Last Night

Trevor Potts, vocals/guitar player for Last Night, acoustic-rock group from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Since Last Night’s formation in November 2005, the group has been very busy. How do you balance your music with school?

Good question. Sometimes I ask myself the same thing. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but you make time for the things you need in your life. My music/business came to the forefront in a hurry last year and making a choice between a solid education and career or a dream was one that I decided not to make. There have been days where I thought music had to take a backseat and others where the education has for sure – ask my roommates – but it’s all going fine and I can’t complain because I brought it all on myself, with the help of the support group.

How has the band managed to stay together now that you reside in Minneapolis? How do you practice?

Great friendship and understanding have been the keys to maintaining lines of communication. I get home about once a month to play or practice and a two to three week break between last trimester gave us the opportunity to rehearse for a week and play shows for a week. Big thanks go to all the loved ones that are OK with just getting some “hello’s” before I’m off to rehearse until all hours. Appreciation is shown whenever possible but it takes a special support group.
Rust can develop and creativity can suffer when we aren’t spending 5 hours a day together, but as a band I think this time away has helped us all as individual musicians, furthering our skills with the instruments, writing styles, and business. We were on a similar vibe for a while, writing loads of material, but we needed a change. There’s quite a few works in progress that we hope to hammer out next time I’m home in Thunder Bay. The new stuff’s great! We’ve also been lucky enough to have a sit-in percussionist because Derek’s away in Granada until mid May, attending Med-school.


I heard that Last Night signed with Argento Records at the end of March. Had your group been looking to sign a record contract with someone? Why Argento?

The goal was set in February to sign a record contract by Dec. 31st. I won’t bore you with the details of the goal, but within about a week we had received contact from Argento. There were many questions and negotiations within the band and support group regarding the level of marketing support and reward that Argento could bring us. In the end it just was another way to help spread the Last Night vibes and continue looking for a major.

What do you think the biggest change for Last Night will be now that you are signed?

This gives us more negotiation power for sure. Trying to get a show to pay-out for 5 musicians is not an easy task when you’re just Trevor, Chris, Matt, Brent, or Derek calling with a cool band from Thunder Bay. It’s status. Period. Kind of a silly thing but it makes a difference… already.

What are you most looking forward to about your two U.S. shows?


A few things pop into my head… being on stage is such a rush, for one. Spreading the news that Acoustic Rock is hip is also a big deal for us. Reaching the American market is something that we desire, too. The pond is much bigger here. There’s more fish, but a lot of that is filet-o-fish. We’re like wild, fresh Canadian Walleye: Organic and easy on the senses. There’s a reason why Walleye is Ontario’s favorite table fish. Am I digressing?

Are you doing anything special to prepare for your performance at Northwestern? How do you feel about performing in front of your classmates?

Besides yoga four times a day and watching videos of The Darkness to look for new fashion statements?… Seriously we’re just working on some new tunes and a couple little tricks that the band is chomping to bust out. We’re pretty tame on stage though. The Northwestern show will likely be the second for James (percussion) with us. He’ll likely be learning the songs in the next couple weeks and perhaps playing with a full drum-kit, something that the band hasn’t really done much of either. That will be a big adjustment. As far as the classmates go, they’re the big reason why I won the Northwestern Idol. They’ve shown nothing but immense support since I arrived and started asking people to buy our stuff. I love ‘em and can’t wait to be known for something other than attempting “Cry Me A River”.

You mention on your Web site that other Minneapolis shows are in the works. Any venues or shows in particular that people should keep their ears open for?
Updates have occurred on the site. We contacted various local favorites such as Major’s and Sports Page to run another show in the area that weekend, but 2 venues from Duluth/Superior contacted us with an opening first and we had to make a choice. If anyone knows anyone in Duluth/Superior tell them to check out the myspace or website for up to date show info for May 5th. As of now we’re booked for Thirsty Pegan Brewery in Superior.
If anyone wants to hear more of the band, help would be greatly appreciated. Emailing radio stations would probably be a great idea. Cities97 is likely the best fit for the band. We’re working on it.


Last Night’s first CD, “7TRACKS,” which dropped in January, is currently available online. Is the band thinking about when it would like to start recording its next CD?

That’s a great question and I’m glad you asked it…We’ve got a ton of material that’s work in progress and it’s all looking good. We’ve also thought about re-recording some fav’s, too. Some time this summer I think we may get some more studio time. School is still here, so I’ll likely make some weekend trips to get some solid tracking done in the summer. You may hear some more recording by next Christmas.

