DJ Interviews: The Last Afternoons

Hi everyone! DJ Dizzy here & I had the pleasure of interviewing a band who call themselves The Last Afternoons as they spoke on their musical beginnings. And here they are!

1) How'd you get started in music?

Each of us have similar stories, started bands out of college, slowly made the rounds dropping off tapes for club bookers to listen to. We all have known each other for years from our various groups playing around the Chicago scene. At one point Brett and Rich's band (Sex Ritter), broke up and they were looking to get a bigger sound going, and they sought out old friends. That was just a couple years ago, and through many gigs and two albums, The Last Afternoons solidified.

2) Who are your inspirations or influences?

We like a lot of different types of music, but TLA plays power pop, and for that we are influenced by The Jam, Elvis Costello, REM, Cheap Trick, The Cars, The Jags, The Records, The Shivvers, 20/20, ELO, and The Knack.

3) What advice would you offer aspiring performers?

Only play with members you get along with & respect the heck out of. It just makes the whole experience that much smoother and happier. It's easy to get seduced by someone's chops, but always ask yourself: "Who can I stand to sit next to in a van for a whole week?"

4) How do you set yourselves apart from other bands or singers?

We believe wholeheartedly in the hook and the riff. All of our songs incorporate those elements, beginning with a melody & lyrics. But it doesn't really kick in until we get the hooks-n-riffs!

5) Any new gigs or albums in the future

We are currently taking steps to get our third album on its feet. It's tough with all the social distancing, but we've started meeting online to get some basics started, and now the songs are being circulated among ourselves, so we'll just keep building on that. As for gigs, like everybody at the moment, it's up to the gods!

Special thanks to them for doing this interview & lots of luck to them on their music. So until then I'll catch you on The Flipside! Stay awesome & rock n roll!