From First to Last (sometimes shortened to FFTL) is an American post-hardcore band, based out of Los Angeles, California, originally hailing from Valdosta, Georgia and Tampa, Florida. The band released their first EP titled Aesthetic in 2003 with vocalist Phillip Reardon, followed by Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count in 2004 and Heroine in 2006, both with vocalist Sonny Moore. Following the departure of Moore in February 2007 to work on his solo electro/alternative project, the band added permanent bassist Matt Manning and Matt Good moved to lead vocals/guitar. They released a self-titled album in 2008 on Suretone Records.2 On August 27, 2009, From First to Last confirmed on DJ Rossstar's Punk Rock Show that they have indeed left Suretone and are now signed to Rise Records.3 In late 2009, they parted ways with Travis Richter, with their new album, Throne to the Wolves set for release on March 16, 20104.
History
Formation and Aesthetic (2002–2003)
In November 1999, From First to Last was formed by Matt Good, Steve Pullman, Mike Blanchard, and Scott Oord under the name First Too Last.1 Eventually a solid lineup was formed, featuring lead screamer/vocalist Phillip Reardon, guitarist/vocals Matt Good, guitarist/vocals Travis Richter, bassist Joey Antillion and drummer Greg Taylor (then replaced by Derek Bloom). In 2003, the band released their debut EP Aesthetic on Four Leaf Recordings which featured the vocals of Good, Reardon and Richter. By the end of the year they had signed to Epitaph Records.1
Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Bodycount (2004)
After the Aesthetic EP, Reardon was missing by the time they were going to record Dear Diary he had called the band and said he was to be leaving for personal reasons. By this time Jon Weisberg had joined on bass. The band wanted to move Matt Good to lead vocals. However, Good was reluctant to take on both lead vocal and guitar duties. He wanted From First to Last to have a frontman, to connect with the crowd better. Using the social networking site MySpace, Good came in contact with a guitarist and singer from California by the name of Sonny Moore. Moore flew to Valdosta, Georgia, where Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Bodycount was being recorded, and was set to be the band's second guitarist. However, when the other band members heard Moore singing "Featuring Some of Your Favorite Words", they decided that he was much better suited for lead singer than guitarist.5
Matt Good and Travis Richter wrote the album in two weeks. Moore came in after the music was tracked and completed the vocals. Dear Diary, My Teen Angst Has a Body Count was released on June 29, 2004.
From late May to mid June 2005, From First to Last participated in the "Dead by Dawn" tour with bands Emanuel, Halifax and He is Legend.6
Heroine (2006)
The band went to Radio Star Studios in Weed, California to record their second album, produced by Ross Robinson.7 As their previous bassist Weisberg had been formally asked to leave the band due to internal conflicts, producer Ross Robinson asked Wes Borland, former Limp Bizkit guitarist, to play bass on the album.1 Borland later played several tours with the band. The album was released on March 21, 2006. It opened on the Billboard albums chart at #25, with first-week sales of over 33,000.8 Shortly thereafter in April, they signed to major label Capitol Records1 after bidding between that label and Warner Bros..8
From mid March to mid May the band toured alongside Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights, and The All-American Rejects for the "Black Clouds and Underdogs Tour" in support of their release Heroine.9
FFTL then did a short European Tour with various bands. The band then played several dates on the 2006 Vans Warped Tour, but were forced to drop out due to surgical removal of a nodule on Moore's vocal cords. He received his second nodule surgery in early July (his first being in May 2005).1010 Following his recovery, From First to Last went out on the "World Championship Tour" supporting Atreyu along with Every Time I Die and Chiodos. While on that tour, Moore once again had vocal cord problems and had to leave the tour. The band had planned to have guitarists Good and Richter cover Moore's vocal duties for the duration of the tour until singer of Chiodos, Craig Owens, insisted that he provide lead vocals for their sets.11 Atreyu eventually forced From First to Last to drop the tour.1 The band later explained, "Our plan to enable us to play the rest of the tour was disregarded and as our crew was setting up for the show in Worcester, MA we were informed that we were being kicked off of the tour. Understand that it was not our choice to leave this tour... we were forced to leave."11 Atreyu then returned a statement about the controversy concerning From First to Last's departure, saying, "They couldn't perform as FFTL and are no longer on this tour."12
Self-titled album (2008–2009)
In February 2007, lead singer Moore left From First to Last to pursue a solo career.13 His decision to leave was based on his urge to create his own music, and also on the fact that singing in FFTL was putting an immense strain on his vocal cords, resulting in serious damage which needed multiple surgeries in order to be fixed. Moore has posted new recordings on his myspace and is part of a group of artists that form, modernorganic.
