Rebecca's Empire
| Rebecca's Empire | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1989, 1994-2000 |
| Associated acts | TISM |
| Past members |
Rebecca Barnard Shane O'Mara |
Rebecca's Empire were an indie pop-rock band from Melbourne, Australia. They released two full-length albums and two EPs in a six-year career lasting from 1994 to 2000.
In 1989, Rebecca Barnard and Shane O'Mara did a cover of Melbourne band TISM's track "The Judeo-Christian Ethic" which was released on TISM's 1991 single Let's Form a Company.
The band, based around singer-songwriter Rebecca Barnard and her partner, Shane O'Mara, formed in 1994, and released their debut single, Atomic Electric, the same year. Atomic Electric was an indie success, reaching No. 38 on the 1994 Triple J Hottest 100. In 1995, they released an EP, Take a Look at Happiness, which featured Empty as its signature song/single. It was again successful, with Empty coming in at #62 on the 1995 Triple J Hottest 100.
The band's breakthrough success in 1996, when their first full-length album, Way of All Things, was released to relative critical acclaim. Three singles - In Deep, So Rude, and Way of All Things followed. It was successful in indie circles, but also had some minor success on the mainstream charts. Their attempts to promote the tour were hampered, however, when Barnard became pregnant, which limited the amount of touring the band could do to support the album.
The success of Way of All Things was followed by a two-year relative hiatus, although they did play a number of concerts in this time. They also released a limited-edition single, Car Radio, which was only available from concerts. During this period, bass player Michael den Elzen left the band, and was replaced with Bill McDonald.
They returned in 1998 with the single Medicine Man, which preceded their 1999 album Welcome. Two more singles from the album followed: Big Smoke and Bad Blood. Welcome was not as well received by critics as their earlier efforts. Despite the band's profile, none of the singles made the Hottest 100 that year. Welcome and its accompanying singles were to be their last releases as the band announced its breakup in late June 2000.
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