04/23/08 @ 11:28:13 am by archivesadmin
Growing up in the mountains, he was surrounded by bluegrass music, but Luke Pilgrim was able to hear past the twang. The same could be said for his band mates: Tyler Ayers, Taylor Woodruff and Chris Jones. Together, the create the Atlanta, Georgia, pop-rock sensation known as Last November.
Finding their talents early in life, Last November recorded their first album, All the Gory Details, in a basement at the ripe age of 17. Pilgrim not only wrote most of the songs, he produced them himself. MTV addicts may have heard
“Where Do We Go from Here?” on an episode of “The Real World.” Pilgrim recalls sitting at his house when he received an abundance of text messages from friends saying they just heard Last November on TV. Though Pilgrim himself had not been watching, his sister luckily recorded the show, which they still play back today. However, reruns of old episodes aren’t the only sound escape to the band. Soon, they will take their reality soundtrack fame to shows like “Road Rules,” “Extreme All-Star Challenge” and “The Bad Girls Club.”
With their second album, Over the Top or Under the Weather, the band decided to go in a different direction by recording in the Southern Tracks studio in Atlanta. “It was a really cool experience getting to record there,” Pilgrim said. “It was pretty awesome singing on the same mic as Bruce Springsteen,” who happened to be laying down tracks at Southern Tracks as well. The band was also stoked to be able to work with producer Steven Haigler who had produced an album for their favorite band, Brand New. Pilgrim reminisced: “We used to get our guitars out and sing songs from their album Deja Entendo, so working with the guy who produced that was pretty awesome.”
Pilgrim said that the two albums are very different from each other. “There’s definitely a lot more straight forward pop-rock [on Over the Top or Under the Weather],” he said. Marking such life changes sonically never loses its zest for the band. “It’s really wild for me to listen to them now,” Pilgrim exclaimed, “and to see my own growth and the band’s. I think it’s neat to see that kind of change, especially in my voice as I was maturing.” Yet, it wasn’t only his voice that matured—the actual music and writing followed suit.
Being an adult now, Pilgrim has shared his experience with other musicians and song writers. “I always tell people who are going to write songs to just listen to any Beatles record because they’re such brilliant songwriters,” he revealed. As every generational discovery of the Liverpoolians inevitably land on the ears of music lovers worldwide, it’s quite suitable for Pilgrim to hold them dear, as they are his biggest inspiration. He strives for what the Beatles have maintained: creating songs people can relate to and love 20 years from now. “That’s what I’m trying to keep in mind,” he said. “Writing songs that will touch someone across the world.”
Senses are connected to memories. For example, some of us smell oatmeal cookies and are immediately transported to our grandmother’s kitchen, eagerly waiting to dunk the warm treats into a cold glass of milk. “Songs are kind of like smells that take you back to a certain place in your life,” Pilgrim explained, “You won’t be able to describe it, but you can feel it.”
Last November will transport its audience on Friday, April 25th, at the Soapbox. The doors open at 8pm. Because it’s also a Surf 98.3 showcase, the first 98 people ages 21 and up get in free. Otherwise, the cover is $5 or $7 for underage attendants.
Categories: General
encore covers the best in local music and its many talented musicians
Sound off here
Saving the Port City from Boredom for over 21 years
