by sierra romano
photo courtesy of last dinosaurs
Last Dinosaurs have been releasing some songs in anticipation of their upcoming album, From Mexico With Love out on November 4th! We caught up with them to talk about their writing process and even got a taste of some of their favorite tour memories. Be sure to catch them at an upcoming show and check out the new songs!
Hey guys! Congrats on the release of your recent songs, which release has been your favorite so far?
Last Dinosaurs: “Thanks! ‘Auto-Sabotage’ just got released, it’s probably one of my favorites on the album and it’s got a banger video that’s coming out soon. We’ve been sitting on it for ages so it’s exciting to finally get it out there!”
When writing, what usually comes first, the lyrics or the instrumentals?
Last Dinosaurs: “Lyrics almost always come last for us. As for the instrumentals, sometimes it’s a lead guitar riff, sometimes an interesting chord progression or a driving drum beat that leads the direction of the song.”
Your next album, From Mexico With Love, is coming out on November 4th. How does this album compare to your previous releases?
Last Dinosaurs: “This album was written in quarantine by Lach during his time in Guanajuato, Mexico, so having his songwriting as the basis for all the songs gives the album its own flavor while still having the Dinos DNA. Lach wrote half of the songs on our previous album so it’s a nice natural lead in on FMWL.”
What are you most excited about with the release of your next album?
Last Dinosaurs: “Getting to tour again with these new songs released is really exciting, we’ve just finished our first tour of USA and Mexico since the pandemic and it’s super refreshing to get back on the road and actually play for fans. Everyone seems keen to get back out and watch live music.”
You guys are from Australia but actually wrote most of the album in Mexico, how does your location impact your creativity?
Last Dinosaurs: ”Lach was basically stuck in Mexico as the epidemic turned into a pandemic and borders shut down all over the world. I think a lot of the songs on the new album come from that mindset of being away from home. For me the album has so many themes that fit the self-reflection that came from being locked down. Perhaps it’s not the location itself that influences the music but what’s happening while you’re there.”
What are some other artists you draw inspiration from?
Last Dinosaurs: “Our DNA began with bands like The Strokes, Phoenix, Foals and that ilk, but you can definitely hear influence from a whole range of styles of music we listen to. An album that has been on repeat around this record was Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti LP from 1982.”
What is one message you hope the fans will take away from this new album, or your music in general?
Last Dinosaurs: “I would say we deal in feelings more than messages. The best thing about music is when a song hits something inside you and perfectly resonates with a feeling or an idea. I hope people find that in different songs on the new album.”
Lastly, you have been touring a lot recently and have a bunch of upcoming shows to look forward to. Can you share your favorite memory from the road so far?
Last Dinosaurs: “We capped off our tour with Lollapalooza in Chicago, our first US festival. It was pretty special to watch people fill up the grass in front of us. Very hard to narrow down to one favorite memory, but I definitely have a soft spot for experiencing middle-of-nowhere, middle-of-the-night Waffle House meals on the US tour. The biscuits and gravy really hit the spot.”