Today we’d like to introduce you to Last Generation
Hi Last Generation, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Three middle school friends joined the school jazz band in 2015. Together, they started a project while locked inside during the COVID-19 years. These guys included Austin Burnett, Jack Amberg, and Jackson Krop. After playing in ensembles for over seven years, they had chemistry. However, learning rock band instruments in their dorm rooms would be different than the jazz instruments learned years prior. Burnett picked up the electric guitar, Amberg learned the bass, and Krop on keyboards. Over the following three years, they learned how to play these new instruments and began to rehearse with a handful of friends who had rock experience. LastGen spent the summer of 2023 answering the ultimate question: can this band become a real opportunity? The first LastGen concert was hosted, funded, and performed by LastGen in the Fall of 2023 in Rolla, MO. They played rock covers from the ’70s with other college musicians from Missouri Science & Technology (Burnett’s college).
As much as these guys could groove, they needed a full-time drummer. The answer was clear after attending a small jazz concert at William Jewell College in February of 2024. Quinn McCurry joined Last Generation as the drummer. The missing piece was a lead singer. Amberg had a co-worker, Mary-Kate Griffin, a top vocalist in the UMKC Music Conservatory. With additional help from Jacob Rains on trombone and Carson Krop on trumpet, these seven musicians set up 15 performances in the summer of 2024 to begin their presence in the Kansas City music scene.
Now, LastGen is in the process of writing and recording their first studio album, intended to be released in the first half of 2025. The group hopes to lead the rising music scene and put Kansas City on the map for live music performances.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The most challenging part of a start-up band is managing friendships within the band. Last Generation is currently comprised of eight members. Outside of these eight musicians are seven OTHER musicians who were once a part of Last Generation! These seven musicians are lifelong friends who pursued other tracks of life. For example, we have a previous guitar player who is an aerospace engineer and another who is a racecar driver. I think we’d all love to see a reunion concert in the future with all the talented musicians who have shaped the path for the success of Last Generation.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Inspired by our early jazz music exposure, our band attempts to fuse popular elements of ‘70s rock with modern music trends. Our ‘70s musical inspirations are Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, and The Eagles. What do you get when you combine that with The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, and Kings of Leon? We create an element of music that relies on hiding complex rhythms and chord changes behind catchy and memorable melodies. A substantial portion of the modern music industry is dominated by solo performers rather than full rock bands. Pop stars, rappers, and country artists use the brand of one lead name to define the entire ensemble. Last Generation emphasizes the music rather than on one individual. Other phenomenal groups in the area, such as Indra and Lavendar Bride, follow a similar goal of bringing a full band back to the front of music. We pull in instruments beyond the traditional rock lineup to differentiate ourselves from other local groups. For example. We use trumpet, trombone, saxophone, harmonica, and cajon.
Amberg was asked his favorite part of the band: “This band feels more like a family than a friend group. We travel together, live together, and spend the holidays together. Last week, we hosted a Friendsgiving with over twenty people and ended the night with karaoke. I’d love to make it to the top with the people I love the most. Our families, significant others, neighbors, and co-workers have been monumental in the support they provide us”.
We asked Burnett what he was most proud of: “I love that all of us in the band balance our lives outside of the music.
Seeing that we can use our career paths to bolster the band’s success is rewarding. Starting a band is more than just producing music. We have to manage social media, merchandise, scheduling, and budgeting, before we can promote our music. Everyone buys into the team mindset and believes in a future”.
I love how all of us are able to balance our lives/careers with the music. It’s rewarding to see members obtaining a degree or getting promotions at work while still writing songs and finding gigs. Being successful as a group means more than just the music, it means supporting ourselves and each other by building relationships and career paths.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson we’ve learned as a band is that while hard work doesn’t guarantee success, you can’t succeed without it. It takes long rehearsals in 100-degree heat, late-night lyric writing, early-morning drives, and learning how to work as a team without getting tired of one another. We couldn’t even play through a full song together just two years ago. Until last year, we had no social media presence. This journey hasn’t been easy, but we never wanted it to be. The challenge gives us purpose and fuels our passion—it gets us out of bed every morning, ready to keep pushing forward.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lastgen.kc/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/61559605335230/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LastGeneration-KCMO
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lastgenkc
- Other: https://pebblephotography17.pixieset.com/lastgenkc/
