WANLS: Tell me the name of your band, how it came about, if you ever went by another name and how you guys formed a band.
LPYL: thelastplaceyoulook. ( all one word because we like it that way ) Before thelastplaceyoulook formed, Justin Nava ( who only goes by "Nava" ) was putting together an acoustic project with a few friends. The bass player at the time was going though some lyrics of Nava's and stumbled upon "the last place you look" as a great name to begin the project.
Nava was in a funk band previous know as "Six West" with guitarist Richard Sherwood. After a few years, "Six West" had more member changes than you can count and finally faded out.
Richard and Nava were on a mission to put some music together and started the hunt for more "stable" band mates. Nava found Drummer Andy Moths at an Acoustic Mic Night at Helios playing guitar to Dashboard confessional covers. After a few nights of hanging out Andy confessed he had played drums in a band up in Milwaukee.
Nava's met bassist Kevin Pool through working at Starbucks. Kevin being in a band already called "Nadiri" introduced him to their guitar player whom after a trial show did not dig the music just yet.
Finally, Naridi's guitarist introduced the band to Derek Young, who had been in pop punk band "Mr. Castaway" that had recently disbanded only a few months prior.
Since then the founding members of "thelastplaceyoulook" has always been Nava, Richard, Andy, Kevin and Derek since 2003.
WANLS: Introduce me to the band members and whether they play/sing/etc.
LPYL: Justin Nava (Nava ) - Vocals
Kevin Pool - Bass/Vocals
Richard Sherwood - Guitar
Derek Young - Guitar
Andy Moths - Drums
WANLS: Throw your sets up! Where do you live and why do you love it?
LPYL: We love living in the van, because the smell is intoxicating...or toxic...either one.
WANLS: Do you guys identify with a particular genre?
LPYL: Rock with Indie influences
WANLS: What are your musical influences?
LPYL: Bill Cosby, Thrice, Taking Back Sunday, Mae, James Brown, Little Richard, Chasing Victory, The Used....anything good really.
WANLS: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
LPYL: We have a balance between pop sensibility and musical intelligence. Well thought out lyrics and driving rhythms create an original edgy sound. We will make your heart swoon before we rip it out and stomp on it.
WANLS: Do you have or are you signed to a record label?
LPYL: No labels, independent baby!
WANLS: What are some of your most memorable shows?
LPYL: We just finished up an epic tour with Universal national artist 10 Years!! One of the best experiences so far!
WANLS: Who writes your music?
LPYL: We all play a part in writing the music in the band. Often times Nava plays the biggest part in the writing because he brings in songs for the rest of the band to interpret. His lyrics and melodies can set the tone for how the songs are written. However the process is never the same each time. In the past a song has been created by just a simple guitar part.
WANLS: Tell me about the in-studio/music making process for your band.
LPYL: We recorded our last full length album with Will Hoffmann (former guitarist of Push Monkey ). He helped formalize our sound we have today. Before we had all types of genres floating in our songs and now with his help we have learned to keep the songs simple and memorable.
WANLS: What direction do you see the band going in 2010? Any specific plans?
LPYL: More Touring with national acts, recording a new demo of about 5 songs. Increasing our fan base in Texas and Louisiana. Maybe making the band our full time job? (cross fingers)
WANLS: Which do you prefer: studio time/creating new music or touring/live shows?
LPYL: I (Derek) can't speak for everyone in the band but....live shows are the biggest payoff!! You get to meet great people at shows that really connect with your music.
WANLS: Your fantasy show or tour line up?
LPYL: Shine Down, Glassjaw, The White Stripes and thelastplaceyoulook on a Brazilian Congo tour. Dope!
WANLS: Describe what it’s like to experience your live shows.
LPYL: There are a lot of dynamics in our songs and you have to be ready for that. We come out pistols blazing with big rock riffs and huge choruses. But we are not scarred to taking it down a notch for songs like "Band to Save Me". Be ready for a roller coaster of emotions!
WANLS: Fill in the blank: If it hadn't been for _______, we would have _________.
LPYL: If it hadn't been for our stubborn idea of brotherhood, we would have broke up by now.
WANLS: Do you have any new music being released soon?
LPYL: We are working on a 5 song EP we plan to record soon in 2010.
WANLS: Do you have any upcoming shows?
LPYL: Yes! In Houston we are playing Thee Armada's farewell show at Warehouse Live on Saturday January 16th. It is going to be a great line up!
WANLS: Are there videos to any of your songs?
LPYL: We recorded a new music video for our single "Don't Make it So Easy", YouTube it!
Sierra Says: Surprise! You can watch it right here on WANLS:)
WANLS: What's the #1 priority for your band right now?
LPYL: Make fans and meet more people!
WANLS: Plans to tour any time soon?
LPYL: We just jump off the 10 Years tour right after the holidays, but we might be doing something again in February or March but we can't talk about that just yet :)
WANLS: Where can we find you on the web?
LPYL: Official Website
MySpace
Purevolume
If you Google thelastplaceyoulook, you'll have three pages full of links to find us!
WANLS: How can we buy your music?
LPYL: iTunes, Amazon or CDBaby.net
WANLS: How can we contact you for booking?
LPYL: thelastplaceyoulooktx@yahoo.com
WANLS: Fill in the blank: People would never guess that ________________.
LPYL: People would never guess that we have a picture of Brittany Spears hanging up in our practice room.
WANLS: Best thing about being in your band?
LPYL: Having people/fans connect with the music we are playing.
WANLS: Fill in the blank: one day they're probably gonna name a ________ after our band.
LPYL: One day they're probably gonna name a desert island after our band.
WANLS: Last and most importantly, if you were stranded on a desert island with your bandmates, who would go cannibal first?
LPYL: On thelastplaceyoulook desert island...Nava would go cannibal first and Derek would be eaten first. Nava even now bites him occasionally. Nava says it is out of love, but Derek knows the truth.
First Photo by Taylor Gahm
All Others by Barry D.
Sierra Says: Thanks guys! Keep rockin...WANLS is behind you all the way!
