Last Dinner Party Says Their Second Album Will be Inspired by Darker Themes and Processing Heavy Emotions

Alternative indie band The Last Dinner Party is teasing their upcoming second album, saying it will have “darker themes” and be about “processing heavier emotions.” In recent interview with NME, the band’s guitarist L.Mayland discussed the upcoming release saying, “It’s a pretty dark time, so I think that is reflected in the music because we’re in touch with the world.” They also reassured fans that, “It’s not all sad, though; there are some bops as well! It’s not all downbeat either – they’re fun, angry songs. I won’t go into too much detail, though; you’ll have to wait and see.”

The band’s debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy was met with rave reviews and praised by big names such as St. Vincent, CMAT and Brian May. The debut album also earned the group BRIT Award for Best 2024 Rising Star and a Mercury Prize nod. Additionally, The Last Dinner Party’s latest single, “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us” which was a cover of the original song by the band Sparks also received praise from Sparks, themselves. 

In addition to the band’s upcoming album, L.Mayland also discussed their recent venture as a solo artist and their debut EP, The Slow Fire Of Sleep. According to NME, they shared that they were inspired by Labi Siffre, Adrianne Lenker, Jeff Buckley, Amy Winehouse, Nina Simone and Etta James. They also added that “Nick Drake is a massive one for me too because I’ve always been drawn to quite melancholic and introspective music.” However, their songwriting took a more familiar inspiration from The Last Dinner Party’s singer, Abigail Morris. Specifically, Mayland praised how Morris “can capture such personal, vulnerable feelings and experiences in poetry.” Mayland also commented on the similar tone that the band and their solo career are taking, saying, “I wrote a new song for [my solo] live shows, which is a bit more directly political and angry… and funnily enough, the upcoming album with the band is also quite angry at the world too.” They explained, “We’re writing in direct response to what’s happening around us, and honestly is always important for that.”