Sometimes the most compelling art can come from life’s greatest struggles, … Read Full Bio ↴Sometimes the most compelling art can come from life’s greatest struggles, which in the case of Tooth & Nail newcomers I Am Empire, only added fuel to the group’s already blazing alternative rock fire. Though the San Jose-bred fivesome had no trouble igniting the local scene since forming in 2008, including dates alongside Flyleaf, Sublime, Deftones, Silversun Pickups, Thursday, Four Year Strong and The Wedding, a pair of charting singles (“You’re A Fake” and “The Elevator”), plus additional acclaim from Alternative Press, AOL’s Spinner.com and San Francisco’s LIVE105 radio station, much of the catalyst behind the band’s label debut Kings stems from front man Austin Lyons’ fractured upbringing.

“The whole record is about abandonment, particularly the fact that my father is the one who abandoned me,” says the scorching singer/songwriter for I Am Empire (whose moniker is basically a battle cry to be yourself and never feel pressured towards conformity). “We decided to name the record Kings because it signifies the head of a household, and if you’ve been abandoned, you want to look past that person and try to be better when you grow up. The goal is to take up the crown that person left behind and be better than the person who left, which can really apply to any type of relationship.”

Yet the plot thickens in the case of Lyons, whose biological dad may have left when he was ten, though a stepfather entered the picture a little later down the line. In time, this new father figure of sorts became incredibly close to the family, so much so that Austin adapted his last name and considered him to fill the original role his birth dad missed, though that relationship also took an unexpected turn.

“Basically he decided to leave and said he wanted kids of his own, which absolutely destroyed me, my mom and my sister,” he reveals. “From that point on, I decided to write this record reflecting on what happened when both my biological dad and a person I called my dad left me. I try to be as honest as I can be because that really helps dive deep into myself. It’s been a big therapy session for me, and even though I opened myself up to a lot of painful things I didn’t want to put out there, it’s been good for my writing. Everything works out for the better, and even though these situations were awful, I want there to be a positive outcome.”

The results find the guitar-charged record split between tracks of justified venting to seasons of spiritual renewal, both of which find the band unfurling its emotions as if their lives depended on such gripping delivery. Cuts like the lead single “Brain Damage,” “Saints & Sinners,” “Heart Attack,” “To the Moon” and “Foxhole” are aggressive examples of anger relief that encourage listeners to never bottle up their emotions, while “Hammers & Anvils,” “Love & Despair” and “Take Me Away” speak of healing, reconciliation and forgiveness.

“Even if you’ve been abandoned, you need to dig past the depression and ask God to help you find the joy in your circumstances,” suggests Lyons. “God’s continually worked through my situation and I have a positive outlook, to the point where we can close up the record with ‘It’s Not Fair’ with lines like ‘you wished me away/ but I wish you well.’”

The music is just as varied as the lyrical longing, ranging from muses like Jimmy Eat World to Muse, My Chemical Romance and Anberlin (who the group co-writes with on a track). In fact, the dozen track disc also benefits from the multi-faceted approach of producer Rob Hawkins, who’s also known for his work with Disciple and Fireflight (to name a few).

“We tried to have a dirtier sound in general,” admits Lyons. “A lot of the songs are really heavy, a couple fall in the pop/rock vein and we even have a kind of folksy acoustic song. We have a wide range of sounds and made sure not to stick with the same type of song over and over again. We also made a point for there not to be any throwaway tracks on the album or to waste any time recording a song that wasn’t worthwhile.”

Between those artistic ambitions, members’ unceasing work ethic, tireless time on tour and thematic reliability, I Am Empire is a perfect match with Tooth & Nail, which is a literally a label dream come true for the guys who grew up listening to its influential roster. “We talked to them for about a year, and in the end, it just felt like family,” sums up Lyons. “They’re the kind of label we always dreamed to be on, especially in high school when we used to say ‘man, it would be so cool to be on Tooth & Nail someday.’ We’ve literally grown up with them and our sound works within its line-up. Everything’s going great and it’s going to be an awesome relationship.”

Tell Me Mirror
I Am Empire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Found myself a job singing for the Lord
Tell me mirror
Is this the way it works? Working hard for a penny at a time
Tell me mirror
If money cannot buy anything important in this life
May God come down to

Wash away, wash away

Start over
I always seem to be the last to know
Let me stay, please let me stay
Roll over
I know the last will be the first to go

How can I pray and live my life this way
Tell me mirror
Who am I to judge such a wreck
Just look at me
Tell me mirror
Was I the same way before God found me today
Carry our your plans

Wash away, wash away
Start over
I always seem to be the last to know
Let me stay, please let me stay
Roll over
I know the last will be the first to go

You will not regret giving up your time
Your pride, your hundred dollar bills
You will not regret following a ghost
When the pearly gates are open wide

Wash away, wash away
Start over
I always seem to be the last to know
Let me stay, please let me stay
Roll over

I know the last will be the first to go
Wash away, wash away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to I Am Empire's song Tell Me Mirror tell the story of a person who has found a job singing for the Lord but is questioning whether this is the right way to live their life. The mirror represents their inner self, which they seek to question about their choices. The singer wonders whether working hard for little pay, while giving up their time, pride, and money, is the right way to live, and whether God's love and salvation will ultimately make it all worth it.

The singer seems to be conflicted between their life as a singer for the Lord and their inner desires. They question whether they have the right to judge others who may not share the same beliefs or who are struggling in life. They question whether they were once in the same position before God found them, hinting at their own redemption story. Ultimately, they hope to be saved and washed clean by God's love and start over.

The song is a reflection of the singer's struggle to reconcile their faith with their personal desires and doubts. It invites listeners to ponder their own struggles and the role that faith and redemption play in their lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Found myself a job singing for the Lord
Reflecting on finding a purpose in life and a career that involves expressing faith through music

Tell me mirror Is this the way it works? Working hard for a penny at a time
Questioning the value of working hard for little pay and seeking guidance from a higher power

Tell me mirror If money cannot buy anything important in this life May God come down to
Challenging the idea that money is essential for a happy life and suggesting that real fulfillment can only come from spiritual awakening

Wash away, wash away Start over I always seem to be the last to know Let me stay, please let me stay Roll over I know the last will be the first to go
Asking for redemption and forgiveness, hoping to start afresh, and acknowledging the paradox that sometimes being last in the world means a higher place in the eyes of God

How can I pray and live my life this way Tell me mirror Who am I to judge such a wreck Just look at me Tell me mirror Was I the same way before God found me today Carry out your plans
Reflecting on the difficulty of reconciling religious devotion with personal shortcomings, questioning the right to pass judgment on others, and seeking divine guidance

You will not regret giving up your time Your pride, your hundred dollar bills You will not regret following a ghost When the pearly gates are open wide
Encouraging listeners to prioritize spiritual and moral values over material possessions, confident that such choices will reap rewards in the afterlife

Lyrics © MUSIC SERVICES, INC.
Written by: ANDREW PHILLIP STANTON, AUSTIN JAMES LYONS, ERIC MARTIN, JOSHUA BRIAN CASE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS