By Phil Lacombe
This week, CV Weekly’s Local Music Spotlight shines on one of the most commanding voices in the desert: Erin “Red” Marie, powerhouse frontwoman of Empty Seat. With a voice that cuts through the noise and a stage presence impossible to ignore, Erin has helped transform Empty Seat from an L.A. underground staple into one of the Coachella Valley’s most dynamic and decorated rock acts. From punk roots to alt-rock evolution, Erin brings heart, grit and pure, unapologetic energy every time she steps to the mic.
CVW: Empty Seat has lived many lives, what part of your own story do you bring to the band’s current sound and direction?
Red: Yes, indeed it has. In 2002 in a little garage in Whittier Ca. Empty Seat was born. We really had no idea what we were doing. Before Empty Seat formed, I originally always wanted an all girl band. At that time, it was pretty rare to find a lot of female musicians so I made my punk rock boyfriend at the time play the drums because I couldn’t find a girl drummer. He had to learn on the go. I did find 2 twin girls to play bass and guitar and we formed a band called “Osiris” somehow that didn’t turn out the way I wanted, and the girls were didnt work out. I had remembered my friend Anthony from high school wanted to learn to play guitar, so I called him one day and asked him to come jam out with us. We clicked and Anthony basically told his cousin to go out and buy a bass and learn to play so he could play with us. It really was all DIY. The only experienced one was me because I grew up with a dad who was a singer songwriter/guitarist. I knew about jamming because my dad would invite his friends over and have jam outs in the garage. He always had a music studio in our garage as I grew up and I always had music equipment around to play with. I knew since the age of 4 I wanted to be a singer. I was in choir in high school and I also did solo acts in the high school talent shows. At 16 I had my first solo performance with a cassette tape at the Santa Fe Springs swap meet. That was my first contest I ever did with adults and won second place that night. So, I was familiar with performing at a young age. Empty Seat was conjured up by me wanting a band, but the name was not chosen by me. We all decided to put band names in a little red box and said whatever we pull out will be our band name. Empty Seat it was, a name put in by Anthony that was his AOL name at the time. The bands current sound and direction is led mostly by Anthony and I. He is the riff writer and I just channel in whatever I feel from his ideas and that makes our unique sound or at least the spark that ignites the full sound we have today. Each member brings their own uniqueness to the group. It’s like a recipe, sometimes it feels right sometimes you know there is something a little off. You have to find that combo that is just right. Sometimes it can take years to find it. There is a lot more to our story, but I will save that for the book.
CVW: Your voice is powerful, emotional, and unmistakable. What’s the secret sauce behind how you developed your sound?
Red: Thank you, like I said, I knew since the age of 4 I wanted to be a singer. I truly believe some are born with talent. I am a 3rd gen musician in my family, but I didn’t have it the easy way. I don’t know how to read music and I do everything by ear. I grew up watching my dad play for people. He was the life of the party and I was inspired by him. My dad wasn’t the type of dad who taught me how to play music. I had to learn it on my own by watching him and there were many performances I did that he didn’t show up to or support. It really did hurt me as a kid because my dad always felt like I was going to embarrass him or at least that’s what he would always say as to why he didn’t go to some of my performances as a kid. I developed this “I don’t need you to do this” kind of attitude. I think the anger made me fight harder. It wasn’t until our very first Empty Seat show that my dad changed his ways. We had a great first show and we packed the house and people were very excited about our new band. That night was the night my dad came to me after the show and he said we were fantastic, and he said for the first time how proud of me he was. He apologized to me for being hard on me musically growing up and said he did it on purpose because he wanted me to get mad and do it myself. I have to admit it did work! Sure, it hurt but it made me fight for what I wanted, and I can say I was never given a silver spoon. I did this myself. My dad never missed a Empty Seat show after that day.He followed us everywhere. As for the secret sauce behind my sound, well I have to give that credit to a woman named Raven Storm. She worked with my mom at Rose Hills florist and she was in a metal band. I was entering my high school talent show and she offered to give me some voice lessons to prepare for it. She taught me how to get rid of that little girl voice. Some advice she gave me I will never forget was that I need to learn to sing so people can hear me at the back of the room without a microphone. To do this you have to build your abdominal strength and she showed me some exercises to make that happen. If I had never met that lady I dont think I would sing like I do today. Pain and passion drive me. You have to feel what you are singing, especially to convince the crowd. It’s important to be raw and passionate with your talent.
