Empty Atlas is a Jackson, Mississippi-based project that has really existed in three forms. Initially it acted as a solo project for singer and songwriter Micah Smith. He recruited friends and in 2014 it became a full band. This iteration would last until the cd release of Empty Atlas’ debut album Hestia on December 9, 2016.
“We had been playing together since 2014 but those guys weren’t able to travel or really perform outside of Jackson,” said Smith. “I actually started putting the new band together that night really. One of my good friends said he was interested in playing guitar for me.”
Brennan Michael White would take up guitar duty for Empty Atlas and Bobby Hansford filled drums. Roughly a month later Alex Ingram would return to Jackson, after spending time in Nashville filling in for bands as needed, and play bass.
“We’ve been performing together since the beginning of January,” said Smith. “The idea is to really be conscious about the shows we play. Pushing for bigger venues and going as far out as possible…building up our audience.”
Their current efforts on the road are largely to push Hestia, while it’s still fresh, to as many ears as they can.
“It’s kind of the first in a series of concept albums,” said Smith. “This one dealt with the concept of home and comfort and realizing that there’s always a danger in trying to make yourself happy by looking to other people for comfort.”
The albums acts as a sounding board for the band as they balance between seeking life’s basic comforts but also chasing these dreams they’ve always had.
“It all stems from a general concept of being told these are the things you need to grab, this is what a great life looks like,” said Smith. “On Hestia we were tackling the idea of saying you have to have a home and this comfortable job and you have to be putting yourself in this situation, but the other side isthere’s nothing wrong with that.
Smith is recently married and very much in the early stages of building his sense of home which was largely influential in the direction he chose to take with Empty Atlas’ debut album.
“I’m married and have a home and love that part of my life,” said Smith “I love music and that’s what I want to do but I have to some grounding and my wife and having a home and a job accomplishes that.”
While the band is still all in on Hestia. Smith has already begun to build material for their follow-up.
“Not to tell too much, but it’s sort of about once you realize comfort isn’t always what you’d thought it would be,” said Smith. “It addresses the question of can you have ambition and goals that you’re working toward without it destroying your life and taking away from the people you love and the places you need to be.”
Smith quickly follows that up by clarifying that their sophomore release is still very much a distant thought. Empty Atlas will be playing Proud larrys’ on August 12 with Ben Ricketts. Tickets are available online or at the door the night of the show. 
