Impressive sound + High energy + Addictive songs + Good looks + Toronto spice = Last Bullet

Toronto-based Last Bullet

Although I might not have earned a degree in calculus or physics, I do know the solution to this equation: What do you get when you combine an impressive sound with high energy, addictive songs, good looks, and a touch of Toronto spice? You get Last Bullet, an emerging, Toronto-based rock band with a new, amazing hit called Sin.

Together for about five years, with the current lineup since 2014, the band is comprised of a set of talented musicians and singer, with a very appealing sound, and a great message: they like to entertain and entertain well. And, who could ignore the allure of the self-description on the band’s FB page: “Sex. Soul. Rock. Roll.” (Yes. I. Like. That.)

Last Bullet has spent some time touring Canada and building their fan base on the home front, with hopes of touring the US soon. While eagerly awaiting that US tour, I had the very good fortune of interviewing Bryan Fontez, front man for the band. Please take a moment to read because there are a few super-fun things to learn from Bryan:

• Toronto is a city awaiting adventurous travelers. Sounds like a road trip!
• Canadians are cool. The US is so close, but there are interesting and slight variances in our styles and cultures. (Note the included Canadian spelling of “favourite” in the interview below.)
• We should adventure out of the norm and try new music and new beer!
• Adding Last Bullet to your must-see-in-concert list is a MUST!

Make sure to check out Sin on iTunes and in the video below!

The Interview

How would you describe life and being musicians in Toronto?
I’ve travelled quite a bit, and in all honesty, Toronto is one of my favourite cities in the world. It’s extremely multi-cultural, open-minded, dynamic, inviting, fun, and overall a great place to live, in my opinion. As far as the music scene, it has always been strong. There’s a great camaraderie between bands and musicians: we have a great community of rock bands, and we all try to support, motivate, and help each other whenever we can.

What is the inspiration behind your music? What about Sin specifically?
The inspiration behind our music is life itself. I write about everyday things that I feel, see, observe, and experience. I can be inspired by anything from an idea, a concept, or a phrase to a fictional story, a character, or a setting. Sin itself was influenced by my own fears and concerns about modern society and the messed up things that we’re allowing to happen in the world.

The lyrics basically depict a world that is choosing to ignore the consequences of [its] actions and [people who] would rather continue shooting themselves in the foot than be a part of the solution. Society seems to have become more ignorant, naïve, and lacking in common sense than ever before.

Sin is about the perspective of a person who has cynically given up on the world because of all the hatred, selfishness, greed, and ignorance that is taking place, and how people are choosing to just keep destroying the planet, be horrible to each other, focus solely on themselves, and ultimately choose to simply exist rather than truly living their lives.

How do you write songs? Do you have a process?
There are no rules, really. Whatever works, works. I’ve written a song from a title, a drumbeat, a poem, a melody, a phrase, or even just an attitude. It’s up to you to figure out how to get the craziness that you have in your brain out and into the world. That’s ultimately the secret of good songwriting. Letting the song present itself to you, and then finding the most efficient and concise way to translate it into reality.

Who does most of the writing or is it collaborative?
Our lead guitarist Brenden and I are the primary songwriters in the band. Ultimately, we usually end up firing off all of our current ideas, from best to worst. We’ll bounce them off each other and try our best to explain how we envision the song sounding or coming across, until one of us becomes inspired enough to really want to hear how that song is going to sound, finished. That’s usually how a song goes from being just an idea to becoming a finished product.

Brenden typically comes to me with a great riff, melody, or rhythm idea, or I’ll [go] to him with, lyrics, melodies, a drum beat, subject/theme, or even sometimes a guitar riff I may have heard in my head that I’ll just sing, air guitar, or play on piano for him. 🙂

The rest of the parts we either come up with ourselves and relay to the other guys how we’d like to hear it played; or sometimes we give them some generic guidelines and let them put their own spin on it, so they can make it their own.

What are your plans in 2016 with the band?
Right now we have plans to tour the East Coast of Canada in May. We’ve got a ton of festivals lined up for the summer, and then we plan on doing another Canadian Tour in September. We have two more singles that we’ll be releasing this year that will both, more than likely, have new music videos we’ll be filming. Then, hopefully, it’s back to the studio to record a bunch of new music that we’re sitting on, and more touring. Only this time … the US!!!

Do you ever get to see concerts?
I’m very fortunate to have one of the coolest jobs in the world. I work at the Air Canada Centre controlling all of the house lighting and audio for every, single concert that rolls in through Toronto. So, I get to watch every live show that comes to our venue. And not only do I get to watch, but I have full access to the entire venue. I get to watch wherever I want – from the floor, to the back and side stages, to the catwalk high above the stage where no one’s allowed. This year alone, I got to see Springsteen, McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Judas Priest, and tons more. And, with Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Manson, and more coming up.

The concert I have tickets to that I’m most excited about seeing, though, is Black Sabbath and Rival Sons. Two of my favourite bands of all time – one old and one new – on the same bill. That should be a great fucking show.

What do you guys like to do outside of music? What makes you feel good and alive?
I train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 3-4 times a week, whenever I can fit it in. It allows me to completely exhaust myself and focus on the goal of improving in something other than music, while getting in great shape and learning the most effective martial art in the world. It helps my cardio and movement on stage. I also do a lot of biking and running all year, but especially in the summer. The rest of the guys like to play hockey and baseball, and go to the gym for the most part.

I see that you guys like good beer. What are some of your favorites?
Oh boy… Here we go. I can’t speak for the rest of the guys, but I’m a total beer snob. If I have a choice, I won’t drink domestic because I barely consider it real beer. Favourite beers? Leffe Blonde, Leffe Brune, Erdinger, Innis & Gunn, La Trappe Quadrupel, Guinness, Hacker Pschorr, and tons more! But those are my favourites. If I had to choose North American, it’d be Mill Street Stock Ale, MGD, Rickard’s Red, or Alexander Keith’s. But, you’ll never see me with a Bud or a Molson in my hand.

What are some of your favorite songs or bands that you love?
I’ve really loved Royal Blood, Rival Sons, and a band called Truckfighters the past few years. Desert Cruiser by Truckfighters is old, but GREAT, and Soul by Rival Sons is one of the best 7-minute Rock/Blues jams I’ve ever heard. But I’ve been really into Ghost lately. Their newest album is amazing. If you haven’t heard the first single, Cirice, I would suggest giving it a listen. I’m not even that into Country, but I’ve been obsessed with Chris Stapleton recently; his album is amazing, as well. I could go on and on, but I highly suggest listening to all of those.

What about some bands in Canada?
Canadian bands that we know and have played with, who are doing great, and you should really check out if you haven’t… Monster Truck, The Wild, One Bad Son, Open Air, and Fallen Heirs.

Many, many thanks to Last Bullet for their music, and to Bryan Fontez for his time and words, as well as his beer and music suggestions. This evening just might be a downloading-and-beer kind of night after all. See you in the States, guys!