We Interviewed Matt of FROM FIRST TO LAST

Today, James spent a few minutes on the phone with Matt of From First To Last [Suretone Records] and the contents of that conversation can be found below. Be sure to check out the band’s self titled album that is in stores now!

J: Hey Matt, how are you today?

fftl: Just got out of the shower. We played at 2:30 andthen there were signings and everything.

J: Could you give us a little run through on how a day in the life of FFTL has been as of late?

fftl: I wake up at 11 or noon and then we try to eat if we’re playing early or I’ll walk around the grounds [at Warped]. I’ll watch some bands and do a signing, then kill the day until night fall. Then spend the night hanging out and having a few drinks with friends. Other than the horrible sun burns, it’s a really good time.

J: Each album you’ve done has had remarkable progression from the last. How did you go from the electronic mecca of Heroine to the more rock driven self titled?

fftl: In the moment, we were all vibing on the alternative rock music from the 90’s we grew up with. We then took that vibe and tunred it into our album. We like to change things up and keep it fresh with every album. We’ll probably accumulate all our other sounds for the next record, but it’s really early to say what exactly we’ll do next.

J: Actually, speaking of the new record, what drove you to go with a self titled record rather than a more artistic title?

fftl: The record was a revolutionary step for the band, So we wanted to say “this is who we are and this is where we are today.” It was a statement that let people know we were still going strong.

J: Wes Borland, formerly of Limp Bizkit fame worked with you guys for awhile. He’s been around for quite some time, did he have any influence on your sound or was he more of a simple stand in?

fftl: We all learned a lot from him. He was like a huge inspiration for all of us. I mean, when you play with someone who has so much experience, you just learn about playing and such. He def. left a big mark on all of us.

J: You chose, “Worlds Away,” as the lead single for this disc, which was a significant sound departure from, “Two as One,” which was the first track you let us hear of f this disc. Why is this what you chose to take to the masses on a more mainstream scale?

fftl: It was a lot of label stuff. They thought the song would be a much more marketable song. It’s a bit more mellow and has a mass appeal. Now we’re going to push, “Two as One,” again in the near future. It’s all a set up that will hopefully let people see other sides of us and really get into our music.

J: You also shot a video for this song that is mainly performance based, was there any reason behind that choice or elements in the video you wanted people to take from it?

fftl: Just presenting the band really. We wanted to show the band as we are now. The director did a great I think because a lot of performance videos are really boring, but I think this is entertaining throughout.

J: Well, aside from the record and songs on it, let’s talk about touring. What’s going on for From First to Last in the foreseeable future?

fftl: We have some stuff lined up. The only 100% tour we have is the UK with Escape The Fate. A lot
of other things are not confirmed yet so I don’t want to say something and then have it not happen.

J: You guys are a band that’s constantly being discovered it seems by some new news source or person, what other bands do you think need more attention these days?

fftl: I would say, well, all the bands that have been on Warped that started small are doing really well now, so It’s hard to say. 3oh3! is crazy, Four Year Strong is young, but they’re growing quickly, and Confide is pretty amazing.

J: What have you been listening to?

fftl: I haven’t had a lot of time recently. Things have been really busy, but I have been enjoying Coldplay’s Viva La Vida and the live material from Muse.

J: Instead of a final question, we prefer to let you make a closing statement. The podium i yours, any last remarks?

fftl: If you have a computer, look up the genocide in the country of Chad. I just learned about it and it’s really horrible. We spend so much time and money on military action on different things, but we need to give this issue some attention. It’s really a horrible issue and I want to do some good and shed some light on that.

J: On behalf of Under The Gun Review I just want to thank you and Jana at Suretone for taking the time to work with us and I can’t wait to see what you guys do next.

fftl: Yea dude, we’ll be around this fall most likely so we’ll see you then.

J: Sounds awesome, thank you so much.

fftl: No problem dude, thank you.

*Written By: James Shotwell*

James Shotwell
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