“Gasoline” is a just-released track from The Federal Empire, who impressed last month with the single “What Are We Fighting For“, a riveting effort with a stadium-sized chorus and sampled old church choir. The act – comprised of Chad Wolf (Carolina Liar) and McKay Stevens (Grammy-nominated for Kaskade’s “Atmosphere”) – has already shown their songwriting chops, though on “Gasoline” they reach to new emotional heights with a powerful, spacious verse that accommodates a chorus/hook with the act’s typical energy.
“The track is about relationships ending and our self-destructive habits and how our whole worlds can just disappear in the smoke and flames of it all,” Stevens explains. “You can hear the heartfelt delivery in Chad’s voice … The song can apply to anyone who has been in a relationship and seen it burned to the ground. And especially those of us who keep going through the self-destructive cycle even when we might know it is hurting us. “Play with fire you’ll get burned, I should’ve known, I never learn”. The song builds slowly with minimal, ambient production and ends with a cinematic climax.”