Last Second Magic

After the week of stuffing our faces with turkeys and pumpkin pies, this week is going to be full of fresh indie music: Indie week Toronto starts from October 12 to 16th across the city. Are you ready for it? I had a chance to ask questions to Paul Hosford, the lead singer and guitarist, from Irish rock band, called "Last Second Magic."



1. As exclaimed as a band goal, -"It's about evolution, not revolution," what progress listeners can expect from the new EP release, " We Miss you, Black Stalin!" from the debut release, "Start to Breathe", or even from the EP release to date?

Paul Hosford (P): From STB to WMYBS to today, we have really evolved in my eyes. We're a lot more rounded now and the songs in the set that aren't on Black Stalin have a lot of great craft in them, I feel.

Philippa Cahill (Keyboard) and Ross Callaghan (Guitar) have only been in the band a couple of months, but they have really filled out the sound of the stuff we've been doing and lately. I kind of feel that at times, we leaned on our old guitarist, Oisin, a little too much, because he is a fantastic guitarist, and we had gotten to a point where we'd write the song and kind of just say ‘yeah throw a solo in there.’Now, we're being forced to be smarter about what we're doing and make the song as a whole better, not just the individual parts.

On top of that, I feel personally like I'm a lot more comfortable with the idea of having people hear our songs. I was used to being the bass player and letting someone else put their thoughts and words down and that was comfortable.But when LSM came about, I had all these songs and I was almost afraid to commit to them. Like if I weren’t too attached, people not liking them wouldn't hurt because I was detached from it. Almost a fear of failure, I suppose.But now, I'm much more invested in it all. I believe in the music and, I like to think, that's evident in our live show.


2.What inspired you guys to name the EP " We Miss you, Black Stalin!"?

(P): It's actually a Toronto reference! Ruth Gill (Drums) and Al Maxwell (Bass) were in the Beaver Cafe on Queen St, having breakfast and saw a piece of art by a collective called Team Macho (www.teammacho.com) and it included Black Stalin.

We immediately loved it and the day we got home, I sent out a text saying, "We're making a new EP, we're calling it "We Miss You, Black Stalin!" and we're going to get Team Macho to do us a version of the artwork." Everyone agreed and the physical product we have is one that I, personally am delighted with.

3. Is Stalin's music one of the biggest influences for you guys? If so, who else do you think had have a great importance of your music.

(P): I personally think Stalin is overrated. Apparently, he was a bit of a dictator in the studio, too. Now, Castro, there's a dictator who can drop a phat beat.As for our own sound, there's quite a mix in there.

We've been described as sounding like a poppy version of The Frames, or if Joy Division met Eels. Personally, I like to think we sound like The Trews meets Death Cab For Cutie, with some Dashboard Confessional thrown in.

But we don't aim to sound like anything. The songs start as acoustic tracks on my guitar and once they've been filtered through the five of us making our own noises, it sounds like five people making noise!

4. All four songs in the EP have all about different themes. Why did you decide to put these four songs in one album?

(P) I felt they worked well in the order they're in and that they were a good representation of us as a band. There's a lot of different stuff going on there and I hope it shows people that there is no prototypical LSM song as such.

5. What can we expect from the Indie Week show in Toronto on October 14th at Hideout?

(P): You can expect five people from Dublin having a great time, playing music that they love and trying, in some small way, to help people enjoy themselves. At the end of the day, live music is there to be enjoyed and nights like the Irish Showcase are about as fun as being in a band can get. Great venue, great people and an absolutely brilliant night.Torontonians who want to know what a night in an Irish venue is like should come down!

6.Any bands that you would like to check out during Indie Week?

(P): Loads. And the horrible thing about playing is that the schedule can restrict that. Personally, I’d love to see, The Ascot Royals, Courage My Love, Pree, Oh No! Yoko, The Suburbians, Meredith Shaw and Dinosaur Dinosaur.

If you have any interest in live music and can comfortably get to the Queen St area any of the nights, invest in a wristband, walk from club to club and enjoy some fantastic music by people who appreciate every clap, every complement and every person who takes an interest.

7.Any messages for Toronto music fan or Music Psychos?

