Gold Coast electro-pop duo Lastlings are set to drop their long-awaited debut album, ‘First Contact’.
Lastlings are definitely moving up in the music world, both as artists themselves and as collaborators with big names of the industry such as Rüfüs Du Sol and Cassian.
But as we discovered when we chatted to them about their debut album ‘First Contact’, brother/sister duo Josh and Amy Dowdle remain as down-to-earth as any regular Gold Coast hinterlanders, grounded in friends and family, and proud of their home town.
“We actually wrote a whole lot of the album right here in Tallebudgera Valley,” says Amy.
“We’ve been in the valley six years now, after coming to the Gold Coast back around 2007. A lot of people think we’re from Sydney, Melbourne or overseas… but we want people to know we’re from the Gold Coast.”
One unique element to what Lastlings create is the digital content to accompany their music. Both Josh and Amy are interested in film, and they storyboarded an album trailer, planning it so impressively that their label spotted them a trip to Japan to shoot and complete it.
Their Japanese heritage is also important to the siblings, and Amy remembers moments with her mother as a young girl, being introduced to Japanese pop art and music. Both brother and sister are sci-fi fans, and Amy’s love for Studio Ghibli (Japanese animation) is a legacy of her relationship with her mother.
“Actually, when mum made me learn piano, she would learn same pieces with me, and we’d practice together,” she recalls.
“And I remember sitting with her and loving watching ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’. Music and film have been in us since we were kids.”
But it was watching ‘Bladerunner 2049’ together with Josh that got the album started, Amy remembers.
“We walked out of that movie inspired. Once home, we wrote a track called ‘First Contact’ that didn’t make the album but we wanted to honour that creative moment by acknowledging it in the name of the album.”
Although, it all might never have been. Josh did Biomedical Science at Griffith University and was planning to follow up with medicine and become a doctor when Lastlings started attracting the attention of music industry types.
Josh remembered thinking he could always go back and become a doctor, but that opportunities in music might be once in a lifetime.
“I was a little shit in early high school,” he laughs. “We moved a bit when we were younger and spent some time in Townsville. When we moved to the Gold Coast I was into sports and mucking up. It wasn’t until Year 11 that mum gave me some books my nan owned about nursing, and I became fascinated with anatomy. I buckled down, learned science and ended up school captain. I thought I wanted to be an Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon. Then Lastlings kinda started happening. I didn’t want to miss it.”
As we finish up our chat, Josh gently laments Gold Coast audiences’ cautious approach to electronic music, seeing a greater affinity for surf rock, or singer songwriter music. But with three sold out Gold Coast gigs at Marketta in early December, maybe Gold Coast electronic music’s time has come? Either that, or the lockdown period has given audiences a fresh passion for live tunes, muses Josh.
“Maybe the sell-outs are a combination of both? People super keen to see gigs, and our singles resonating with new fans. Whatever the reason, it’s great. We can’t wait to play.”
Lastlings Debut album ‘First Contact’ is out 20 November. Their three gigs at Miami Marketta in December are sold out. Check out our full review of ‘First Contact’, here. The album release trailer is available here. IMAGE (C) Jessica Aleece.
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You can watch their animated film clip for No Time below: