Melbourne alt-metal band The Last Martyr have been making waves over the last year and you’d better hold on tight if you’re down for the ride. Wild new single “Sugar” – released just two weeks ago – has already amassed over 10k streams, got triple j airplay and featured on Channel 7’s Friday Night Football AFL game. Following their 2021 debut EP Purgatory, they have supported Black Veil Brides, Paledusk, Dayseeker and Sunk Loto, as well as headlined Bonez Alternative Queer Party and been invited to perform at BIGSOUND 2022.
We had a chat with frontwoman Monica Strut about the new single, with an unexpected appearance from drummer Vin Krishnan and bassist Ricky Andres.
“Oh my gosh, it doesn’t feel quick at all,” Monica says of the band’s seemingly sudden success. “We’ve been a band since like 2018 and then we’ve sort of had this second chapter relaunching at the start of last year with a new single, so it does feel like a long time coming.”
Latest offering “Sugar” is the band’s heaviest track to date, complete with tasty drops and filthy breakdowns. Bassist Ricky later joined the Zoom call to weigh in on the new single and the musical influence behind it.
“This particular song is a lot heavier and it’s tuned down a bit lower as well. Ben wrote the riff of this one and we were channeling a bit of Korn in it. We also decided to draw influence vocally from 2000s pop in terms of the melodies. We wanted to do something a bit heavier because on the EP we discovered that our heavier tracks were the ones that really caught everyone’s attention.”
“I really like what Poppy does, so I think the only direct influence was that sweetness you hear in the chorus vocals,” Monica adds.
The band worked with Chris Lalic from Windwaker again for this one and it seems that they’ve established a unique connection when creating together. Drummer Vin has since joined the Zoom call as well to have a say on the collaboration.
“Working with Chris is always fun. I’ve worked with him for a while now and because he’s a drummer, he speaks the same language I speak and he’s really musical. I can spit out an idea in my weird drummer language and he’ll be like, ‘oh yeah, I know what you mean.’”
Monica wrote the clever and substantial lyrics about a tough time in her life on antidepressants last year. She wanted to discuss the apathetic side effects of being on mood stabilisers seldom heard in other songs that people with the same struggles could relate to.
“It was one of those songs where I actually came to the table with a totally different set of lyrics originally and it just didn’t feel right. So, immediately after this experience was fresh in my mind, I decided to write a song about it. It was very vulnerable because there’s still a big stigma around mental health, and even though I have so many friends who have gotten through their own mental health journeys, it feels so different when you’re putting your own experiences on the line.”
Unfortunately, mental health issues can be glorified in much of today’s music. The line in the chorus ‘I’m dead inside but I’m doing pretty great’ is a good expression of putting on a front for people when you’re struggling, albeit said with tongue in cheek. What “Sugar” does differently is portray the negative effects of medicating in an honest light without describing them as an escape.
“I had a very poignant experience when I was about 21, where I moved in with this guy and we lived in Kings Cross, we didn’t have jobs and we were living this rockstar lifestyle just trying to make our bands happen. But on the flipside, we were both extremely depressed because we felt like we weren’t contributing to society. I almost invited that situation and stayed in it for longer than I needed to because I wanted the content for songwriting. I think now, being a little bit older, there’s enough content around me without staying in situations which are unhealthy.”
The Last Martyr are hosting a single release party at Stay Gold in Melbourne on 10 September, supported by Rin Rin, In Vanity and Ironstone. Even better, the band will be performing at BIGSOUND 2022 on Tuesday 6 September at The Brightside in Brisbane alongside some of the country’s best emerging talent.
“I’ve been wanting to play BIGSOUND since 2017. I went there as a music journalist and I’ve been a couple of years, so to actually play it now feels like a huge goal. I know what it can do for bands and just to have that opportunity to play in front of the industry and be a part of the festival in general is absolutely huge.”
“Sugar” is available now on all streaming platforms Follow The Last Martyr on Facebook and Instagram for more!
