by aiden rodgers
If you’re into alternative music, there’s no way you haven’t heard of this indie powerhouse dominating the UK’s underground scene. After the release of only one single, The Last Dinner Party has garnered over 500,000 monthly Spotify listeners. In anticipation of their upcoming UK tour and the release of their second single, “Sinner,” we talked to the quintet about their name, aesthetic, and how The Last Dinner Party came to be where it is today.
Were you all at all startled by just how quickly you would rise to underground prominence after officially releasing your first single? What do you think that had to do with how much you had been killing it in the UK live scene?
The Last Dinner Party: “We were wishing and hoping ‘Nothing Matters’ would be received well but couldn’t anticipate the scale. It’s been overwhelming and amazing. We always hoped it would be the shows that drew people in, that’s partly why we started doing live shows before releasing anything online.”
Where did the name The Last Dinner Party come from?
The Last Dinner Party: “It was conceived during Abi and Georgia’s famous wine heavy night in Brixton. They wrote a whole manifesto, dripping with wine and blood, for this fantasy of a band they were going to start. The name is perfect because anyone can attend a dinner party. It’s welcoming and it embodies an ethos of mystery, decadence and maximalism.”
You all have such a unique aesthetic in your exploration of those Victorian, Baroque, and Renaissance themes. When did that start, and how important is it to the band’s identity moving forward?
The Last Dinner Party: “We’ve always naturally been drawn to those aesthetics as we find they capture the spirit of our music. There’s a playfulness and glamour that comes from dressing up like that and it empowers us on stage. Like many other musicians before us during the glam-rock and New Romantic eras, we like to interpret the silhouettes through a modern lens so that it doesn’t become pastiche.
However, as with our music, our look will naturally evolve as we explore new avenues and interests so it’ll be exciting to see where our aesthetic goes next.”
At every live show, what do you hope to gain with the audience?
The Last Dinner Party: “We want the shows to be a cathartic experience for the audience. We want you to feel like you’ve been apart of something, a shared experience. We hope it’s inspiring, that it inspires artists to create, musicians to play, and friends to start bands.”
What does The Last Dinner Party songwriting process look like?
The Last Dinner Party: “As a band it’s an ongoing experiment. With the five of us being capable writers there are so many ways of collaborating on new music. On this album, Abi wrote most of the songs on the piano and then the band added the beef to the sandwich.
Aurora and Lizzie made the ‘Sinner’ demo with each member contributing their parts, ‘Gjuha’ was written together in a practice room then Aurora went away and added the vocal line. It’s a mix of sharing songs, producing demos and jamming out in a practice room.”
What is your favorite live moment you've experienced thus far?
The Last Dinner Party: “The Camden Assembly gig right after the release of ‘Nothing Matters’ was euphoric. It was a massive joy to jump around with everyone singing along to ALL the words, we were ecstatic.”
What do you hope for The Last Dinner Party's future?
The Last Dinner Party: “We hope it keeps on the same trajectory. This band has been a dream come true. We get to make art and music, play gigs, travel with our friends, what more could you ask for? We are so incredibly grateful.”