New Empire make philosophy out of their music: ‘there is something that music has the ability to do like nothing else in this world. Where words fail, music has a voice. This is what makes it worth it. This is where we can be totally real.’
Pete Gillies answers our questions:
What was the first band you saw live?
Funnily enough, Creed. When I was about 15 as a present from my girlfriend at the time.
What’d you learn from them?
It’s safe to say that from show number one, for me, incredible entertainment and performance was seeded deep in my soul. Their show was nothing short of a high budget production, put together by some of the worlds best.
Got any pre-gig rituals?
Yup! Generally we all go off into our own zone for anywhere between 15 mins to an hour. Though we always come together right before we hit to stage to re-focus, and unite, so that we perform as one. The audience picks up on things like disunity, and will affect their take on the show, so we just choose never to make it a problem!
What do you think the most important issue facing artists in NSW is?
Shows and good management. There are many shows out there, but I believe there are more people out there that just need to be connected to venues to create and manage shows. They are people that strive for excellence and truly believe in marketing and promoting as their own art form – just like that of a musician. Management goes without saying; artists with good management are represented better and most importantly, have a third-party that dive into the journey with them. Quality management is hard to find but essential.
If you weren’t a musician, what do you reckon you’d be doing?
I was actually a high school teacher for a short while before we decided to do music full time. I guess I would still be doing that… Because I did really enjoy it anyway!