In the midst of preparing for their largest headline tour – The Last Dinner Party reflect and discuss on their rise to fame, the importance and freeing nature of theatrically, and their top ten debut single – ‘Nothing Matters’.
The London-based Virginia Woolf meets ABBA meets medieval velvet fashion inspired five-piece have emerged and solidified their status as an indie-rock meets melodrama band – not afraid to break boundaries sonically.
The Last Dinner Party’s guitarist and backing vocalist – Lizzie – delves and directs what the band means to them and the overall hopes for the future – as the band continue to gather a cult following whilst embracing their theatrically and passion for the arts.
“It is a band for people who like maximalism, for people who like to dress up at a party and dance, and for those who want to feel the extremes of emotion in all ways. We are here for a good time,” Lizzie exclaims – describing The Last Dinner Party down to the last component.
Having five people in a band who are all as musically talented as each other – the writing and recording process seems to be a whirlwind. Lizzie says: “We all write a bit! But for me, I usually start with piano or guitar and think about the themes and stuff, then I find the melody. Oh but sometimes I write poetry then put the poetry to a song, I need to make sure the music and lyrics are really closely intertwined as that is really important for me in terms of songwriting.” Setting the scene of the band’s environment in the studio, the band’s guitarist continues: “One of us will bring the bones of a song, and as a band, we will work together on it and see where the sonic world goes“. The Last Dinner Party appears as a collaborative effort full of enthusiasm and determination – a group that wishes to lay all out on the table in a recording session to find their niche and specific sound.
“Queen are a massive inspiration for us,” they say – evident through the theatricality and level of performance The Last Dinner Party strive to put on every show. “But also Bowie as well, performers who were not afraid and loved their craft, it matches our ethos,” Lizzie continues as the band’s core becomes easier to read and understand.
The Last Dinner Party started as a live band with no songs available on streaming services, so if you wanted to catch them – you had to be one of the lucky few who saw them at their early gigs at The Moth Club or XOYO. Live bands are rare in this day, as the majority of performers choose to release singles, EPs, and then full albums to gain audiences – The Last Dinner Party diverts from this norm. With only two singles out now – ‘Nothing Matters’ and ‘Sinner’ – the band have still gathered a cult following of whimsical and mythical beings and created a position for themselves in the indie-rock genre. When asked why the band chose to begin as a live performance five-piece, Lizzie responds: “I think for all of us, playing live is the most important part, it drew us together and to being musicians overall. It is the most enticing part. The energy in the room and sharing a moment with a crowd of people is unparalleled.” The importance of these live crowds is evident by Lizzie’s comments – The Last Dinner Party thrives when a room of people respects their craft as much as they do.
The main focus of the chat indulges into the upcoming tour in October this year and the build-up towards the almost sold-out run of shows. “We are all so excited,” the guitarist exclaims and continues: “In summer we drove seven hours to Boardmasters Festival then back to Liverpool, so I am excited to do a UK tour where we have a steady structure and I am also really intrigued to see the different crowds and meet all these new people.” Reflecting on their run of shows in the UK in July, Lizzie adds: “I am from Yorkshire, so getting to play in Leeds was great cause everyone did the Yorkshire chant, so I am so excited to be playing Leeds again this tour.” If a band has someone from Yorkshire within their line-up – you know you are in for a good show.
Adding on to the UK tour – The Last Dinner Party have just announced a limited amount of American shows that – with no shock – have almost sold out. “It is quite mad that the US tour has nearly sold out in a few days,” Lizzie laughs as the success achieved by the band in such a short space of time finally sinks in. Delving further into the achievements made by the band so far, Lizzie adds: “Streaming numbers are just numbers on a screen, you cannot visualise it. But when we play live and there are people whispering ‘Oh we should deffo try to catch The Last Dinner Party today’, it makes it more exciting.”
Not only are The Last Dinner Party able to hold their own in terms of success and getting the word out there that they are the next big thing to happen in music – but they have had endless support from the likes of Florence and The Machine. “She kind of gave us a pep talk and said you guys make the decision that you want to make for your music, the creation of art is more important than anyone’s opinion. She was truly so empowering especially coming from a woman who came up at a time where it was a lot more difficult for solo women artists in the music industry.” Hearing these words from such an icon in British music and culture will truly stick with the band for the rest of their career – support from Florence Welch will remain a career-defining moment.
If you are an avid follower – or mythical traveller being lured by the mysterious nature of the five-piece rockers, drawing on Renaissance culture and context – you will be well aware that The Last Dinner Party set specific dress codes for each of their shows. Lizzie states: “Abi (lead singer) came up with the dress codes, she loves a mood board, she is a mood board queen.” They continue: “We kept it broad enough so that everyone can come as a different expression of themselves but it gives you direction to play with and maybe be a bit theatrical too.” To say it will be a healing and beautiful atmosphere to be a part of, seeing all these costumes and outfits together – is an understatement. The Last Dinner Party tour shall be a dramatic and encapsulating performance.
‘Nothing Matters’ hit peak numbers for the band – proving them a force to be reckoned with. With bold lyrics such as “And I will fuck you / Like nothing matters” and the obscure “Cause we’re a lot a like / In favour like a motorbike” paired with a gothic funeral-inspired music video – the song stands the test of time despite only being released in April this year. “The song has become a lot more joyful,” the guitarist indicates when exploring whether the meaning behind the song has shifted. Lizzie expresses: “It started as a piano demo and sounded quite sad, but when we play it now there is a sense of catharsis – it is a real love song.” Losing Lizzie as they travel into a tunnel – the imprint left on the band from ‘Nothing Matters’ proves permanent – it has undoubtedly showered them in glory and deserved recognition among the music community.
Ending the year on a high – supporting Hozier on his third album tour for Unreal Unearth – Lizzie jokes: “I cannot wait for the Christmas Holidays!” when asked what is next for the group. “Album one is ready to come out too, it is waiting,” they hint as the conversation closes.
Without a shadow of a doubt – The Last Dinner Party are set to achieve great things with their maximalism and renaissance / dark academia-inspired persona and aesthetic. They are not a band to pass by: the five-piece are determined by their craft which makes them such a beautiful depiction of what it means to be an artist.
Catch The Last Dinner Party on tour here : https://www.thelastdinnerparty.co.uk/live/
Stream ‘Sinner’:
Stream ‘Nothing Matters’:
