LastWorld

Your Auditory Escape

Interview by Ken Morton

LASTWORLD returns with Escape The Eclipse, their 4th album in under 4 years! The dynamic duo of songwriter Jim Shepard (all instruments) and David Cagle (all vocals) present their own take on melodic rock, and it’s once again the recording is mastered by the one and only JK Northrup. With consistently amazing work on each and every album, their latest Escape The Eclipse endeavor finds LastWorld at the very height of their creative energies. Fans of acts such as Journey and Survivor will definitely want to traverse the universe to encounter the sweeping melodic reveries of LastWorld.

Highwire Daze now presents an interview with LastWorld founding member and commander of the ship Jim Shepard to find out more about Escape The Eclipse, now available worldwide via Perris Records!

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in LastWorld, and how long the band has been together.

Hello my name is Jim Shepard I write the songs and play all the instruments.

Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there?

I’m based just outside Chicago and Mr. Cagle is in Alabama , In Chicago the tribute bands seem to rule the clubs as do cover bands too.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the album title Escape The Eclipse?

The album title came about joking with a friend about “How bands use the same titles for songs like “Talk To Me” there are a ton of songs with that title.... so I joked I just steal album titles and the next album will be Escape The Eclipse. Well, it stuck with me as it’s a great title for us, LastWorld, and we’re paying homage to two great albums from one great band, Journey! Jim SHepard

even though you’re doing well. You just kinda search for something new.

The Sanity is Lost is about keyboard warriors hiding behind the screen while they tell everyone how bad, wrong or horrible they are, all the while never seeing how miserable THEY are.

The LastWorld album art always looks so cool. Who did the album art for Escape The Eclipse, and how much influence did you have on it?

The artwork was done by Nello Dell ‘Omo and he came up with the idea on how own this time.

Select two other songs from Escape The Eclipse and what inspired the lyrics.

Take Me Away is about not being satisfied in your life

What made you decide to work with David Cagle initially and what do think makes you both work so well together.

JK has been a pleasure to work with, and to add I have been a fan of his throughout my life, so when his name came up to master my solo album I was like, uuuuhhhmmmm WELL YEAH!!!!, lol

David Cagle

When I did my solo album JADED which wasn’t supposed to be a solo album but I ended up using 3 singers and the label I was originally on was asking to use one singer. I want going to just cut out my friends with the work they did so I said if it does well enough we could move forward with one singer. I knew Cagle’s work with JK Northrup and was thinking about contacting him when the label also suggested him, so with both of us thinking, that I knew he had the new guy.

Has LastWorld ever played live, or do you plan to do so in future days?

No live shows as of yet but I’m open to them if the right opportunities arise. For the most part at this point in my life, I’m enjoying just writing and recording.

Are there any plans for another Jim Shepard solo release?

No plans but you never know....

What has it been like working with JK Northrup and how did you initially meet? Are you still working with Taxi and how does/did Taxi differ from the music of LastWorld?

Taxi never really broke up but it’s been quite awhile since we’ve done anything...

With that said the song GO on Escape The Eclipse is a song I had written for Taxi that we demoed but never released and She Wants More is a reworked Taxi song called Because Of You.

Are you involved with any other current bands of projects outside of the ones we’ve already discussed?

I have been writing some heavier riffs and have completed one song for another project I’m thinking about doing but nothing is finalized as of yet.

What’s up next for LastWorld?

I have no plans of ending LW anytime soon... we’ve done 4 albums now in just under 4 years, and I’ve done 9 slbums in under 7 years, so I think I’m taking a short break before our next album.

Any final words of wisdom? Don’t drink, drive and txt....