‘Empire Bridges’, the new 11 song collection from Joseph Parsons, will be released January 31, 2014 in partnership with Meer Music & Blue Rose Records, both of Germany. The self produced ‘Empire Bridges’ was recorded in Hilden, Germany and in Parsons’ remote cabin by the Steinhüder Meer in Northern Germany. The release is immediately followed by an extensive European tour February & March, 2014. Part of the song cycle examines a world increasingly defined by empires, both political and corporate, in which the individual feels reduced and powerless in shaping their own lives and their society. It’s harder to find leaders who not only speak the truth, but seek it. The album reflects this formidable challenge with big powerful rock songs like ‘Live Like The King’ that cut to the heart of the matter. The opening song, ‘Seek The Truth’ asks “Are we going to change the world? Are we going to take it back?” echoing the Occupy Wall Street movement and issuing a call to arms right from the start! Parsons explores this sense of restlessness but does not dwell there. Hope and salvation are found in the bridges we build to others. ‘Hide Away’ is a soulful tale of seeking hope in a crime filled culture. The protagonist in the song ‘True’ realizes that there is nothing in this world as true as the love from a woman. Empire Bridges is filled with rich themes as deep, rocking and spiritual as it is hook laden or poetic. ‘Minefields’ is a beautiful exploration of a troubled relation