Within 18 months, Tom McKean and the Emperors have become an essential draw on the London live music scene and a big hit on myspace (with 45,000 song plays). Tom's deep growl and poetic lyrics are reminiscent of Johnny Cash, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave, while The Emperors provide soaring harmonies, beautiful musical arrangements and plenty of bad attitude.
Summer 2008 will see the release of the band’s first single, produced by Luther Russell (Sarabeth Tucek, Richmond Fontaine) and written and demo’d at 18 Rugby St EC1, former home to poets Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath
The Emperors are regulars at London venues like the Borderline and the Barfly and three members of the band recently accompanied Barry Adamson, Nick Cave and David McAlmont for two nights at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
“We may be miserable buggers
but we still want you to have a good time” - Tom McKean