CVW: Pat Benatar was a huge influence for you, how does her impact still show up in your songwriting or performance today?
Red: Pat Benatar was my first vocal teacher. I was a 7th grade only child latch key kid. I would come home from school and lock the doors and be home alone until 7 or 8pm. I would blast my “Crimes of Passion” cassette tape from beginning to end. She was my first experience discovering in your face angry female rock power at its finest. She had that rock grit sound to her voice and I wanted to learn that! So, I just kept playing it over and over again until I got it right. My dad always said I was a mimic. I could hear something and copy it. Growing up we used to do character voices for fun on long car rides. We would try to see who could do the voices the best. I always said the hardest voice to do was Marge Simpson lol. Just a couple years ago my band was on 95.5 KLOS radio for the Stay or Go show and producers Bobby and Iz “The Avila Brothers” finally pinned it. They had said we reminded them of No Doubt, but my voice didn’t have that baby sound like Gwen, it was more of a Pat Benatar vibe.
CVW: Relocating from the L.A. scene to the Coachella Valley changed the band’s momentum. What did the desert give you that L.A. didn’t?
Red: Growing up in L.A County was a blast. I was born and raised a northern California girl from Paradise California, but my parents moved to Whittier Ca. when I was 5. They were looking for better work opportunities because a country town just didn’t have them at that time.My band Empty Seat got to experience the tail end of the great Hollywood music scene that was raging from the 70’s to the early 2k. We got to play some of the clubs that are no longer there anymore and some of the greats that still stand. House of Blues in West Hollywood and the Disneywalk and The Cat Club next to The Whiskey a Gogo and Safari Sams and BB Kings NightClub on the Universal City Walk to name a few. Classics like The Viper Room and The Whiskey and the famous Doll Hut in Anaheim and The Roxy and Key Club and Juke Joint. I was living it up playing late nights in Hollywood and we would go eat at Canters in Fairfax after shows. That’s where we met the infamous Rodney Bingenhienmer from KROQ. He used to go eat there late at night after his KROQ show Rodney on the Roq where he played some of the greats. He has been playing us on his current Sirius XM show for the last few years as well, so grateful. As a musician this was gold. After a while clubs started closing down and technology started to kick in with the internet and social media and I found myself playing the same places over and over again. I can’t compare L.A or the desert because I hold both dear to my heart. I still have good friends and family in both. I don’t like segregating my love for California. That’s why I just recently wrote our newest single “The city at night” . It explains my love from the desert to L.A. My coming to the desert was a personal calling. I go with the flow and follow my gut instinct. I felt a pull to come here and I followed it. I feel my peace here. I have always felt like a gypsy, my parents moved a lot and I finally found a place I like and feel happy in. The desert is my choice not my parents and I am raising my 2 kids here. I finally feel like I’m home. I can breathe and think here, and it doesn’t hurt that I am 2 hours from all the greatest things to do in the world. BUT, I have to say the desert has given me a warm welcome and good friends. It feels more family oriented and close here. I am a bit weird, I always have been and I feel I found my fellow weirdos here as well. The avant-garde are here, and I love it. I’m not going anywhere. If California goes down, I’m going down with its legacy.
CVW: You’ve shared the stage with legends and collaborated with icons like Cherie Currie, what moment made you step back and say, “Damn, this is real”?
Red: I have been lucky to cross paths with a few very rad musicians in my life. Life is a trip, but I am a big believer in manifestation. If you are real in what you choose to do in life the real people will find you. Someone once told me ” You cannot soar like an eagle if you are surrounded by turkeys”. Well, if you are a real eagle the eagles will find you. It’s as simple as that.
CVW: Empty Seat has this perfect blend of punk roots and modern alt energy. How do you balance reinvention with staying true to your core identity?
