Formed in 2017 by Dean Nolan and Adam McCarthy, Empathy set out to take their inspirations from Interpol, the Pixies and The Smashing Pumpkins, and turn them into a unique sound. After adding Sam Sweetman and Dan Rheinisch, the quartet was complete, and they built a reputation around an addictive live sound, making their names on the Irish circuit.
‘Jeffrey’ is a fantastic debut single from the four-piece, positioning the band as great character-study writers with a fierce alt-rock edge. The screaming feedback and deep, distorted riffs cloud the intro going into the first verse. The pound of the drums keeps the energy high as the vocals enter the fray, the struggle on show in tone and performance.
The infectious guitars continue to expand and roar, adding new layers of metallic electricity. The vocals, also, lean further into their initial emotions, crossing the boundary between eerie, ominous and menacing. Deadly and distinct from the first dark note to the final shrill guitar line, the band are tightly packed and intense, opening the door for new songs to arrive from Empathy.
“Jeffrey is an interpretation of the internal struggles and moral wranglings of one of the most well-known serial killers of the 20th century. We wrote the song to investigate Dahmer’s descent from ideation to reasoning; and eventually to his indulgent actions, and relishing in his vile nature,” the band share.