After vocalist Moore's departure, FFTL faced a crisis. Their label, Capitol Records, had dropped them due to financial problems. Without a vocalist, label, permanent bassist, or any money, the band almost split. Guitarist/Vocalist Matt Good, however, decided to take on lead vocals while still providing a backup guitar role. The band also quickly picked up Matt Manning to become full-time bassist .The band then spent their remaining money on a studio in which to continue work on their already-written third album.
The remaining members of From First to Last finished a headlining tour from July 21 through August 5 with guests Alesana, Vanna, Brighten, and Four Year Strong. Shortly before recording another album, the band played for a portion of the Show Must Go On tour with Hawthorne Heights, Secondhand Serenade, Powerspace, and Brighten, but later cancelled their dates on the last part of the tour to open for Deftones on a separate Canadian tour.
After completing a full mix of their new material, FFTL was picked up by Suretone Records. Shortly after they re-entered the studio to record their album again, this time with a professional crew and better quality.
The band recorded for the second time in Los Angeles, with producer Josh Abraham and seasoned engineer Ryan Williams. They have since completed the album, and at midnight on November 14, 2007, they released a new song, Two as One, on their Myspace account.
FFTL began their fall headlining tour, RATHER BE SLAYIN' N00BZ, starting November 1 with guests blessthefall, A Skylit Drive, and Vanna. Around the middle of the tour, the guests changed to Envy On The Coast, Pierce The Veil, Four Year Strong, Mayday Parade, Mia Medusa, and The Variant.14
On November 29, FFTL announced they were going to be a part of the 2008 Hot Topic Take Action Tour. They played at the MTV Winter Valencia in Spain on March 6. On December 6, they announced they were going to be part of the 2008 Vans Warped Tour.
On May 6, 2008, FFTL released their self-titled album, and starting June 20, hit the road on the Vans Warped Tour for its entirety.15
On June 28, FFTL updated their band members section of their MySpace, making Chris Lent a full time member.
From the end of September to October 12, From First to Last played on The Blackout's "Sleep All Day, Party All Night" tour in the UK, along with The Medic Droid and We Are The Ocean.
Throne to the Wolves (2009 onward)
FFTL stated that they would be on a break from touring in late 2008. Members Travis Richter and Derek Bloom were focusing on their side project, The Color of Violence, with tours soon after and a full length debut album, Youthanize, which was released April 7, 2009. Member Chris Lent toured as the drummer for the band I Set My Friends On Fire as well as one of the two drummers for The Color of Violence (along with Jon Siverson of the band Daughters); Lent also confirmed that he is no longer a member of FFTL and is now writing/recording with ISMFOF. FFTL began writing new songs early 2009 and started demoing new songs in March 2009, for their next album expected to be released March, 2010. A full length demo of a song on the new album was put on their myspace at that time, as well as the previously unheard b-side from Heroine, "Save Us". A Second Full Length Demo was added on July 3, 2009, and a message to fans that they will be announcing their recording schedule and tentative label. As of August 6, 2009, the band had began to track drums for the new record at EarthSound studios in Valdosta Georgia, with Lee Dyess.
In September 2009, Miss May I announced they would be touring with From First to Last in October 2009.
On October 1, 2009 FFTL announced that they would be touring with Greeley Estates and Therefore I Am in October and November, and also that they had signed to Rise Records. "I want to announce officially that we've signed with Rise Records. We are all very excited about this move and think that together with Rise we can accomplish amazing things! If you're asking yourself why we made the change, well... There's a lot of aspects about being a major label that just didn't agree with the way we like to present our band and our music and I think that by ridding ourselves of that world, we are finally gonna set ourselves free to make the best music we can and that is the most important thing for us at the end of the day".
The band toured on the "You’d Be Way Cuter In a Coffin Tour" with Alesana, The Word Alive, Asking Alexandria, and Memphis May Fire in December 2009.
The new album is titled Throne to the Wolves and is set for release on March 16, 201016. From First to Last released a new song off the album, entitled "Going Lohan", on their myspace.17 in November. In late 2009 FFTL went through yet another lineup change with Travis Richter leaving the band; no official announcement had yet been made by the band and no reason was given for his departure. Matt Good and Matt Manning have been taking over Travis's screaming role and Blake Steiner (ex-Mia Medusa guitarist), who recorded on Throne To The Wolves, is his replacement. On December 31st FFTL released the song "I'll Inoculate The World With The Virus Of My Disillusionment" on their MySpace.