What is next for Last Night?(future plans, music, concerts, etc.)
New goals. I’d like to see a Rolling Stone Cover within 2 years…no joke. I think the talent that this band has to write songs is at the top of the heap and exploring new diversified sounds may be on our horizon. With some great management and support group we can continue to grow exponentially. We’ve only just begun.
Time on earth is limited, but Jack Johnson says “There’s no such thing as time… It’s our time.”
So, we’ll Let Life Happen.
- Naturally Magazine

Los Angeles, CA - Last Night has announced the January 2010 release of the new album, Flops and Couches. A slate of singles from the CD are already available online: Pine Cove Beach, I'll Try, Let Live and Soldier.
Pine Cove Beach unveils the band's captivating mix of intelligent but accessible songwriting. The song is full of radio-happy hooks delivered with verve and boundless energy. The song came from a dream, says one band member, explaining that one of the group awoke from sleep and jotted down everything he could remember, realizing as he did so that the images from his dream paralleled aspects of our society.
It's about people asking for things without putting in an effort. That goes for tax breaks, food at a soup kitchen or even world peace. Nothing will happen if YOU don't do anything about it. We all have to step up.
The song's rock vivacity is juxtaposed against the acoustic structures but it's that very structure that gives Pine Cove Beach so much meat. It's a full-bodied song, with the vocals, guitars and percussion forming a tight weave of muscular strength without sacrificing the aerodynamics unique to acoustic music. It grooves right along with hooks and melodies, instruments and multiple voices complementing each other and rounding out the sound. Catchy acoustically driven guitar, bass riffs and quite a few vocal harmonies shine throughout.
That and the other singles are vibrant with the masterful fusion of songwriting complexity and pop sensibilities, bringing flair and unique dynamics to Last Night's acoustic pop rock sound, bringing galvanization to a style reviled by the amps-only crowd. And the same kind of lyrical depth flows throughout the album, as this quad of singles amply demonstrates. Fresh, traditional and organic ingredients are combined in more contemporary modes of musical application. It's a sexy package!
Even thoughtfulness went into the CD's moniker. The album title points to the band's journey. While writing the album, we went through a couple of studios and jam spaces, all of which had some pros and cons. Pros were things like simply having different places and to create music at any time of day and being influenced by these constantly changing environments and just having a place to crash after long sessions. Cons were things like dealing with landlords and disgusting living conditions at times. It was essentially a flop house for us. People would come and go as we jammed, sometimes crashing on the couch.
The album is a major reflection of the evolution of the band. Last Night's previous release was "7Tracks", an album done with hand drum about six months into the band's existence. A lot has changed!
From the geographical center of Canada, Last Night draws influences from numerous genres (East Coast, West Coast and traditional heartland folk are blended with pioneering indie style and pop and rock flavors. The band originally formed as a three piece acoustic guitar group (Trevor, Matt and Chris) in 2005 and added bass (Lucas) and drummer (Glenn) in 2009. Focus has been the band's key to success in the local and regional scene, and the group has also played to larger crowds more than 10,000 on a few occasions. .
We pride ourselves in our effort and talent to work as a band. Being virtuosos would be great but sharing musical moments with great friends and fans is next-level stuff!
Last Night is currently working with A&R Select, the premier A&R firm based out of Los Angeles, CA. More information is available by visiting www.myspace.com/lastnightmusicspace, www.lastnightmusic.com, www.promofm.com (keyword search: Last Night) and www.arselect.com.
- A&R select

By Miranda Nelson
February 4, 2010

Because they hail from Northern Ontario, it’s a sure bet that the guys in Last Night are familiar with winter (the real kind of winter, not the months of rain that we endure here). Perhaps that’s one of the reasons they decided to release the summer-flavoured Flops & Couches during the dreariest season of the year. This often flamenco-fueled album is fresh and fun from start to finish, conjuring up dreams of being anywhere but here.

The album kicks off with the ridiculously cheery “Flops”, replete with the kind of harmonies that the Barenaked Ladies used to churn out during their Bruce Cockburn phase, then meanders through mellow percussion-led ballads (“I’ll Try”), darkly intense tunes about travelers (“Steeples”), and sharp acoustic rockers telling tales of porcupines (“Pine Cove Beach”). From the playful not-quite-love songs (“Miss Lee”) to sultry jazz-inspired numbers (“Let’s Just Chill” and “Show Me Yours”), there is no shortage of variety. Even though winter is made for sitting on the couch and wallowing in the darkness, the closet to sounding bummed out the trio gets is on the album’s closer “Day Old Hate”, a hard-hearted bluegrass stomper.

The boys deviate from the standard rock tune formula for the heartfelt epic that is “Soldier”, which opens with an extended intro before delving into some of the more beautiful vocals on the album. And “One in the Same”, a perfect indie-acoustic rock song featuring delectable finger-picked solos, has a familiar sort of sound that transports the listener to a much warmer place.

The harmonies are truly what set Last Night apart. While not as furious or quirky as, say, local kids Mother Mother, the members of Last Night has some impressive vocal chops, keeping their harmonies close but silly enough that they still sound like they’re having fun.

Flops & Couches is easy, playful, and reminds us of the hottest days of July, sitting on a beach, soaking up the sunshine... Sorry. We went somewhere else there for a minute.

Download This: “One in the Same”


Last Night
Flops & Couches (Independent)
http://www.straight.com/article-286266/vancouver/last-nights-flops-couches-fresh-and-fun-start-finish - The Georgia Straight