For anyone living under a rock, Last Wishes are one of the UK's modern-day heavy hitters. It's been a few years since their LP Organized Hate came out, and now they're back with two demolishing tracks on DAZE, bringing forth their signature mosh-heavy riffs in the form of "The Only Answer" and "Under the Hammer."
I remember seeing them a few years back at a matinée at the Ché Café alongside Big Boy. Nothing harder than a lunchtime mosh pit. I also remember chatting with Corin (vocals) for a bit at the merch table. We traded info, and fast-forward a few years, here's a quick chat I had with Corin and guitarist Tommy about their new tracks and latest offering for DAZE.
Yo! For anyone new, who is Last Wishes?
Corin, vocals: We are a bunch of degenerates, haha. We started in Ireland in late 2015 and moved the band to Leeds in 2019 to play more shows without getting fired from whatever job we had or having to fly every couple of weeks. We've been lucky to have done as much as we have in that time, and we appreciate everyone who's helped us along the way.
It's been a few years since Organized Hate came out. I hear a rawer sound with this recording, which I feel fits right in with the band. What were you aiming for with this single?
Tommy, guitar: Thanks, man. We've been working on new stuff for a bit. We went through a million lineup changes, and life got in the way, so we slowed down as a band. But now, we're ready to get back to it.
We have a solid lineup now with Rene and Tom, and we haven't released anything in a while, so I bought some cheap mics secondhand, rented a practice room in Manchester, and recorded.
We're working on more new music, but just wanted to release a single with the new lineup to give a little taste of what's to come and show kids you can do it DIY and still put out some good shit. We love raw-sounding hardcore and wanted to put out something that we'd fuck with if we were just listening.
What were you listening to while writing? I hear some Neglect and Bulldoze in there!
Tommy: I feel like Neglect and Bulldoze have always been inherently in our sound, but I haven't been listening to a lot of hardcore while writing recently. I try to avoid it just to keep the ideas as original as I can. This year, I've been listening to a lot of Zeppelin, Sabbath, and Rainbow. Definitely some mosh riffs throughout those discographies.
Corin: For me, Jerry A from Poison Idea has been a huge influence vocally on these tracks. I wanted a more straight-up approach to it, and lyrically, I'm pulling from all the fucked-up shit in my head.
What's next for Last Wishes? I know you guys have been fairly active on the touring circuit as of late.
Corin: I think the next move is another LP, hopefully playing some new places and just having the craic as much as we can. This band is an excuse to hang out and see mates we rarely get to see. That's what hardcore is all about, escaping your personal shit and having a good time.
Any other bands from your part of the world we should be checking out? I know there's a lot going on over there.
Corin: Poser from Dublin is probably my favorite new band right now. It's a breath of fresh air for sure. Love seeing more Dublin hardcore bands getting after it. If you're into Leeway and Crown of Thornz, then you'll rate it.
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Last Wishes on social media: Instagram
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