(P) : Come and see us! We're nice people and we'll really appreciate it! We might even get one of our friends to b - Music Psychos

After the week of stuffing our faces with turkeys and pumpkin pies, this week is going to be full of fresh indie music: Indie week Toronto starts from October 12 to 16th across the city. Are you ready for it? I had a chance to ask questions to Paul Hosford, the lead singer and guitarist, from Irish rock band, called "Last Second Magic."



1. As exclaimed as a band goal, -"It's about evolution, not revolution," what progress listeners can expect from the new EP release, " We Miss you, Black Stalin!" from the debut release, "Start to Breathe", or even from the EP release to date?

Paul Hosford (P): From STB to WMYBS to today, we have really evolved in my eyes. We're a lot more rounded now and the songs in the set that aren't on Black Stalin have a lot of great craft in them, I feel.

Philippa Cahill (Keyboard) and Ross Callaghan (Guitar) have only been in the band a couple of months, but they have really filled out the sound of the stuff we've been doing and lately. I kind of feel that at times, we leaned on our old guitarist, Oisin, a little too much, because he is a fantastic guitarist, and we had gotten to a point where we'd write the song and kind of just say ‘yeah throw a solo in there.’Now, we're being forced to be smarter about what we're doing and make the song as a whole better, not just the individual parts.

On top of that, I feel personally like I'm a lot more comfortable with the idea of having people hear our songs. I was used to being the bass player and letting someone else put their thoughts and words down and that was comfortable.But when LSM came about, I had all these songs and I was almost afraid to commit to them. Like if I weren’t too attached, people not liking them wouldn't hurt because I was detached from it. Almost a fear of failure, I suppose.But now, I'm much more invested in it all. I believe in the music and, I like to think, that's evident in our live show.


2.What inspired you guys to name the EP " We Miss you, Black Stalin!"?

(P): It's actually a Toronto reference! Ruth Gill (Drums) and Al Maxwell (Bass) were in the Beaver Cafe on Queen St, having breakfast and saw a piece of art by a collective called Team Macho (www.teammacho.com) and it included Black Stalin.

We immediately loved it and the day we got home, I sent out a text saying, "We're making a new EP, we're calling it "We Miss You, Black Stalin!" and we're going to get Team Macho to do us a version of the artwork." Everyone agreed and the physical product we have is one that I, personally am delighted with.

3. Is Stalin's music one of the biggest influences for you guys? If so, who else do you think had have a great importance of your music.

(P): I personally think Stalin is overrated. Apparently, he was a bit of a dictator in the studio, too. Now, Castro, there's a dictator who can drop a phat beat.As for our own sound, there's quite a mix in there.

We've been described as sounding like a poppy version of The Frames, or if Joy Division met Eels. Personally, I like to think we sound like The Trews meets Death Cab For Cutie, with some Dashboard Confessional thrown in.

But we don't aim to sound like anything. The songs start as acoustic tracks on my guitar and once they've been filtered through the five of us making our own noises, it sounds like five people making noise!

4. All four songs in the EP have all about different themes. Why did you decide to put these four songs in one album?

(P) I felt they worked well in the order they're in and that they were a good representation of us as a band. There's a lot of different stuff going on there and I hope it shows people that there is no prototypical LSM song as such.

5. What can we expect from the Indie Week show in Toronto on October 14th at Hideout?

(P): You can expect five people from Dublin having a great time, playing music that they love and trying, in some small way, to help people enjoy themselves. At the end of the day, live music is there to be enjoyed and nights like the Irish Showcase are about as fun as being in a band can get. Great venue, great people and an absolutely brilliant night.Torontonians who want to know what a night in an Irish venue is like should come down!

6.Any bands that you would like to check out during Indie Week?

(P): Loads. And the horrible thing about playing is that the schedule can restrict that. Personally, I’d love to see, The Ascot Royals, Courage My Love, Pree, Oh No! Yoko, The Suburbians, Meredith Shaw and Dinosaur Dinosaur.

If you have any interest in live music and can comfortably get to the Queen St area any of the nights, invest in a wristband, walk from club to club and enjoy some fantastic music by people who appreciate every clap, every complement and every person who takes an interest.

