The saddest story ever told

The Empty Set first met back in the summer of 2005. Tom was on his way to join the French Foreign Legion, Olivia was returning from a failed job interview as a lion tamer, and Dan had been discharged from his responsibilities as Treasurer of the Serge Gainsbourg Appreciation Society, following an incident of financial mismanagement. Each needing a break from their morose travels, this unfortunate trio found themselves in a Little Chef in Banbury Cross. Over their peas, which Tom likes to eat with a spoon, each resolved to abandon their old aspirations and form a popular band.

Let the music play

This band experimented with various styles at the beginning, including industrial goth-core and power ballads. However, the project they settled on was the Empty Set — assembling highly pleasing, short, acoustic songs about science and love.

To their surprise, quite a few people seemed to like their tunes, and they have been invited to play gigs with some of their favourite pin-ups, like Devon Sproule, Chris Garneau, Bearsuit, Luke Haines, Rivulets and Josephine Foster.

Train round the bend

They currently each live in their own railway sidings along the West Coast Main Line, and between them claim to know most of its kilometres from London Euston to Glasgow Central.

A shady pair from Tough Love Records have recently approached them about some implausible new technology that allows people to listen to music without the group even being there.