After being together for only a short time, DU-based band The Northern Empty has already released a single, an EP and is planning on releasing much more in the coming year.
The contemporary folk band began in December 2014 after junior Nick Anderson (English major, Wheaton, Ill.) wrote and recorded the song “Off the Floor.” Sophomore violinist Raven Underwood (violin performance major, Denver) and eventual member of “The Northern Empty” was part of that first recording.
“I released [“Off the Floor”] for friends and family, but a lot more people liked it than I thought so then we got a band together to start writing songs,” Anderson said.
Junior pianist Brendan Schuster (vocal jazz performance major, Arvada) joined The Northern Empty in February and sophomore mandolinist Erik Fellerstein (theater major, Denver) was added soon after that to supplement the band’s sound. Anderson (vocals and guitar), Underwood (violin and vocals) Schuster (piano and vocals) and Fellerstein (mandolin) make up the four core members of the band, though it may still not be in its final form. The Northern Empty also will add musicians for recording if they feel the need.
Not long after its creation, The Northern Empty released the two-song EP “Run Home” on April 19. Engineer and DU alum Cooper Leith produced the EP and much of it was recorded in the Lamont School of Music. Anderson and Schuster attribute the speed with which they released “Run Home” to not having to try to find studio space.
“It was much faster turnaround than we expected,” Schuster said. “We had actually planned it further out.”
“It was exhausting. I know we spent 13 hours one day with Cooper,” Anderson added.
Self-described as contemporary folk or folk-pop, The Northern Empty has been influenced by bands like The Lumineers, Judah and the Lion, The Punch Brothers and Colorado-based Gregory Alan Iskaov—whose album “This Empty Northern Hemisphere” inspired the band name—and others, but are dedicated to having their own sound.
“Accessibility is really important to us,” Schuster said. “We can create music that people can jam out to and dance to that isn’t such a specific niche.”
While their current releases have been more pop-leaning, upcoming releases may have more influences from bluegrass and traditional folk roots. However, they still want to keep a wider pop appeal.
As of now, the band is planning to release a single in June or July and then a full-length album in the fall for which they will be writing songs over the summer. In the meantime, the band is prepping for one of their first major shows. Their first big gig will be May 30 when they headline the Mercury Café in Denver with Colorado Springs band Edith Makes A Paperchain.
“We’re really looking forward to actually playing out and getting into the community this summer,” Anderson said. “Since we’re such a young band, the more we play together and the more that we write together, the more dynamic we’ll become.”
The Northern Empty will also be playing at the Laughing Goat in Boulder on August 16, as well as the Higher Ground Music Festival in Denver, which takes place from August 20-22.
The Northern Empty is still a nascent band, but one that is looking to grow. They can be found online on Facebook and on Twitter (@northernempty). Their music is available on Spotify and iTunes.