7.Any messages for Toronto music fan or Music Psychos?

(P) : Come and see us! We're nice people and we'll really appreciate it! We might even get one of our friends to b - Music Psychos

This was Last Second Magic’s second outing at Indie week Canada. Hailing from Blanchardstown, this young band (aged 18 – 25) is eager to put on a memorable show for their audience. Given their youth it has to be difficult to come to Toronto for two years running, but front man Paul Hosford is determined they’ll beg, borrow or steal their way through any logistical problem! Hosford tells how they have been described as a cross-between Eels and Joy Division, and says that these bands would be some of the many that influence their song writing. While comparing this year’s Indie Week to last, Hosford explains how the band recruited two new members in the last few months. One of the new recruits, Philippa Cahill, on keyboard and vocals, provided particularly haunting vocals on “The Barrage Lifts”. This young band have youth on their side and deserve ten out of ten for enthusiasm and drive. For more info on Last Second Magic, check out http://lastsecondmagic.com.


- RTE 2fm

This was Last Second Magic’s second outing at Indie week Canada. Hailing from Blanchardstown, this young band (aged 18 – 25) is eager to put on a memorable show for their audience. Given their youth it has to be difficult to come to Toronto for two years running, but front man Paul Hosford is determined they’ll beg, borrow or steal their way through any logistical problem! Hosford tells how they have been described as a cross-between Eels and Joy Division, and says that these bands would be some of the many that influence their song writing. While comparing this year’s Indie Week to last, Hosford explains how the band recruited two new members in the last few months. One of the new recruits, Philippa Cahill, on keyboard and vocals, provided particularly haunting vocals on “The Barrage Lifts”. This young band have youth on their side and deserve ten out of ten for enthusiasm and drive. For more info on Last Second Magic, check out http://lastsecondmagic.com.


- RTE 2fm

We were recently introduced to Dublin indie pop rockers Last Second Magic and let’s just say, we can’t get enough of their sound over at The iM.

The band released their debut EP earlier this year and we suggest you have a listen over at their Bandcamp page. In other news, the guys (and gals) just released a new song called Fall – you can check it out in the Soundcloud player below.

The 5-piece is making the trek to Toronto this year for Indie Week where they’ll play The Underground Garage on October 13th and The Hideout on the 14th. Something tell us, we might just be at one of those shows.

For more on Last Second Magic, visit them over on their Facebook page. - The Indie Machine

Blanchardstown based four piece Last Second Magic look all set to release the follow up to their “Start To Breathe” EP and the success of some good support shows with CODES and Bitter Ruin this March.

The EP will be out March 4th 2011 and will be entitled “We Miss You, Black Stalin” which has followed a great year from them where in 2010 they were selected for Indie Week Toronto 2010 and signed a management deal with Fairweather Talent Management.

The EP was mastered in Toronto by Phil DeMetro and will be available to download for FREE via lastsecondmagic.bandcamp.com

To launch the EP, the band will play a hometown show in Captain’s Live, Blanchardstown on March 4, with support from HyperGiants. Tickets for that gig are €7. Prior to the launch, the band support Gemma Hayes in the same venue on February 24.

- Golden Plec

Blanchardstown based four piece Last Second Magic look all set to release the follow up to their “Start To Breathe” EP and the success of some good support shows with CODES and Bitter Ruin this March.

The EP will be out March 4th 2011 and will be entitled “We Miss You, Black Stalin” which has followed a great year from them where in 2010 they were selected for Indie Week Toronto 2010 and signed a management deal with Fairweather Talent Management.

The EP was mastered in Toronto by Phil DeMetro and will be available to download for FREE via lastsecondmagic.bandcamp.com

To launch the EP, the band will play a hometown show in Captain’s Live, Blanchardstown on March 4, with support from HyperGiants. Tickets for that gig are €7. Prior to the launch, the band support Gemma Hayes in the same venue on February 24.

