Last Dinosaurs

LABEL: Dew Process

Last Dinosaurs are no ordinary band from Brisbane, there is definitely something different about the quartet.   It could be that the schoolmates Sean Caskey (vocals/guitar) and Dan Koyama (drums) knew what they wanted their band name to be prior to even writing a song together.  Dan had stumbled across a song by Japanese band “The Pillows” that was titled ‘Last Dinosaur’.  Dan thought this name was perfect. Sean agreed. And so it was decided.

It could be that although they have the average age of 18, they play their instruments like they were born with them.  For Dan and Sam Gethin-Jones (bass) this can be put down to their technically slick jazz backgrounds.  For Sean’s brother, Lachlan Caskey (guitar) this can be attributed to the five hours he dedicated each day to learning guitar after he first picked it up.  He was inspired by both his brother and father’s passion for guitar and soon surpassed both family members with his talent.

The difference could also be that three members of the band have a Japanese heritage, and hence a keen interest in many Japanese bands and culture.  So much so that the band travelled to Japan in the second half of 2009 to check out the local acts and also play their own show in the hub of Tokyo.   A place that they are already planning to visit again.
Although it’s had to pinpoint the exact element that makes this band stand out from the crowd, it’s undeniable that many are attracted to it.  

From the minute they uploaded their demo to triple j Unearthed they had Zan Rowe on the phone interviewing them as an Unearthed feature artist.  From there they found themselves playing shows with Matt & Kim (NY), Red Riders and Lost Valentinos and being named the highlight gig of Australian music conference Big Sound.  More recently they landed a touring stint with Yves Klein Blue littered with SOLD OUT shows throughout the East Coast, winning over fans throughout Victoria and New South Wales.

Last Dinosaurs’ 2009 kept on ramping up when they connected with Sydney producer Jono Ma (of Lost Valentinos and Knife Machine) and travelled to Studio 301 in Byron Bay to nut out some songs.  The result was the solid debut EP “Back From The Dead” that captures not only the band’s youthful enthusiasm but also their knowledge and skill.
 
Lead single ‘As Far As You’re Concerned’ is all spiky guitars and dexterous indie pop rhythms, whilst follow up ‘Honolulu’ will have you at the “hey!” with its catchy guitar hook. Both singles were welcomed into community radio playlists across the country and triple j also continued to throw their support behind the band with both tracks reaching top 3 most played on the national station.
 
Since releasing ‘Back From The Dead’ to a rowdy SOLD OUT crowd at Brisbane’s Old Museum and being a part of the bill at Brisbane’s Laneway Festival in February 2010, Last Dinosaurs have grabbed the touring reins with two hands and look to play a series of their own shows as well as festivals throughout the rest of 2010.

http://www.myspace.com/wearelastdinosaurs