AN INTERVIEW WITH LAST EMBRACE
2-25-26
1. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions! Would you please introduce yourself and what you do in the band?
My name is Anthony and I sing for Last Embrace.
2. Would you be so kind as to provide a quick snapshot of the band—where you’re from, how you’d characterize your sound, your primary influences?
We’re from Bangor, Maine, and I’d say we’re firmly placed in the Metallic Hardcore genre. When we started writing songs for this band, we looked at everything from the classics like Hatebreed, Merauder, and 100 Demons to more modern influences like Missing Link and God’s Hate.
3. Can you tell us a little about the band’s origin story—how you came together as a unit, when you formed, et cetera?
Last Embrace originally began as a solo project for me while I was actively playing guitar in a different band. I wanted more of a Hardcore outlet, so I wrote and recorded a demo. I tried building a band based off of that and it never got off the ground, but Scott (guitar) and I decided to try to revamp it a year or so ago and everything has lined up pretty well since!
4. What about your personal hardcore origin story? What attracted you to the genre and made you not just love the music but feel like you had to make it yourself?
When I was in high school, I was into your standard “teenager in the late 2000s” type Warped Tour bands. Sometime in 2012, a friend of mine posted on Facebook that he was going to see a band called Madball at a place called The Kave. I knew nothing of what he was talking about, but wanted to look cool so I asked to tag along. That show sparked a fire that is still going strong almost 15 years later.
5. So the single “Chopping Block” was just released—tell us about that.
So “Chopping Block” was the first song we wrote with our new bassist Justin. We were originally going to wait until we had a new EP to put out any new music, but we were too excited to wait. This is the first time I’ve ever gotten political in my writing at all. As everyone knows, ICE has been ravaging the country for months now and seeing it not only tolerated, but celebrated by half of the country made me sick and I wanted to share my feelings on it.
6. Would you say there’s one track that’s “quintessential Last Embrace”? If you had one song to introduce people to what you’re about, what would it be?
If I had a one song opportunity to show someone what Last Embrace is all about, I would show them “Hope to Die” off our demo released last year. I think it has everything we look to include when writing, from groove parts to caveman clubbing you over the head heaviness.
7. What have been the highlights of the band so far?
I’d say playing with Haywire and Missing Link last fall was the coolest thing so far. Obviously, playing with two of the biggest bands going is a cool feeling, but more importantly it was the first show that Kathy Kave had put on in almost a decade. The fact that we were picked by her and Adam Edge to represent Maine on that bill was a super cool feeling. They’ve both been huge pillars of Maine Hardcore forever, and their co-sign means the world.
8. What’s on the docket for 2026?
As of this interview, we have a handful of shows already announced, including playing a festival in Quebec over the summer. Besides that, we have a few shows in the works, and are actively writing a new EP with the goal for a summer/fall 2026 drop.
9. It feels like hardcore is in a better place currently than it’s been in for a long time. Do you feel like this is an accurate assessment?
I would be inclined to agree for sure. I think that it’s way easier for the kids in a small town to be exposed to Hardcore whether it’s through social media, video games, or even commercials, and the more attention on the scene is ultimately a positive. I get it that some people have hurt feelings that Turnstile is being played in NFL hype videos and Taco Bell commercials now, but some kid who hears Birds on TV is going to go back and discover Pressure to Succeed. Then TUI. Then other bands that aren’t fully in the mainstream.
10. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions! Any last words for the reader?
Thank you for all the love you’ve given us in our first year as a band. Maine over everyone. Keep spreading the word and we will see you at a show!
