Following the announcement of their second EP Old Dreams, Brit hardcore punks Last Hounds agreed to take on our A-Z challenge!
A song that made you want to make music?
Not really a song as such, but the first time I heard an electric guitar with distortion, it hooked me in completely! The idea that I could take that sound and do anything with it was even better.
Best rider you’ve ever had?
The first time we ever had a room to chill in before a show we got free bottles of water and it was the best thing ever, that’s probably too rock and roll for some people to handle though….
Craziest moment you’ve experienced in the band?
We played a Halloween show a while back and we were all dressed up in various dresses, wigs, and tights, and as it was my birthday the day before I bought a birthday cake on stage with me and just before a song I smashed it into my face then crowd surfed. After the show I noticed some poor lad trying to scrape cake out of the carpet as it had gone everywhere, so I went up to apologise and offered to help but he just fist bumped me and told me it was the best thing he had ever seen, I even got a free drink out of it!
Deepest lyric one of your songs features?
I can’t really pin point a particular lyric but in terms of lyrics I’d probably say a song we have called Fear, Fear has some of the deepest meanings behind it. It’s an older song that we don’t really play so much anymore. Most of our lyrics can be very tongue in cheek, but with a sense of seriousness about them, where as Fear, Fear is about what a single emotion can do to you, and it means a lot to me personally. I’ll probably get some stick off everyone for not talking about a song off the new EP but I’m just being honest!
Easiest song you wrote?
Probably a song called Incinerate. It’s a proper riff driven punk rock song, it just fell into place as we all knew what we wanted from the get go!
Favourite song in your set?
Has be DOA. When we’re playing it live and the chorus kicks in, watching everyone sing it back to us is just the best feeling ever. Everyone loves a good chorus! If they don’t they’re lying.
Guest you’d most like to feature on your record?
I’d love to have a singer that did completely different music to us, like proper different sides of the music scale! Jason Butler from Letlive would also be sick as the rest of the band will tell you, I’m a right fanboy.
Hardest thing about being in a band?
The money side of things can leave you all pretty broke at times which is never fun. Whatever you do in the band seems hard at the time, but always comes to something good though, hitting you with a positive for that one!
Interesting fact about one of your members?
Tom, our guitarist is an avid sailor, not like the Captain Birds Eye kind, but more like the Olympic stuff! Were still waiting on him to make us millions though…
Jokes you have in the band?
We have this ongoing joke that involves a panda and Iron Man, but that’s about all I can really say before it gets odd! It’s one of those “kind of have to be there” things….
Key to writing a song?
Everyone has to be loving the same starting idea otherwise it’s like hitting a brick-wall! Know what you want from the outset and have a riff that will punch you in the face.
Longest distance you’ve travelled to play a show?
We have only been up and down the UK, and to be honest from one end to the other, it isn’t really that far! But we did drive from Exeter to London which wasn’t supposed to take that long, but ended up being something like an 8 hour drive because of traffic! We then hit London in rush hour and ran out of petrol! It was 10 minutes till we were supposed to get on stage when we got to the venue!
Most inspiring musician you’ve experienced?
I can’t really speak for the band on this one but personally I love listening to a band called Mischief Brew, they’re nothing like us. It’s like odd folk/punk music, but the guitarist is one of the most talented dudes I’ve ever seen. Makes playing the guitar look like riding a bike! His name is Erik Petersen, check him out!
New band you’d recommend?
Were all listening to a lot of Beartooth and P.O.S lately, their latest stuffs all pretty cool so I’d recommend getting on it!
Opening for this band would be ideal?
Letlive would be cool, we’ve been fans for a long time!
Place you’d most like to tour?
I’ve always wanted to go to America, so to be able to do it with the band would be awesome. All over that Warped Tour!
Quote you’d like to pass on to our readers?
“Shimmy Shimmy Ya” – Leave them with the Wu-Tang vibes.
Reason for the title of your forthcoming release?
We chose the name “OLD DREAMS” because a lot of the new EP is about is trying to get back a part of yourself that made you happy or motivated or just makes you feel a little love again! Regardless what you might have to do/not do to get it. “OLD DREAMS” just seems to nut shell it.
See us live at?
We have got plans for another UK tour in May/June once the new EP is released on the 19th of May, so expect to see dates all over the place soon.
The old days of music were better than the current, do you agree?
Music is all down to personal taste. If a 1000 people hate a particular genre or age of music, they can’t say it’s terrible if 3000 people love it! But I do think flares and funk could do with making a comeback. We would be all over that.
Unusual merchandise?
Air fresheners are in the pipe line. God knows what the smell is going to be though!
Variations you’d like to do on any of your songs?
Would love to do some like pure hip-hop B sides of some of the tracks. Maybe this is where we start the revival of the flares and funk?
What do your fans mean to you?
I know everyone probably says it, but literally everything! To see one person wearing our t-shirt, or seeing people losing their shit to our music is the best feeling ever. We try and make Last Hounds more of like a club/gang more than anything, because we want people to feel a part of something, like they belong? It’s all about family, we look after one another, Represent.
X-rays or any other treatments needed for band related injuries?
Thankfully not yet. We must all be just double hard bastards.
You’re late for a show, whose fault is it?
Probably mine! My concept of time is completely different to everyone else’s.
Zoo animal that best describes the personality of your band?
Maybe something like the rock scorpion? He would definitely be down to throwing some shapes in the pit.