After their sensational set of singles and a bumper festival season which saw the group conquer Glastonbury, Green Man and more. Philip Giouras speaks with lead guitarist Emily Roberts from The Last Dinner Party on their fanbase, thifty themed fashion and supercharging their debut with guitar solos.
Words and Photos: Phillip Giouras
Back in April, it felt like every head in the music industry was turned when they heard ‘Nothing Matters’, the incredible debut single from The Last Dinner Party. Suddenly there was a group, dressed in extravagant baroque costume wear, singing operatic pop (with a pinch of punk) and an irresistible chorus that burrows into the brain. It was a breath of fresh air.
The track was undeniably a cultural moment in music this year. “I felt there was a lot of pressure on it from everybody who’d been working with us for it to do well… so I was really nervous,” Emily explains of the track. However, the group couldn’t be more delighted with the incredible reaction to the song. “I’m glad that it has done well, I’m proud of the music video, I think it’s really great, and proud of the track, how we played on it and how people have responded to it. It’s just really lovely.”
The group have just returned from a relentless summer festival season in which they packed out tents and stages across the UK and Europe. “I really liked doing Green Man” Emily admits, “We were booked on the tiny stage and the crowd was massive, you could see it going over the hill, it was just the most overwhelming show, it was crazy”. They also packed out the legendary Woodsies tent at Glastonbury, opening the stage at Saturday lunch. “It was brilliant” says Emily, “we weren’t expecting such a big crowd at 11:30 in the morning so we’re very grateful that people came out to see us, it was just very overwhelming and emotional. It’s such a bucket list moment, we could have only dreamt of it a year ago”.
Due to their packed schedule, they had a brief stay at the legendary festival but praised sets from Arctic Monkeys and Emily’s friends from university, the Mercury Prize nominated duo Jockstrap whose performance she described as amazing. “[I’m] really impressed by them,” she justifies, “it’s really nice to see them succeeding. Their music is super cool”.
For many, it felt like The Last Dinner Party had come from nowhere which led to some remarks charged with a sharp undertone of sexism declaring the band ‘industry plants’. Unsurprisingly, utter nonsense. For their fanbase who’d feverishly followed the group across the London live scene playing iconic breakthrough venues such as Brixton’s Windmill, they knew the truth. That this is a band that have cut their teeth on the scene relentlessly before a single had even been recorded.
Their live performances gained such enamour that fans started bootlegging their shows and uploading them to YouTube. With the discourse currently so strong around gig etiquette, it was incredible to see back in the Spring just how attentive and immersed the audiences were to the groups’ full suite of live and then unreleased material.
I asked Emily about the added pressure that comes with performing new or unfamiliar material to crowds. “We haven’t really played that many new songs in a while” she tells me, “We’ve just been focusing on the album tracks. But yeah, we’re planning on doing a couple of new ones for the upcoming tour, and it’s going to be strange because we haven’t done any in ages. I’m sure the crowd will be supportive. It’s more exciting.”
When it came to taking those tracks into the studio, I was interested to discover if the crowd’s reaction on those tracks influences decisions or changes when it comes to putting the songs to record. “Yeah when we started playing, I think we only had five songs in the set, and we noticed certain things about it that people really respond to, we definitely added a load more guitar solos in because we realized people enjoyed that and thought it was cool, so that was good for me,” Emily says with a chuckle before expanding on the proces. “Playing things live, you realise what works and what doesn’t. We played the songs live for a year before recording the album. So, we’ve done maybe twenty or thirty gigs before recording the album, which was really good practice and felt like we were really ready to do it and perfected our parts at that point.”
Both the singles and future album have been made with legendary producer James Ford who has worked with huge acts such as Arctic Monkeys, Florence and the Machine, Foals and Haim just to name a few. Emily was full of praise for the experience of working with him on the record. “He’s been amazing and a joy to work with. He gets the best out of musicians.” She also praises his calmness in the studio for making their first recording process so pleasurable. “I thought it was going to be sort of stressful, you know chaotic, but it wasn’t at all, it was so professional and calm at all times, even if something was going wrong.”
Speaking of Florence, the band recently supported her at a huge outdoor show in Ireland. “Florence is a big influence, especially for Abby and Georgia,” Emily shares, speaking fondly of the star. “Meeting her was just amazing. She was really lovely and gave really good advice. She’s exactly how you’d expect her to be in person.” The group also got a loving reception from her fans. “They responded well to us, it’s in a similar world, the way that people dress up and everything like that”.
When it comes to dressing up the band are renowned for encouraging their devoted fanbase to get creative with matching themed outfits. So much so, they’re taking things up a notch this October with a variety of themes across multiple dates across the UK. “There’s Grimms fairy tales, Greek myths, Flowers, Velveteen Goldmine,” Emily says explaining the thought process behind the idea. “Hopefully people don’t actually have to go out and buy things especially, unless they want to of course, but more getting the sewing machine out, just having fun. That’s what it’s about… I’ve always been into sort of DIY clothes. I love altering things and you don’t have to spend loads of money for things to look cool and unique.”
As she’s speaking to LDN, we couldn’t leave the conversation without asking if Emily, as a fellow musician who found her peers at university and gigged the London circuit relentlessly, if she had any tips for BIMM London students who’ve recently started their studies. “You’ve got to be true to what you like, and not try and follow trends at all, because trends will be over quickly. Our music has just come from a place of asking ‘What do we really like?’. We’re trying to go for timelessness in our music and euphoria. Obviously, every band is different so it’s kind of hard to say but it’s just staying true to what you love, trying to bring out the best in that and putting as much effort as possible and as much thought into every aspect of the band as possible as well.”
Finally, Emily teases a little bit about what is in store over the next year “Definitely a couple more singles, and then the album early next year… I think I can say that!”
The Last Dinner Party’s new single ‘My Lady of Mercy’ is out on 9th October. They play London’s Earth Hackney on 17th October and have just announced a date at the Roundhouse on February 1st.
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