In January 2019, Pirate Studios invited Empathy Test to their South London studio to perform a live session which was streamed live, worldwide, via Pirate's Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages. Later in the month, the band supported VNV Nation on their seven date Noire tour of the UK, before heading to Germany with Covenant for 10 dates of their Fieldworks tour, in February and March.

 

In April 2019, Empathy Test headlined Artefaktor Radio Live at Elektrowerks in London. In May, they performed in Barcelona and Madrid for the first time, once again as main support for VNV Nation.

 

On 8th June, Empathy Test returned to Wave Gotik Treffen for a second time, with Elliott Berlin of Aesthetic Perfection standing in on keyboards. The 1,200 capacity venue was full and some fans were turned away. Meanwhile, the band broke all their previous records for merchandise sales at a single performance, taking over $2,000. 

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On 11th June, Culture Club's Boy George was again tweeting his love for the band, this time sharing a link to Empathy Test's Losing Touch, saying simply "Love this @empathytest". 

 

A new single, Empty Handed, was released June 17th, to coincide with a two week, co-headline UK tour with Canadian Post Punk band Actors. Empty Handed was praised by Fresh on the Net for its "slick, polished beats and lyrics full of heartache and emotion". 

 

During the June UK tour, keyboard player Samuel Winter-Quick, who had been with the band for two years, decided he had had enough of touring and left midway through the tour. Elliott Berlin, who had been employed as Empathy Test's live sound engineer on the Actors tour, again stepped in temporarily as keyboard player.

 

In August 2019, Empathy Test performed for the first time at M'era Luna in Germany and W-Fest in Belgium, with Elliott Berlin on keyboards. In early September, they embarked on their first tour of North America as main support for Aesthetic Perfection. USA Synthwave / Witch House producer Angel Metro filled in on keyboards for the entire six week tour.

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Before the band went to North America, a chance connection on Facebook put Empathy Test in touch with singer and multi-instrumentalist Oliver Marson. Oliver had recently put out his own '80s inspired synth track, Cocaine Romance, and had been listening to Empathy Test on Spotify. He messaged Isaac to say how much he had enjoyed the tracks and Isaac asked him if he played keyboards.

 

A week or so later, Oliver was invited to meet the rest of the band at the Hen & Chickens Theatre Pub in Highbury & Islington. From that moment, Oliver was essentially in the band. They met with him for one rehearsal before the US tour, at New Rose Studios in Camden. While Isaac and Chrisy toured North America with Angel Metro, Oliver learnt 13-14 tracks in preparation for their return.

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Isaac and Chrisy returned from America on 22nd October and went directly to a second rehearsal with Oliver, before flying out to Germany the next day. Empathy Test then headlined shows in Braunschweig, Nuremburg, Rüsselsheim and Hamburg, before appearing at Pluswelt's 20th anniversary festival in Oberhausen and Berlin.

 

Writing for German website Reflections of Darkness, Nastja Iz wrote that the venue in Hamburg, Bahnof Pauli, "was packed, and the excitement of the audience was noticeable way before the band came on stage". The performance was, Nastja writes, "as beautiful as expected".

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Empathy Test rounded off a very busy 2019 with a headline homecoming show at O2 Academy Islington on 16th November before appearing at Electrixmas Festival in Malmö, Sweden on December 7th, and headlining A Not So Silent Night in Keighley (UK) on 15th December.