Last In Line are a band from Harrisburg, PA, and 2013 saw the release of their debut self-titled album. We caught up with them for a quick chat.
Where did the band’s name come from?
When the band first started, we got together one day after practice around Jake’s kitchen table and just started throwing out band names. Our first one was pretty bad so we needed a change. Our bassist at the time pitched the name Last In Line and we all thought it stuck right away. It resembles in a way what we are trying to do and how it is looked at by society. Most would consider us the last in line for not following the traditional get a degree and get a desk job lifestyle.
How did you get started?
It’s a really crazy series of drawn out events of how the band started. Founding members Jon and Jake went on a camping trip one summer and decided to start an acoustic project while playing around the campfire (yes we know that sounds cliché). From there the idea was in constant development while Jake went away to college for a year. When Jake came home, the project turned into a soft rock band, which quickly fell through after playing one acoustic show at an open mic night. Finally, the idea to form a blended genre band came about under the name All For A Chance, which quickly turned into Last In Line after securing a full lineup and releasing a unsuccessful home demo.
What have you got going on at the moment?
We have tons of things going on at the moment. It’s very hectic. We are currently in the works of booking an end of winter tour and recording an acoustic EP. On top of that we just added some new members and are also writing for our next release sometime in 2014. We can’t really give much more details at the moment.
Best experience in the business?
We’d say our best experience in the business was going on our first tour and being able to meet fans that we’ve been in contact with since the birth of our band. To be able to travel hundreds of miles away from home and finally meet people that were just a picture on the Internet before, was an incredible feeling. For the first time we felt like we weren’t just playing our music for our parents and close friends at a local show.
Why should Soundscape readers care?
We could sit here and tell you how we are different from every other band or why you should listen to our music, but the truth is we are just a band doing what we love. Like every other band out there we just want to make new friends, see new places, and share our music to new ears. We love making new fans and interacting with them as much as we possibly can. We hope that they can see us as five genuine guys on a journey to have the best experience of our lives.
Tell our readers an interesting fact about yourself?
We are all obsessed with abstract things like aliens, the illuminati, and paranormal experiences. You often might hear some references to these in some of our songs.
What’s your writing and recording process?
Writing generally starts with one person having an idea in their head whether it be a guitar riff, melody, etc. We always try to transcribe it right away into recorded form so we don’t lose the idea. All of our pre-production is done through Jon Kraft, our former guitarist, at his home studio. From there it’s a matter of listening over the songs and seeing what needs changed, what could be better, and what can be removed. We always take a good amount of time to write songs and perfect them before we hit the studio. From there it’s just a matter of having them professionally recorded. Even in the studio we still make small changes to the songs to end up with the final product.
What inspires you?
I think our biggest inspiration boils down to two things. First, seeing musicians who were once in our shoes being able to do what they love and reach out to millions of people worldwide. We see that and want to be in the position one day. Secondly, having fans relate to our music and create emotions. There is nothing better knowing that your music could be helping someone with a serious problem or even just making his or her day a little brighter.
Who are your role models/idols?
Any musician who is doing it for the right reasons and remains humble. There are way too many individual names to list.
Hardest thing about the current business?
We’d say the hardest part about the current business, is all the actual business related things of being in a band. It’s especially hard when you’re a DIY band and have to take care of all the tedious but necessary tasks on your own.
What are your future plans?
The future plans for the band are to just keep doing what we’re doing. We absolutely love being musicians and hope we can do it as long as we possibly can and share our music with as many people possible. We’re going to keep writing new music, releasing albums/EPs, and continue touring to share our music with people across the country and hopefully the world.
