Editor’s Note: Michigan pop/rock band LAST NIGHT SAVED MY LIFE is preparing to take some major steps in their career in 2019. They have recently premiered their music video for “Undone” with Substream Magazine and they are going to be releasing their debut full-length album entitled “Cherry” on June 28th. Last Night Saved My Life is composed of Wilson Shaner on vocals, Justin Burns on guitars, Riley Hupfer on guitars, Ryne Weber on bass, and Eric Cousins on drums. Wilson Shaner was kind enough to sit down with Madness To Creation to discuss mental health, their music video for “Undone” and the upcoming debut album “Cherry”. Fans can find Last Night Saved My Life at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/lastnightsavedmylife
Madness To Creation: I love the video to “Undone”, it fits in with the theme of Madness To Creation, which is using an entertainment platform to raise awareness about mental health issues. Take us into the video and the song.
Wilson: Thank you! When we talked about our vision for the video, we just knew that we wanted it to feel epic. The song is pretty introspective and deep, so the video needed to match that vibe. We knew we wanted intense nature shots mixed in with scenes of people hanging outside in areas that showed how beautiful Michigan can be. It was all shot by our friend Grant Piering, who is an amazing creator and he did an awesome job.
Madness To Creation: What are the struggles that are being addressed in this song?
Wilson: This song is about knowing that you should move on and move forward in life, but still clinging onto the past. For the narrator, they are partially stuck. Despite desperately wanting to take a step forward, they can’t quite move on from their lifestyle, job, or relationship. Fear is holding them back. Fear of the unknown, fear of being alone, fear of failure. There are moments of “letting go”, but this song is about being deep within the struggle. The video shows me (Wilson) with my eyes closed while all of these awesome things are happening around me. I’m missing out on the beauty of life because I’m still holding onto things of the past. The video has a really hopeful ending though, as I open my eyes and can finally see clearly as the final scenes flash by.
Madness To Creation: What advice do you have for those who need to conquer and overcome?
Wilson: You never know what lies ahead of you. The only way that you can guarantee that you won’t conquer and overcome your current struggles is if you don’t try. Seek help if you need it and don’t look at that as being weak…look at that as being strong. It’s not easy to ask for help. For some reason we as humans seem to be averse to asking for help with the things we need. It takes strength to seek help, and you can do it! If you believe that your worst days are ahead of you, then they probably will be. But if you believe that the best days of your life are still in your future and you seek the help you need to get there, then you will succeed and conquer.
Madness To Creation: Tell us about the Michigan music scene.
Wilson: The Michigan music scene is awesome! We are really fortunate to have so many great venues, promoters, and show-goers in our state. From Grand Rapids all across the state to Metro Detroit and everywhere in between, there are venues of all sizes that provide great opportunities for bands to have successful shows. And the coolest thing for me is the way everyone treats each other with respect. It just makes it a really fun atmosphere, which is why I think we have so many show-goers in Michigan.
Madness To Creation: You’re releasing “Cherry” June 28th, take us into the album and what can fans expect?
Wilson: The album was so fun to make. We had a blast the whole month we spent at Always Be Genius studio and I think that feeling really comes through in the album. We asked Derek DiScanio of State Champs to come and work with us as a producer for a couple of the weeks we had in the studio, and I think he really helped bring out some cool stuff in our sound that took it up a notch. Without spoiling too much, expect some surprises on “Cherry”. We wanted to try a couple of things we have never done before, so there are some songs that are definitely different for us!
Madness To Creation: Plans for Last Night Saved My Life to support “Cherry”
Wilson: We have Michigan shows throughout the month of June while we are releasing the album, but we would love to do a tour. Ideally, we would like to get on a tour as a supporting band for a bigger band. It would be amazing to take these songs out around the Midwest and beyond.
Madness To Creation: What gets you through? What keeps you going?
Wilson: As a band I think what gets us through and keeps us going is when we see all the people that come out to our shows and see them having fun. There’s nothing like looking out from the stage and seeing a crowd of people singing, smiling, dancing, and having a blast. We also just really love making music. For me, I don’t think I could ever stop writing and recording songs. It’s kind of something that I NEED to do more than just wanting to do it. Even if nobody wants to listen, I’ll still make songs for myself because it’s a release of creativity that I think is really healthy for me.
Madness To Creation: Anything else you want to add about the band?
Wilson: We are just five dudes who are great friends and have a blast playing music together. We love meeting people and making new connections, so please look us up on social media and say hello!
And there you have it! Last Night Saved My Life has a couple of gigs coming up. Check out the gigs below:
Sat. 6/22- Three Stacks Music Festival in Lansing, Michigan
Fri. 6/28- The Loving Touch in Ferndale, Michigan (w/Columbia, Parkway, The true blue, and Telegraf)
For tickets and further information, click here.
