written by Marko Jakob
Pix666: Hey Gael. Thanks for your time. How are you doing these days, are you alive and well? How are the other guys of Last Addiction?
Gael: Well and alive, but tired of the situation that longs since more than 1 year. The guys are OK as well, but we cannot meet each other regularly, so no party, no beers, no music, no live, no rehearsals…
Pix666: Please introduce your band to the readers in a few short sentences. What kind of music does Last Addiction make?
Gael: The band was born in 2016 near Lyon, since 2020 and the making of the album, we are 5 musicians. It’s not so easy to stick a label on our music, but let’s say that on a Heavy metal basis, we drop some slight touches of metalcore, postrock/black, but always guided by a melodic priority. The singing is high and clean, supported by raging scream, that provide a lot of contrast. We usually use “postcore” to define this style, but you can it in a different way. Influences are various and numerous, sometimes amazing because not specificaly in the metal world.
Pix666: What was your inspiration to become musicians? What are your favorite bands?
Gael: When I was very young (10/11 y.o) probably the game “guitar hero” (lol) and asked for a guitar and started to work on my own. Then, I saw Motorhead in Lyon, when I was 13, I knew that was my way ! Then I started to listen to Metallica, Bullet for my val., Trivium, Bring me the Horizon, and discovered the more extreme bands such as Behemoth. That explains the multiple influences in my music.
Pix666: You’ve been with Last Addiction for about 5 years now. What were the best or craziest experiences with the band so far that you will never forget?
Gael: For sure it is linked to live. We played one day on a huge scene, and the next one in a small pub, with the same pleasure ! Then, learn last year, that we would compete for the french final of the WACKEN OPEN AIR 2020 ! unfortunately it was postponed, now for the 2nd time…
Pix666: You released your first EP in 2019. How do you create your songs, is there a fixed distribution, who is responsible for what?
Gael: I am not a riff machine, I do not accumulate them. The creation is more emotional, the melodies come exclusively from moments, places, a state of mind, or what I have in mind and that comes out on the amp takes me to the guts. Without this feeling, a composition can remain in construction for several months. Then, in a classic way, I record a complete demo which I send to the group, and according to their return, we bring the necessary modifications.
Pix666: Now you are taking the next step. Recently your debut album ‘Inner Abyss’ was released. How difficult was it for you to realize this album in terms of Corona restrictions, but also financially?
Gael: For the album, due to the Covid, each of us worked alone with the demos, before being able to play it during rehearsals to finalize, between two lockdown. Financially, we decided to built the complete budget for the whole project. We did not ask for a participative financing. So we hope that fans will buy this album in order to help us to create news ones in the future!
Pix666: In which versions can the fans buy your Album, and above all, where?
Gael: All digital plateforms (itunes, spotify, etc..) and many specialized website in France and Europe, including The Season of Mist shop.
Pix666: Your new single was released along with a video clip. Where did you shoot the clip? Who was part of the team and were there any funny moments during the shoot?
Gael: As the single talks about the Aokigahara forest in Japan, the shooting was realized in a deep forest few kilometers from our home (no budget to travel to Japan :-)) For all our videos, we work now with the same professional director. During the shooting, funny moments were due to the fact that into this forest, some people use to walk, and were quite surprised to see and hear a metal band!
Pix666: Your videos have several thousand views on YouTube. How satisfied are you with that? Are you a statistic fan, do you even watch at these things? Do you know in which countries Last Addiction is listened most?
Gael: Musicians want their music to be heard, so yes that it is satisfying! Using statistics help us to define an audience if we want to create an advertising campaign on social networks. We need tools to identify where and who listen to our music. The last single was shared mostly in Europe (FRance 1st) then in the USA! Germany is coming next!
Pix666: During the confinement, you made a cover of a Tokio Hotel Song. How did the metal fans react to that and what other crazy things did you do during the first lockdown?
Gael: reactions were globally positive, even if we believed that “true metal fans” would not appreciate because that is Tokyo hotel. But we did not care, it remains an amazing song, still today. Then, unfortunately, we had not the opportunity to work on others during the lockdown, we mostly barbecued!
Pix666: The pandemic unfortunately still has us in its grip, in Germany we are even in a lockdown again. Nevertheless, is Last Addiction already planning some 2021 concerts or festivals?
Gael: At the moment, situation is the same in France, so nothing is planed because we dont know when and how the concert halls will re open. We mostly plan to work it for 2022.
Pix666: What is the current situation in France and especially the mood among the people?
Gael: It is now more than one year that we are in a lockdown, at home, and we feel like the situation is still not under control ! We cant see the limit between reality and lies ! so the mood is currently that people are fed up, tired, and we feel that the pressure is coming up !
Pix666: As a musician, you certainly spend most of your time creating music – but what else do you do in your free time when you want to get your mind off things – are there any interesting hobbies that you pursue? 😊
Gael: First we all have a job, we are pro musicians ! but yes, All of us have hobbies beside music ! some of us with video games, mechanics, but mostly, we miss moments with friends in restaurants, pubs, we miss contact.
Pix666: Do you have any other news, that you would like to share with the fans?
Gael: We are working on 2 new music videos that will be released 1 before the summer, and one in september. So stay tuned!
Pix666: Thank you very much for the interesting answers – Good luck with the album and stay healthy!!!
Gael: Thanks you so much for your amazing job and interview and cheers to the german metalheads !
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