ahlstrom-vocals/guitar
shearer-guitar
c. sanders-drums
t. sanders-bass
Influences
Muse Coldplay Mew M83 Goldspot At the Drive-In Pedro The Lion Radiohead The Frames The Killers The Mars Volta Bloc Party Ours The Arcade Fire The Beatles Pink Floyd The Flaming Lips Colour Revolt ... oh, and Pabst
The Roman Empire formed in late 2003 when singer/songwriter Aaron Ahlstrom first joined up with Chris and Tim Sanders who were coming off of a 6 month stay in Brazil for missionary work. Beginning as a three piece, (Aaron/guitar-vocals, Tim/bass, and Chris/drums), the trio played small shows in the middle Tennessee area for a few months before deciding the timing wasn't right and putting plans on hold for over a year. It wasn't until June of 2005, when close friend and engineer/producer Eric Thibaut joined Tim, Chris and Aaron for a handful of writing sessions, that the idea of reforming the Empire was conceived. Opting to start anew the four-piece began working on fresh material. Within the first 3 practices the Roman Empire, (now including Eric Thibaut), had produced 3 new songs to package with fan favorites Jumpship and Days End for their first Nashville show.
After recording at Quad Studios, as well as hours in Erics home studio, the band prepared to release their first self titled ep. Unfortunately, before plans could be taken any further, in October of 05 lead guitarist, engineer and Ihop menu champion left the group to continue college back home in Flint Michigan. Even with the future of the band in question the three original members pushed on and continued to book shows.
One month later the Roman Empire found their new guitarist in Jon Shearer. It was through Jon that the band met producer Nate Hughes. Hughes first worked with the Empire at his home studio in west Nashville leading to there first ep release. With the recordings from the Thibaut sessions paired with their first collaboration with Nate the Empire released the first ep in January of 2006. Key tracks included Days End, How to Save the World and The Energy.
In January the Roman Empire entered the Emergenza band festival. The event was host to over 3,500 bands from across the United States with the winner flying to Germany to perform in front of 25,000 people at the Tobertal open air festival. After winning four competitive shows in Tennessee and taking first place in the regional final in Atlanta the band went on to place 6th out of the fourteen bands that made it to the national finals in Dallas.
In October of 2006 Tim Sanders left the group to get married and go back to school. The following month, while in the process of finding a new bass player, the band was dissolved and Jon and Aaron started work on their new project later named "Eastern Block".
now that we've relocated we wanted to drop a line and hopefully we're not to late to say happy new year.
Also, we've released two projects to start the new year, from Shawn Tracy and Jon Crocker, we would love it if you stopped by and gave them a listen...
Hello --hope you are well.....lovelovelovelove your music!!!
Please vote a "10" for me on the Saatchi Showdown this week. I would greatly appreciate this as I am very close and every vote means a lot. Here is a direct link and my image.
I've talked you up to so many people, which only means one thing: You better start talkin' me up, too.
Here's how: Sing songs only about me and my greatness. Have someone in the background holding up posterboard with the lyrics on them, so deaf people can join in on the festivities, too. Also, get your gear painted with my face on it, with lots of hearts. Make sure you have a throne on stage that you can dance around while sereneding me with your sexy rocking, and inbetween songs sing me Happy Birthday. Close your sets with the Canadian Anthem, not because Im Canadian, but because its an awesome anthem and it brings out my eyes.
I think all of this is owed to me....you have one month to prepare.
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