Homegrown Talent/ Empire Assassins
Local rockers busy themselves in a web of diverse musical ventures, but come together as Empire Assassins BY EMIL TIEDEMANN " W ATCHING my dad's band perform when I was young was [my] biggest influence," claimed Empire Assassins ' guitarist and lead vocalist Kevin Schmidt , after I Heart asked who helped him get to this point. He continued listing off the likes of Nirvana , Soundgarden , old school Metallica , and even The Beatles as key stimulants in his co-founding of the local band, with drummer and background vocalist Stu Murland . Schmidt and Murland had met years earlier through a mutual friend named Sara , who "always said they should hook up and make some music together." With Sara's persuasion and a shared passion for grunge and metal, Schmidt and Murland got together for a jam session, shortly before Sara left for Australia. That, in turn, led to further sessions between the Edmonton-based musicians, who eventually incorporated an electric gu...