In early 2008, Empires was formed when longtime friends guitarist Tom Conrad approached singer Sean Van Vleet about writing music together.

[1] Conrad and Van Vleet spent the year writing music together, and the induction of the other band members soon followed, Max Steger, Ryan Luciani and Al Smith.

The band has consistently mentioned having a very DIY ethic when it comes to recording and releasing music with Max Steger as their producer / engineer, Tom Conrad as a designer and Sean Van Vleet as a writer.

Lead singer Sean Van Vleet confirmed in an Instagram comment on August 23, 2017, that the band was no longer making music.

Empires has performed and toured alongside such artists: Geographer, Alkaline Trio, Kaiser Chiefs, The Whigs, Augustines, Deerhunter, Saint Motel, A Silent Film, Death Cab for Cutie, The Temper Trap, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, Black Francis, and Chain Gang of 1974.