Empty Nesters
Eric Liao started his project Empty Nesters in 2016. He quickly plugged into Ottawa's punk scene through house shows, DIY venues, and local festivals like Megaphono and the now-defunct Ottawa Explosion Weekend. An impressively deep catalogue of singles, EPs, and demo compilations has displayed Liao's savvy ability to absorb influences from shoegaze, hardcore-punk, post-punk, and garage rock to produce his own blistering recordings. Adding to that palette, he ventured into syrupy bedroom R&B with 2019's Durag Honey, released under the alias China Steps. As Liao wades through his twenties, Empty Nesters has evolved with him, finding a new home base in Montreal and sliding into the city's cultural ecosystem by playing POP Montreal in both 2021 and 2022.
Eric Liao started his project Empty Nesters in 2016. He quickly plugged into Ottawa's punk scene through house shows, DIY venues, and local festivals like Megaphono and the now-defunct Ottawa Explosion Weekend. An impressively deep catalogue of singles, EPs, and demo compilations has displayed Liao's savvy ability to absorb influences from shoegaze, hardcore-punk, post-punk, and garage rock to produce his own blistering recordings. Adding to that palette, he ventured into syrupy bedroom R&B with 2019's Durag Honey, released under the alias China Steps. As Liao wades through his twenties, Empty Nesters has evolved with him, finding a new home base in Montreal and sliding into the city's cultural ecosystem by playing POP Montreal in both 2021 and 2022.