An Interview With The Last Domino
In a massive new album release, The Last Domino delivers a sonic wave of anthemic alternative rock that hits a heavy-handed but incredibly melodic and even cinematic tonality with massive soundscapes.
The Two Thirds Of Our Lives album is absolutely oozing with heart and delivered with a vibrant and energetic performance that becomes insanely infectious right from the get-go.
This is quite a large record and there are plenty of gems that stand on their own two feet as singles for sure, but if you have the time to listen through this album from beginning to end you really get the proper way to soak it in.
An album like this is something that was very intricately put together and there was a lot of attention to detail but it never loses that heart or that soul.
The release has tons of drive and you can tell that a lot of these songs actually began from an emotional place and this was just the way to get it out.
Of course, this is some of the best aspects and attributes about music in general so being able to relate to certain tracks and understand where the artist is coming from is really beneficial.
Now, having said that, this album definitely rocks out and does it with a combination of infused influences that help build that tone and that approach that's given here.
The guitar tonality itself is outstanding and helps build these massive atmospheres that the songs portray and this record is certainly not without some really heavy moments.
There's something about this that makes me think of late 90s or early 2000s radio alt rock which gives me these little bits of nostalgic undertones.
This project has a wonderful way of combining that old school feel and a new school approach as well and when bringing those two together it creates something that's just purely addictive and alluring.
Hooks? Absolutely. The release is riddled with killer Hooks and gigantic choruses that end up bouncing around in your head for hours after you listen to them.
The songs also have this semi theatrical feel at times that just gives them a sort of empowering aspect.
The guitar work is really really good and so is the drumming. Everything about this is so alive and breathing like the energies of the players are feeding off of each other throughout the whole thing.
And we love that feeling of a live energy on a recording.
The other thing that got me with this album is that there's these little hints of existentialism coming through and it really does feel like this is a concept record because the songs seem to connect to each other in certain aspects.
All these tracks feel like chapters of a book in a way.
With the release of such a wonderfully woven album, we wanted to have a sit-down with The Last Domino to find out where this actually came from and what might be coming next.
Here's what went down.
TSWS: Okay, let's start with the Two Thirds of Our Lives album! This record was certainly high energy pop rock but with a heavy handed alt rock and progressive undertone! How did this album come about?
It definitely has a lot of stylistic elements! The relentless energy of the album was born out of my desire to step away from the mellower, more acoustic-driven material that I had been recording and performing as The Last Domino since the project's inception. After the painstakingly-intricate arrangements I put together for the album preceding Two Thirds Of Our Lives, I needed to unwind by bashing away on drums and yelling a bunch. Song ideas kept coming, so I leaned fully in that direction!
TSWS: How did this all start for you as a musician?
I began taking saxophone lessons at age nine, so I learned early on about music theory and playing things by ear. Around thirteen, a friend taught me how to play guitar, bass, and drums. I also found that I had a decent singing voice, so he and I would record Green Day and NOFX covers into his 4-track recorder. After that, I played in bands of various genres all the way through college before finally deciding to go solo with The Last Domino.
TSWS: What kind of things really inspire songs for you?
There are the usual topics like personal experiences and politics, but when I go that route, I always try to phrase things in ways that haven't been said thousands of times before. I'm also happy to write about my struggles with depression and anxiety if it can help others relate, but I often get tired of whingeing on about my own life, so I love to write fictional songs as well. I draw on my own thoughts and emotions, but plug them into scenarios that feel more cinematic than grounded.Dreams are a huge source of inspiration for me too. If there's a melody or idea from one of my dreams that's still in my head upon waking, I'll mumble the jist of it into my phone, then make sense of the details later. My Nirvana-influenced song "Kinder Gardener" was written from parts I heard in a dream where I was listening to a track on Foo Fighters' The Colour And The Shape album, then lucidly realized that the song didn't actually exist, so I woke myself up to write it!
TSWS: This album has some great styles combinations on it! Can you give us some of your biggest influences musically?
I'm an alternateen at heart, so there are certainly shades of Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, AFI, Live, QOTSA, and Muse on Two Thirds Of Our Lives. And though their influence may not shine through onto my own work, some of my favorite artists are Björk, Jeff Buckley, Prince, and Bowie; mostly because of their uncompromising spirit toward their artistry. From the beginning, I wanted The Last Domino to encompass any style of music I wanted to play whenever I felt like playing it. Not the best plan in terms of marketability, but it's been fun, and that's what counts!
TSWS: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I'm primarily an actor, specializing in character and creature work for films, television, commercials, etc. I'm probably best known as the Realtor.com vampire, and I'm featured in a few projects coming out later this year, including a TV series about exorcists, and the new Zack Snyder film Rebel Moon.
Who's in your headphones right now?The new M83 album. "Amnesia" and "Sunny Boy" make me wish I was in a Breakfast Club-esque dance montage.
TSWS: Are you doing any live performances right now?
I'm playing somewhat of an anomalous one-off this Sunday afternoon in downtown L.A. to celebrate the eighteenth anniversary of my first release as The Last Domino! Since I haven't put a full band together to play the new stuff yet, I'll be doing my signature one-man-band solo performance where I layer songs with multiple instruments and vocal harmonies through effects pedals. I'll likely stream it live on Instagram @thelastdomino!
TSWS: Did you record yourself or hit a big studio for this?
Whewww, this bad boy was self-recorded over the span of ten frigging years (backburnered oh so many times for oh so many reasons), and put together remotely with the help of my friend and co-producer Luiza Carvalho, who also mixed and mastered it. A lot of the reason I'm prouder of this album than any of my others is because of her soundscaping wizardry on it. She took my raw song ingredients and whipped 'em up into a gargantuan soufflé of an album experience!
TSWS: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
Most importantly, I need to scout bandmates to start playing the new songs live. Touring is the ideal next step, then who knows?! Bigtime record deal?? Fancypants celebrity soirées?? My ego inflating to the point of self-destruction and worldwide ostracism?!? Ahhh, a guy can dream...Also, more music videos will follow the recently-released "Paperweight" vid! I've written treatments for "Flylashes" and "More Christian Than Christian", and am currently bouncing around ideas with a director friend for "Black Jeans, Brown Booze".
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
I love you all from the bottoms of my heartsquishies! From everyone who has been listening since the first EP to those just now getting into the music, you're The Last Domino's lifeblood, and I hope to see you soon!!
