Empire Drift’s Acoustics for Autism benefit CD contribution is “Piece of Heart,” a song recorded in 2009 — the same year the band’s “A Good Place To Call Home” won the inaugural Song of Toledo contest.
“It seemed like a good fit for Acoustics for Autism,” said percussionist and vocalist Allen Spencer.
Started in 2007, Empire Drift is a hard-to-classify band with music ranging from piano/acoustic to aggressive alternative songs. The band’s name comes from band members’ tendency to “drift” from genre to genre.
They claim to be the only band in the world to perform a “power hour” (60 songs in 60 minutes) and they gave away more than 17,000 copies of their debut album “Reality is Genius.”
Empire Drift also won the 2008 Regional Superstar Competition, which earned them a recording contract for their second album.
Although the band is currently inactive due to its members living in various parts of the country, they’ll be headlining the March 15 St. Patrick’s Day Party at The Blarney Irish Pub and playing at the Roundhouse Bar on Put-in-Bay this summer.
“We have another album coming out this year with new material we’ve been working on,” said Spencer, who has been involved with Acoustics for Autism every year since it started, performing in various bands and acoustic sets.
“Over the past 10 to 12 years, I’ve had a handful of friends who’ve worked full time at Bittersweet Farms, which houses and takes care of people with autism and similar disabilities,” Spencer said. “I’m happy to be part of the event and plan to continue taking part in it.”
For more information on Empire Drift, or for a free download of their album, visit www.empiredrift.com.
