Empire Builder

Description

Equally raw and focused, Empire Builder captures a life blown open: an individual mid-transformation. Gibsons most personal record to date, it marks a huge leap forward as a songwriter, composer and producer. She gathered a stellar band of dear old friends: guitarist/bassist Dave Depper (Death Cab for Cutie, Menomena), drummer/percussionist Dan Hunt (Neko Case), and composer/violinist Peter Broderick. Other contributors include Nate Query of The Decemberists and vocalist Alela Diane. Gibson co-produced the record with John Askew (Neko Case, The Dodos), spending her school breaks in his home studio, and in Brodericks studio on the Oregon Coast. With Askews encouragement, Gibson returned to the recordings soon after the explosion. Having lost her guitar, which she had played on every record and show since the beginning, they decided to keep many of the scratch tracks from the original demos, building around them to create the final album. The result is an enchanting record, showcasing some of Laura Gibsons most immediate & memorable work to date, sewn together with her distinctively delicate vocals & captivating story-telling lyrics.