Red: I don’t even know if there is a core identity for us. Its evolution, growing and learning and changing. We all change overtime. Just do what feels right. My band has always just rode the wave with whatever we feel. We don’t follow a genre and we don’t follow others or try to sound like them. If it feels good, then it’s right. When we first started no one could pinpoint what we were, a little bit of punk and rockabilly and blues with some jazz. We just played and whatever came out of us. Be a trendsetter and be the first one to do something because those people don’t follow a pattern. They just followed their hearts and made something from nothing. It takes bravery to do that because you don’t know how people will receive it but if it works others will follow you. I am not a follower. I think that’s why I don’t like playing covers that much. I want to be the inventor and conjure new things into the world. Maybe that’s how we stay true to our core identity.
CVW: Your live shows are a blast, fun, raw, energized. What’s one on-stage moment you’ll never forget… for better or worse?
Red: I would probably say our first show at the iconic House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. Our friends “Steel Rod’ got us that show and some of you might know them because they play at the Fantasy Springs casino out here now. It was like our right of passage show. We had a special night and even had some of our good friend musicians come up and join us on stage. We packed the huge venue that night with friends and family that are no longer with us now. The magical feeling of a stage with a curtain and the anticipation for the curtain to rise when we started playing. You just don’t see stages like that anymore. It was a magical night. I had an outfit made by some fans and all of us friends partied in the HOB dressing rooms like rockstars. Good times for sure.
CVW: If you could design the ultimate Empty Seat show, any venue, any lineup, any vibe, what would that dream night look like?
Red: I have already played a few ultimate shows and venues. Maybe something overseas would be a big step for us. We have never ventured out past Vegas.
We will see where the wind takes us 😉
CVW: For young Valley musicians who look up to you, what’s your biggest piece of “real talk” advice about surviving and thriving in a band?
Red: Stay humble. Do what feels right. I would have to say being a band for 23 years so far is due to commitment. Work hard and practice a lot. Like I tell my daughter, don’t take on too much. Find one thing you are good at and be the best at it. I have seen a lot of bands come and go through the years but to be really great stick to what you are doing. Don’t take on too many projects because you will burn yourself out. I have only been in one band “Empty Seat” and my time and focus has always been there. Sure, I am open to new things, but it would have to be something bigger and better and not going backwards. The goal is to keep goin up the ladder. Don’t go back down to please other people. Friends will see you moving up and want a piece of the pie as well and it’s very easy to get pulled back down into another project.I can’t tell you how many musicians I have seen do this. They get a little piece of the fame and then think they can do everything. They always end up with nothing but regret in the end. So, the best advice I can give is be serious and be humble and don’t take on too many things. Be the best you can at one or 2 things no more at a time. You may agree or disagree but thats the secret sauce right there. You don’t have to be a pro, you just need the passion and commitment and practice (a lot). Are you playing because it’s in your soul and you are passionate about music? Or are you just doing it for attention and popularity? Weigh it out and see who’s the last one standing. It takes blood, sweat and tears literally. It’s not easy, you will fight and bump heads and get mad and tired and sometimes cry of frustrations. Remember to take a break and clear your head once in a while. Instead of getting angry and wrecking something good you will see the time to clear your head helps and you come back ready to continue. Dont give up.
CVW: Where can fans find you?
Red: We are not hard to find with the name Empty Seat. Type it in search and you will find all sorts of things relating to us. Our main is Instagram- Empty_Seat_ and Emptyseatofficial.com Hope to see some of you at a show soon.
With a voice that commands attention and a band fueled by passion, history, and evolution, Erin “Red” Marie continues to prove why Empty Seat remains one of the most exciting forces in desert music. Their journey is a testament to staying true, pushing forward, and embracing the fire that makes great rock bands timeless. Keep your eyes on Empty Seat, because Erin’s story is still unfolding, and the next chapter is guaranteed to hit even harder.
That’s a wrap on this week’s Local Music Spotlight, but the party doesn’t stop here. Hit the shows, feel the beats, and keep the valley’s music scene thriving. Because around here, the next song that changes your life might be playing tonight.
