Self Portrait

Untitled

Self Portrait is the fifth studio album by Marianan pop-rock group Empress of the Future. Work on the album began in the fall of 2016, one year after the release of their last album, Why Wonder?, and following their work on the standalone single What's a Direction? in the spring of 2016 (without Hania).

According to bandmember Jan Kort, <<Self Portrait [is meant to be] a retrospective of our first five years as a group, looking back on on our sounds over the years. It is most definitely not a best of album, which are cheap and cheesy, or would you really think our placement of a song withing a specific album is for no reason? This album merely captures our sound and style and how it has evolved.>>

A two-part single, Reasons, was released in late November 2016, followed by the album's release in August 2017.

Background

Empress of the Future had come off their first big consert tour, the We Wonder Tour, with concerts in Mariana and Europe in September to December 2015, and a series of four concerts in Sierra and the United Commonwealth in March 2016. Returning to the studio, the group (minus singer Hania, who was working on her The Tunnel We Perceive album) worked together to release a standalone single being written by keyboardist/singer Erica Milton, which ultimately saw the four members all contribute in the writing and composition, a first for them.

What's a Direction?, released on 1 July 2016 became a success in Mariana and Europe, making it to number 5 in the Marianan charts, and reaching number 7 in the Austrian, 11 in the French and 21 in the Spanish charts. In Anglo-America, the song only managed a best position of 78 in the Sierran Sunset charts.

Recording and production

The group, after a brief hiatus in the summer, began work in the early fall on a new single. All five members were present at the studio in September and early October, though guitarist Jan Kort missed three days due to a cold. On 21 November, the single Reasons was released. Reasons quickly charted to the number three position in Mariana within a week, and made it to number one for one week in early December. A B-side for Reasons, Sad Face, was concurrently released, but has not charted as highly.

It was later announced through their website that a bonus song would be released in early 2017, though only as a 45 rpm single. The group instead released a self-titled EP in April that year, which included the songs "Reasons", "Away (Yeah Yeah)", "1983 (Year of the Pig)" and "Darkest Night", all as acoustic versions.

Release

The album was released on 1 August 2017, available as a digital download, and on 7 August as a CD and LP.

Limited Edition LP

A limited-edition LP set was released in January 2018. This featured a blue colored vinyl LP, a unique sleeve with song lyrics on one side and handwritten lines from each of the five band members, and a 45rpm single of "Away (Yeah Yeah)" and an exclusive new song, unique to this release. Only 999 copies were being produced.

Track listing

#	Song	Length	Writers/Notes
1	"Reasons"	3:11	Kort, Milton
2	"That's Why"	4:51	Jan Kort
3	"Elementary My Dear"	0:59	Kort, Milton
4	"Sad Face"	2:47	Kort, Milton
5	"Children All Around"	4:00	Kort, Milton
6	"What's In A Name"	3:16	Hamid Belkacem, Kort, Hania
7	"Away (Yeah Yeah)"	1:52	Kort, Milton
8	"Reflections"	2:27	Kort, Milton
9	"Leaves Are Turning"	5:12	Hania, Lindsey, Milton
10	"Darkest Night"	4:09	Jermaine Carter Williams, Allen-Woods, Emma Chae, Trevor Young
11	"The Cat and the Lion"	2:02	Kort, Milton
12	"Isn't It Wonderful"	1:56	Kort, Milton, Hania
13	"Away, In A Day"	2:43	Kort, Milton, Lindsey
14	"1983 (Year of the Pig)"	3:40	Lindsey

Personnel

• Jan Kort (guitar, vocals)
• Peter Lindsey (bass)
• John Amos (drums)
• Hania (vocals)
• Erica Milton (keyboard, vocals)