A Scarlet Empire profile picture

A Scarlet Empire

...Blanket All...

About Me

For years, A Scarlet Empire was merely an idea conjured after William Rogers (vocals/keys) moved from Clarksdale, Mississippi to York, Pennsylvania in 2003 and started writing songs influenced by classical composers such as Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Chopin. After a year playing, Rogers sent a few pieces to long-time friend and former band mate, Wes Butler (guitar/vocals), through AOL Instant Messenger. Butler offered to add guitar to the classically infused piano music and after another year, had hammered out a guitar riff to a song called "The Lie." On vacation from college, Rogers recorded the piano tracks for "The Lie" on an eight track recorder and Butler added the monolithic guitar lines reminiscent of early 1970’s Pink Floyd. After listening to the rough demo, Rogers and Butler knew they had stumbled on something with lasting power. They knew a band had to be formed, but still, Rogers lived too far away to practice with a band so the two shared riffs back and forth through the power of AOL Instant Messenger as they had done before. All the while, on the home fronts of the Mississippi Delta, a band was being arranged. Austin Britt, lifelong friend of Rogers and Butler was at first thought to be the band's bass player. However, after jamming on his brother's set of drums, Britt offered to play percussion. Another friend and former band mate, Coleman Card was to be added to the band as a guitarist. After the foursome had been set up, they waited as they had done for years with a fifteen minute song on musical layaway. In the fall of 2005, Rogers moved back home to Clarksdale, Mississippi to attend Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. The band finally began loose practices in December of the same year. Within months the band had crafted enough of their classically influenced rock music to play in Cleveland, Mississippi's Other Fest, where they were met with a screaming standing ovation from a crowd of nearly three-hundred. All these events strengthened the creative bond between band members, encouraging them to expand their vision and make every emotion audible to their listeners. In the following months, the band tied bits and pieces of different songs into one to create a massive release of emotion, energy, and creativity. This 46 minute track, to be called “The Mirror,” would be the complete revelation of the band’s personalities, struggles, hopes, desires, dreams, regrets, and the peaks and valleys in between. This album was to mirror their own lives in hope that listeners everywhere could sense the passion and identify with the songs. The band recorded the 46 minute track, entitled “The Mirror,” live during November 2006 at the Delta Music Institute on the campus of Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. The album was recorded by well-known producer and engineer, Willie Pevear (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Lyle Lovett). Broken into 15 individual songs, the 46 minute album is a passionate, moving display of what it means to be alive, what it means to regret, and what it means to love, and encompasses everything beautiful about the creative human spirit and its will to prevail no matter what the situation. Since recording the disc in 2006, the band finally went into production on the cd in the summer of 2007. In the meantime, the band has written more songs such as “Decisions” and “You Know It Already” that display the bands creative growth as a single musical unit. There is no doubt that A Scarlet Empire’s sound is as big and powerful as the band’s name itself. Call it classical rock, rock symphony, or art rock. Call it what you will; it is definitely a work of art.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 4/11/2006
Band Website: ascarletempire.com
Band Members: William Rogers [Piano,Vocals]
Wes Butler [Guitar]
Austin Britt [Drums]
Coleman Card [Guitar]
Influences:
View a scarlet empire's EPK
Sounds Like: We are a lush, piano driven melodic rock band from Clarksdale, MS, whose songs feature intense peaks and heart-stopping valleys of emotional release.
Type of Label: None

My Blog

****New Album****

Tomorrow we will be going into the studio with Walt Busby in Clarksdale, MS, to record our second album. It is currently untitled but here is the songlist: Holidays, You Know It Already, Reflections,...
Posted by A Scarlet Empire on Sat, 16 Feb 2008 03:06:00 PST

Lately...

Here is a little update for everyone: We, A Scarlet Empire, have begun recording our second album. So far basic tracks for new songs "You Know It Already," "Decisions," and "The Leavings" have been ...
Posted by A Scarlet Empire on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 02:16:00 PST

Knight time is the Kright time

This blog is basically just to say hello and so as to update...For the time being, Austin's apartment is filled with the smooth sounds of Guitar Hero II songs.  Austin is demolishi...
Posted by A Scarlet Empire on Thu, 18 Jan 2007 10:18:00 PST

You may have wondered...

What are we up to?  What is the deal with the new cd?  What is Wes's phone number?   Well.... here are some answers.  We have completed the instrument tracks for our first cd entit...
Posted by A Scarlet Empire on Wed, 13 Dec 2006 12:02:00 PST

guitars complete on cd

the guitar tracks were completed about 30 minutes ago.  Now, all that's left are a few key mess-ups and vocals.  That's me.whenever my hand heals I'm redoing a some key tracks...
Posted by A Scarlet Empire on Wed, 29 Nov 2006 07:30:00 PST

We Recorded hoy hoy

So, some recording went down this wednesday, last.  That's the day before Thanksgiving for those who like to keep tabs.  A Scarlet Empire now has a 46 minute full-length recording that will ...
Posted by A Scarlet Empire on Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:25:00 PST

Full Length cd coming soon plus a lot more

We the people of A Scarlet Empire are going to be recording again within the next few weeks (if everything goes as planned).  By Thanksgiving we will definitely have recorded.  This time we'...
Posted by A Scarlet Empire on Tue, 31 Oct 2006 10:30:00 PST

This weekend

So, we're all back home now.  Everyone except Austin.  He rode to Gautier/New Orleans with his brother.  They were coming back yesterday and realized that the engine of their motorized ...
Posted by A Scarlet Empire on Mon, 07 Aug 2006 01:30:00 PST

Tying it together

We just tied together 40 minutes of music.It's pretty much like camping... intense... in tents.w
Posted by A Scarlet Empire on Sun, 30 Jul 2006 05:12:00 PST

Clarksdale Press Register Article

By MARSHALL DREWInternWith original songs that blend hard rock and classical music, local band A Scarlet Empire are bringing a unique and vibrant sound to the Delta's music scene.The band was formed e...
Posted by A Scarlet Empire on Thu, 20 Jul 2006 01:35:00 PST