When we got sent Last Harbour’s album, ‘Your Heart, It Carries The Sound’, a few weeks back it absolutely blew our socks off and we couldn’t believe that we’d not come across these guys before. It’s a beautifully melancholic record bearing favourable comparisons to the likes of The National, Sun Kil Moon and Swans. In the week of its release and ahead of their UK tour we asked the band a few questions.
(((o))): How long has the band been together and how did you all meet?
There have been several incarnations of Last Harbour over the past decade. Most of us met through the lonely hearts columns.
This current incarnation has been together since about 2005, when James (viola/tenor guitar) and Michael (bass) joined.
(((o))): Where did you get your name from & what does it mean?
The name just kind of hung around until we gave in. I think we wanted something quite cinematic and there was a nod towards David Lynch’s ‘Lost Highway’. There was also something about a friend’s visit to a final port for immigrants leaving Ireland for America in the early 1900’s, which seemed to chime with us. And there’s a Mark Eitzel song of the same name – David (guitar) knew about it but I was, as is often the case, ignorant of that. Mark Eitzel came to see us play at The Union Chapel, to hunt us down for using his song title. In the discussion that followed, I think we received his blessing.
(((o))): Describe your sound for us & who would you say were your biggest musical influences?
I guess it’s late-night music. It’s not first date music. Last date music, maybe. For musical influences, I can’t speak for everyone, but broadly I’d say Swans, Leonard Cohen, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Dirty Three, Scott Walker and Smog. And, personally, Roxy Music.
(((o))): And what about non-musical influences?
Lots of cinema stuff. David Lynch, Tarkovsky, Bela Tarr. So, fairly bleak cinema, I’d say.
(((o))): Music can be a fickle mistress, what is your biggest high & low as a band so far?
We played in a small village in Northern Italy, as part of their Halloween celebrations. Our supporting act was a witch, telling local folk tales. Although she wasn’t much of a clairvoyant, she spent half an hour trying to ‘read’ David’s star sign. She got it in the end. On her twelfth guess. Supporting Michael Gira was a personal high point for me. Low points – tour vans being robbed, tour vans falling apart, tours falling apart. Record labels falling apart.
(((o))): What one fact about the band do you most want to share with the world?
We’re not as miserable as they say. We’re worse.
(((o))): The old model of record demo-do gigs-get signed-make millions is pretty broken these days, what’s your plan to deal with this?
We got our own hands dirty. We started our own label, Little Red Rabbit, and use it to release our records, and the records of bands we like and admire, in a way that’s beneficial to us all. No-one’s getting rich using this system but making millions was never the goal. We get to release the records that we want to hear.
(((o))): We journalists like to use easy labels to describe bands, what’s the worst thing you’ve seen yourselves described as?
I’d like to say that I forget every barb and slur. I’d love to say that. Some cove gave us a U2 comparison. U2? That really is beyond the pale.
(((o))): We’re loving what you do but who’s floating your boat right now?
I’ve been listening to a lot of Earth and Om. They’re just both crushingly great. Lanterns On The Lake’s album, ‘Gracious Tide, Take Me Home’ is just blissfully lovely. And I really like Thurston Moore’s ‘Demolished Thoughts’ from last year. It’s just wonderfully constructed.
(((o))): What’s up next for you guys?
Our album ‘Your heart, it carries the sound’ is released February 20th, then we’re touring the UK at the end of March.
