Rebecca's Empire
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox musical artist
Rebecca's Empire (also written as the variant Rebeccas Empire) were an Australian indie pop-rock band formed in 1994. Their mainstay members were Rebecca Barnard on lead vocals and her then-domestic partner, Shane O'Mara on lead guitar. They released two full-length albums, Way of All Things (1996) and Welcome (1999) before disbanding in 2000.
HistoryEdit
1989–2000: CareerEdit
In 1989 Rebecca Barnard, a singer-songwriter, and her then-domestic partner, Shane O'Mara on lead guitar, recorded a cover version of TISM's track, "The Judeo-Christian Ethic", which was released on that group's 1991 single, "Let's Form a Company" (see Hot Dogma). Barnard and O'Mara had worked together (since 1986) and separately in various groups and as session or backing musicians for other artists.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/>
Rebecca's Empire was based around Barnard and O'Mara, which formed in 1994 in Melbourne as a rock, pop duo.<ref name="McFarlane">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Holmgren">Rebecca's Empire related entries at Australian Rock Database:
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- Michael den Elzen: – {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Peter Luscombe: – {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Bill McDonald: – {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Shane O'Mara: – {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }} </ref> They recorded a cover version of Pearl Jam's "Alive" for an album by Performers Releasing Information about Clean Syringes (P.R.I.C.S.), Do It Safe (1994).<ref name="McFarlane"/> P.R.I.C.S. was a government project for AIDS prevention and education.<ref name="PRICS">Template:Citation</ref>
The band signed with Polydor's newly created Eternity label and the duo were expanded to a four-piece by the addition of Peter Luscombe on drums (ex-Stephen Cummings Band, Black Sorrows) and Bill McDonald on bass guitar (ex-Hot Half Hour, Deborah Conway Band).<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/> This line-up released their debut single, "Atomic Electric", as a four-track extended play, late in 1994.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/> "Atomic Electric" was an indie success, which was listed at No. 38 on the 1994 Triple J Hottest 100 listeners poll.<ref name="TripleJ 1994">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Early in 1995 Michael den Elzen on bass guitar replaced McDonald, who joined Frente!.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/> Their label released another four-track EP in June of that year with remixed and re-recorded versions of "Atomic Electric" together with "Red Dress" and "Wasting Time" from the first EP.<ref name="McFarlane"/> In September they followed with a six-track EP, Take a Look at Happiness, which included the tracks, "Empty" and "Alive".<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/> "Empty" was listed at No. 62 on the 1995 Triple J Hottest 100.<ref name="TripleJ 1995">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The band's breakthrough occurred in July 1996, when their first full-length album, Way of All Things, was released to relative critical acclaim.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/><ref name="Lewis">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was produced by O'Mara.<ref name="Holmgren"/> Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, opined, "[it] was brimming with quality songs like the ballads 'In Deep' and 'Talking Star', tough rockers like 'Way of All Things' (with its funky Lenny Kravitz-styled riff), 'So Rude' and 'Atomic Electric', plus two sterling slices of Badfinger-style guitar-pop, 'Empty' and 'Mirage'."<ref name="McFarlane"/> Jonathan Lewis of AllMusic rated it at four-out-of-five stars and explained, "an example of melodic power pop, similar to both Belly's Star, though without the quirkiness, and Teenage Fanclub's Grand Prix, though more influenced by Led Zeppelin than by The Byrds. Infectious, well-written guitar pop songs were the order of the day and few bands do these as well."<ref name="Lewis 2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The album was successful in indie circles, and had some minor success on the mainstream charts. It provided three singles, "In Deep", "So Rude" and "Way of All Things".<ref name="McFarlane"/> "So Rude" was listed at No. 57 on the 1996 Triple J Hottest 100;<ref name="TripleJ 1996">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while "Way of All Things" polled at No. 94 in the 1997 list.<ref name="TripleJ 1997">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Way of All Things was followed by a two-year relative hiatus, although they played some concerts in this time.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Lewis"/> They released a three-track CD single, "Car Radio", in November 1997, which was only available from concerts.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/> In mid-1998 den Elzen left to join deadstar and was replaced by McDonald returning.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/><ref name="Lewis"/>
In October 1998 Rebecca's Empire issued a single, "Medicine Man", which preceded their second album, Welcome (August 1999) via Festival Records.<ref name="McFarlane"/><ref name="Holmgren"/> Again, it was produced by O'Mara.<ref name="Holmgren"/> It provided two more singles, "Big Smoke" (April 1999) and "Bad Blood" (July).<ref name="McFarlane"/> Welcome was not as well received by critics as their earlier efforts. Although, McFarlane observed, "the three year wait had been worth it; it was another slice of pop perfection."<ref name="McFarlane"/> Despite the band's profile, none of its singles made the Hottest 100 that year. The album and its accompanying singles were their last releases as they announced their break-up in June 2000.
2000–present: Post-disbandmentEdit
In April 2006 Barnard released her debut solo album, Fortified, via Shock Records, which was co-produced by Barnard and O'Mara.<ref name="Holmgren"/> Both returned to session and backing work.<ref name="Holmgren"/>
After a period of nearly twenty years of being out-of-print, Rebecca's Empire first album was released on streaming platforms in April 2020, with Brian Parker from YourMusicRadar opining that Way of All Things "has now reemerged not only as a great Australian album, but also a case study of a band that could have been a lot more popular".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On 12 November 2022, Barnard performed her cover of "The Judeo-Christian Ethic" at the Croxton Bandroom in the Melbourne suburb of Thornbury, shortly before TISM took to the stage for the first time in eighteen years.
MembersEdit
- Rebecca Barnard – lead vocals, guitar (1994–2000)
- Shane O'Mara – lead guitar (1994–2000)
- Peter Luscombe – drums (1994–2000)
- Bill McDonald – bass guitar (1994, 1998–2000)
- Michael den Elzen – bass guitar (1995–1998)
DiscographyEdit
Studio albumsEdit
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS <ref name="aus">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
CitationClass=web
}} N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.</ref> | |
| Way of All Things | 75 | |
| Welcome |
|
102 |
Extended playsEdit
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS <ref name="aus"/> | ||
| Atomic Electric |
|
126 |
| Rebecca's Empire |
|
— |
| Take a Look at Happiness |
|
— |
Charting singlesEdit
| Title | Year | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS <ref name="aus"/> | ||
| "Empty" | 1995 | 190 |
| "In Deep" | 1996 | 117 |
| "So Rude" | 125 | |
| "Way of All Things" | 1997 | 142 |
| "Medicine Man" | 1998 | 188 |
| "Big Smoke" | 1999 | 200 |
| "Bad Blood" | 197 |
Awards and nominationsEdit
ARIA Music AwardsEdit
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. Template:Awards table ! Template:Abbr |- |1997 | Way of All Things | Breakthrough Artist - Album | Template:Nom |<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> |-
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ReferencesEdit
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