong songs with a little bigger sound than before. Imagine a mixture of Dishwalla, U2, Graham Colton, and we are pretty close. A little more arena orientated than before, but of course with a warm wind of LA pop that makes him so special. Favorites are the sweet "Better Than" along with the cool "Roam", but you will find your own favorites for sure. A must have!
- www.melodic.net


"Kpod Interview"

Beautiful. Wow! It's even better live! You guys sound incredible together -it's gorgeous! (Kerri Kasem)

I have a new favorite song! I love that! So good. (Ashley Marriott) - www.thekpod.com Show #250


"Kerri Kasem (E!, DJ/Radio host)"

"LOVE I'm Still Here and If I Let Myself Dream! Great EP!"
- Kerri Kasem, Radio Host / DJ (Premiere Radio Networks "Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx" and "The Side Show Countdown" - Testimonial


Discography

Empire of One - EP (2012)

Photos

Bio

Some families you're born into. Others seemingly depend on quirks of fate to spontaneously burst into life, fully formed and making one hell of a noise. To look at the members of Empire of One, you can't exactly see the family resemblance. And yet in less than a year of writing, recording and performing music together, this group of experienced and diverse musicians is creating a sound and a live show experience that makes it seem as if they were brothers separated at birth.

Lead singer Wil Seabrook, a veteran of indie and major label deals with Maverick/Warner Brothers, has lived a creative lifetime in the music business. Having toured with world-class groups from Dave Matthews Band to Sister Hazel and garnered AA radio airplay and placements in shows such as “Dawson’s Creek”, MTV’s “Teen Mom 2”, and the Tim Allen/Jenna Elfman film “The Six Wives of Henry Lefay”, Wil brings his solo career success to the band, and has been looking for just this situation since he first picked up a guitar. "Ever since I was sixteen I wanted to be in a band that felt like a family, where you have each other's back, both in terms of the music and the creative process and also in life,” says Wil. “With this group of guys I'm spending time with some of my best friends who also happen to be the most talented musicians I know. Every time we step on stage or into the studio I'm excited to hear what these guys are going to do, where we're going to take the conversation. That kind of chemistry doesn't happen very often in life. And the audience picks up on that and is pulled into that conversation. For us it really is about making one new fan at a time and valuing that dialogue as the most important element of our success."

Guitarist Luke Thomas grew up loving music, singing and learning to play piano and drums before picking up the guitar. He became a serious student of music in college, studying classical and jazz guitar while cutting his teeth performing in rock and funk/soul bands all over the Midwest. Luke’s musical education continued when he moved to the musical melting pot of the San Francisco Bay Area and spent several years performing and recording all kinds of music from Afro-beat to progressive rock to free improv jazz and reggae. As a session guitarist and sideman, Luke toured and performed with many LA-based acts before forming Empire of One with singer Wil Seabrook in 2011. “I’ve played so many types of music with so many different people,” he says, “but at the end of the day, what really matters to me is playing great songs with great musicians and having a musical family that works to support each other. With Empire, we’ve worked so hard to write and perform great music that I truly believe in, and the results are obvious every time we perform. This band is putting something really unique and positive out there, and it's going to make a big impact.”

Bassist Darwin Johnson was born to a young immigrant couple from Kingston, Jamaica, the seventh of nine musically gifted children. At the age of seven, his father taught him to play the bass guitar. Growing up in the church, he learned to sing and developed his musical ear and soon was performing in the jazz band and the gospel choir while attending the University of Florida and touring and playing for many prominent gospel artists. Since his move to L. A., he has played with R&B and Pop recording artists such as Chante Moore, Kelly Clarkson, Ludacris, Josh Kelley, Deborah Cox, Steven Simmonds, Kelly Price, and Anastacia and has appeared on national television shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Soul Train, Craig Kilborn, and more. In recent years, Darwin has played with Atlantic recording artist Joe Firstman, while opening up for Sheryl Crow and the legendary Willie Nelson, and he was the bassist in the house band with Joe Firstman on Last Call with Carson Daly. “I’ve played such great music with such great people and I’ve been very fortunate,” says Darwin. “But there’s nothing like having your own thing and getting out there with your band. There’s nothing cooler than being out there in your own band.”

Drummer Alexander E. Gonzalez was born in Hollywood, California to musical parents and grew up playing music in Los Angeles. He began playing on pots, pans and bongos at 18 months, got his first set of drums at the age of 4 and started performing professionally by the age of 5. Alex also began studying with legendary funk drummer David Garibaldi (Tower of Power) at the age of 6. In 1983, Alex formed the band "Lava and the Hot Rocks" with his mother and father. As the drummer in the group, Alex recorded his first single at the age of 8 and mixed and co-produced the band's first album by the age of 19. He performed all over Los Angeles with his family in the band’s twenty-year history. Serving as the Empire of One’s rhythmic foundation, Alex’s groove and positive attitude drive the band to great heights. “It’s like another family for me,” sa