- Golden Plec

Blanchardstown based Dublin indie four piece has been selected from thousands of entries to be one of around one hundred bands who will be hitting Toronto with October 13-17th

For a band only just over a year old it’s not a bad achievement and comes off the back of support slots with Bitter Ruin and CODES. They will be holding a fund raising gig in Captains Live, Blanchardstown on October 10th.

“To get such a huge opportunity so early in our time as a band is a huge deal for us. We decided we were going to take the band more seriously in the summer and since then we’ve had a lot of success, culminating in getting picked for Toronto.” Said singer Hosford.

“We have a lot of belief in what we do as a band and we work hard at all facets of what we do and that’s paying off now.”
- Golden Plec

Last Second Magic, the band formed by Hand Attacks for Heart Shakes bassist Paul Hosford, will launch their first EP Start to Breathe at a night of local bands at Draíocht.

Although they only formed last August, the band’s rise has been quite meteoric, attracting many fans through their energetic live performances and easy take on a wide variety of styles. From driving rock to an almost folksy blues style, LSM have demonstrated there is no dearth of musical talent in Dublin 15.

The band comprises Paul on rhythm guitar, rather than the bass he played in HAFHS; Clare Island native Oisin Moran on lead guitar (“Growing up on Clare Island it was either learn the guitar or spend your time throwing rocks in the ocean”); fellow lead guitarist Dan Stynes; Alan Maxwell of the unrelenting bass; and former HAFHS drummer Ruth Gill.

All of them live in Dublin 15.

The EP, which was completed in January, features five songs, all of which are differently paced and showcase the band’s wide talents. From upbeat, life-affirming pop numbers to moody anthems railing against the place you live, Start to Breathe is a snapshot in time of an up and coming young band on the cusp of a breakthrough

The final song on the EP is called A Careless Thief. This was the name of a subsequent embodiment of HAFHS but, Paul says, the song has nothing to do with the band.

“Actually the genesis of that song showed me what being in a band was all about,” he says. “I brought the song to rehearsals and, as usual, all the other guys added their own pieces to it. We thought it was fairly complete but when we played the song to Oisin, he added an amazing guitar solo after the second verse that really took the song in a new direction altogether. It was amazing.”

Supporting the band on their debut headlining gig at Draíocht (they have played there as support before) will be their rock family cousins the Nectarines and Bennett vs Matrix.

The gig takes place on Friday 9th April in Draíocht Studio at 7.30pm and admission is €8.
- Community Voice

Last Second Magic, the band formed by Hand Attacks for Heart Shakes bassist Paul Hosford, will launch their first EP Start to Breathe at a night of local bands at Draíocht.

Although they only formed last August, the band’s rise has been quite meteoric, attracting many fans through their energetic live performances and easy take on a wide variety of styles. From driving rock to an almost folksy blues style, LSM have demonstrated there is no dearth of musical talent in Dublin 15.

The band comprises Paul on rhythm guitar, rather than the bass he played in HAFHS; Clare Island native Oisin Moran on lead guitar (“Growing up on Clare Island it was either learn the guitar or spend your time throwing rocks in the ocean”); fellow lead guitarist Dan Stynes; Alan Maxwell of the unrelenting bass; and former HAFHS drummer Ruth Gill.

All of them live in Dublin 15.

The EP, which was completed in January, features five songs, all of which are differently paced and showcase the band’s wide talents. From upbeat, life-affirming pop numbers to moody anthems railing against the place you live, Start to Breathe is a snapshot in time of an up and coming young band on the cusp of a breakthrough

The final song on the EP is called A Careless Thief. This was the name of a subsequent embodiment of HAFHS but, Paul says, the song has nothing to do with the band.

“Actually the genesis of that song showed me what being in a band was all about,” he says. “I brought the song to rehearsals and, as usual, all the other guys added their own pieces to it. We thought it was fairly complete but when we played the song to Oisin, he added an amazing guitar solo after the second verse that really took the song in a new direction altogether. It was amazing.”

Supporting the band on their debut headlining gig at Draíocht (they have played there as support before) will be their rock family cousins the Nectarines and Bennett vs Matrix.

The gig takes place on Friday 9th April in Draíocht Studio at 7.30pm and admission is €8.
- Community Voice