On Travis' departure from the band, he said that "It kinda just grew and grew until the dudes parted ways with me..id never just up and leave fftl, i feel like they thought it was their time to move away from me, so they told me to leave.."18
On January 20, 2010, From First to Last finally made an official announcement about Travis's departure from the band via MySpace.
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Since the news has become public I thought I'd take a minute to address it before wild rumors started flying around. Travis has been with us since the beginning and will always be someone I care about deeply. Unfortunately though, as time goes on sometimes people grow apart from each other. There's many things I could say, but they are rather personal and I don't think they need to be discussed here. This band is and always will be about making music with my friends. We don't give a fuck about fame or money or anything. It's about doing what we love together as a family. We aren't breaking up and we aren't changing our name. As long as we are making music we are proud of and having fun together, this band will continue to exist.
We wish the best to Travis in everything he does and he is still a friend to us. I want everyone to understand that this wasn't done out of hate or spite or any other negative emotion. The vibe needed to be creative together was just gone. It happens, it's sad and all, but that's just life. Anyone old enough to have personal relationships knows that people split ways all the time. That's how life is and it isn't going to change. We appreciate everyone who has stuck by this bands side through all these years. If this upsets you so greatly that you feel you can't listen to us anymore, that's ok and we understand. We still love you anyway ; )
Just know that when bands make these decisions they are always a last resort. NO ONE wants to have to kick out a member of their band. It is never easy and always incites drama, but sometimes you have to make really hard decisions. It's part of being an adult.
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Starting on May 8th they will be touring with Our Last Night, We Came as Romans, and a Bullet For a Pretty Boy on the Welcome To The Circus tour, headlined by Asking Alexandria. The tour will end on June 9th
Band members
The majority of the band switches instruments live and in the studio, but only their primary instrument is listed.
- Current
- Matt Good – lead vocals (2002–2004, since 2007), guitars (since 2002)
- Derek Bloom – drums, percussion (since 2002)
- Matt Manning – bass, vocals (since 2007)
- Blake Steiner – guitars (since 2009)
- Former
- Phillip Reardon – vocals (2002–2003)
- Sonny Moore – lead vocals (2004–2007)
- Travis Richter – guitars, vocals (2002–2009)
- Joey Antillion – bass (2002–2003)
- Jon Weisberg – bass (2003–2005)
- Chris Lent – keyboards, programming (2008)
- Greg Taylor – drums, percussion (2002)
- Touring
- Rick Patterson – guitar (2003–2004)
- Alicia Simmons-Way – bass (2005)
- Wes Borland – bass (on Heroine and live shows, 2005–2006)
- Matthew Fleischman – bass (2006)
- Jake Frazier – bass (2009)
The Color of Violence
The Color of Violence is a band featuring former From First to Last guitarist/vocalist Travis Richter and current drummer Derek Bloom, going by the names of Guy Nucleosity and Glitch Killgasm, respectively.19
Discography
Discography
Trivia
- The group has made covers of Hell March and HM2 (originating from Command & Conquer: Red Alert and Red Alert 2 respectively, and originally done by Frank Klepacki) for EA's latest C&C installment, Red Alert 3.
References
External links
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From First to Last |
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Matt Good · Derek Bloom · Matt Manning · Blake Steiner
Phillip Reardon · Joey Antillon · Jon Weisberg · Alicia Simmons · Wes Borland · Sonny Moore · Travis Richter · Chris Lent |
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| Extended plays |
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| Singles |
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![Clip The video for "Ride The Wings Of Pestilence" Video](/viewVideo.html?title=From First To Last Ride The Wings Of Pestilence&videoType=YouTube&summary=The video for "Ride The Wings Of Pestilence"&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/5yG6iw7AeWE&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://1.gvt0.com/vi/5yG6iw7AeWE/default.jpg&celebrity=From First To Last)
 08 Suretone Interscope Records&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/ahS1Fa_axMk&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://1.gvt0.com/vi/ahS1Fa_axMk/default.jpg&celebrity=From First To Last)
![Clip Music video of "The Latest Plague" by From First To Last myspace.com Keep your negativity to yourself, no one cares. Video](/viewVideo.html?title=The Latest Plague From First To Last&videoType=YouTube&summary=Music video of "The Latest Plague" by From First To Last myspace.com Keep your negativity to yourself, no one cares.&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/ZAK4r7M-Pss&fs=1&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://3.gvt0.com/vi/ZAK4r7M-Pss/default.jpg&celebrity=From First To Last)
