Since releasing their debut single Tongue last year and their follow-up single Happy, Here At Last will be releasing their new song Like the 90s this Friday. Earlier this year, the band performed on CBBC’s Saturday Mash-Up with their single Happy, and played sold-out shows in February in London and Manchester. Here At Last have also performed school tours and have a successful TikTok account with over two million followers. We caught up with Here At Last who tell us about their upcoming release Like the 90s, performing their single on CBBC’s Saturday Mash-Up and their sold-out shows.
You will be releasing your new single Like the 90s on April 15th, can you tell us about the song and what can listeners expect from it?
Like the 90s is about someone who could be considered “fake”, so acts like a different person on social media and in certain social situations instead of being themselves. This is important to us because we believe this fake attitude on social media can have a negative affect on people’s mental health. The song has a feel-good vibe to it and is great to sing your heart out to as we believe most people can relate to the lyrics, which we really like.
What was the song like to work on and how did it come about?
The song came together pretty quickly, videos on our TikTok account @hereatlastofficial show the whole process. It started out with a guitar riff and the rest came naturally.
What are you looking forward to for the release?
We can’t wait to see the fans’ reaction to the full song. It has been teased for a while now and they have been so patient waiting for the finished product. We can’t wait for them to hear it.
Earlier this year, you performed your previous single Happy on CBBC’s Saturday Mash-Up, what was it like being guests on the show?
Performing on CBBC’s Saturday Mash-Up was a bit of a dream come true for us. It was our first live TV appearance and we loved every second. We met some amazing people like Dan Walker from BBC Breakfast and Nadiya Bychkova from Strictly Come Dancing. Not to mention the fact we all grew up watching shows like Saturday Mash-Up so the experience was surreal.
What was it like releasing your debut single Tongue last year?
This was an experience like no other. The feeling of finally having something to show for over a year’s worth of work with highs and lows was incredible. Not to mention finally being able to show the fans, that have stuck by us right from the beginning, a song that the “Halos” can be collectively proud of.
How was the experience performing at your sold-out shows in London and Manchester in February and what are some of your favourite memories from the concerts?
This was our favourite part of our careers so far. The feeling of hundreds of people singing back the words to your own songs is genuinely euphoric. One big highlight for us was meeting some fans that have flown from all over Europe just to see us. One fan even showed us a Here At Last tattoo she got from the day before the last show.
We understand you’ve also performed on school tours, how was this?
Performing on the school tours are really important to us. Not only is it good for getting our name out to a new audience, but it also allows us to spread awareness about mental health, cyber bullying and self care, which is something we are very passionate about. Having the following that we do, we feel it would be irresponsible of us not to talk about and raise awareness of serious issues that are currently affecting millions of young people today.
Can you tell us about your TikTok account and do you have a favourite aspect of using this platform?
We are lucky enough to have a TikTok following of 2.5 million people, which we started in the first lockdown. Our favourite aspect of the app is that even if only have one follower, you still have the opportunity to get one million views on a video. This is down to the algorithm of the For You page which makes it so anyone’s video could come up on your FYP, not just people you already follow.
How is it seeing the fan response to your uploads and single releases?
Seeing the fans’ response to our singles is the whole reason we do what we do. Every time we release a new single, the “Halos” support it every step of the way, building up hype and telling their friends about our songs. As well as making fan edits and videos using our songs.
How did Here At Last start and what do you enjoy most about working together?
Here At Last started with Pedro and Tommy getting in touch with each other via TikTok and coming up with the idea of starting a “next generation boy band”. They reached out to the rest of us after searching Instagram for UK singers. When we eventually met, things just clicked and we had instant chemistry. There are so many benefits to being in a band rather than being a solo artist, but in my opinion, the fact I can share this experience with four of my best mates is incredible.
Had each of you known you always wanted a career in music and how would you describe your sound?
Not all of us imagined a career in music. To be honest, it always seemed like a bit of a pipe dream so before the band we were all focusing on more “realistic” career paths. However, once the opportunity to join the band came along, we jumped at the chance and never looked back.
What music artists do you each enjoy listening to and how do you like to spend your time away from music and performing?
We love to listen to a whole range of music from pop to jazz to rap to 80s synth pop. We are all lucky enough to have been brought up by parents who introduced us to a wide range of music and have kept that love for all kinds of genres.
In all honesty, we really don’t have a lot of free time as we are either doing school tours, shows or making content for social media. Whenever we do get some time off though, we take the opportunity to go and see our families.
What would you say have been some of your highlights from your time as Here At Last so far?
Our highlights would include releasing our singles, being played on Radio 1, appearing on live TV, selling out five shows, and moving in together.
Do you have any upcoming music or concert plans for 2022 that you can tell us about?
Unfortunately at this time we aren’t allowed to give many of our plans for this year away. However, we are aiming to sell out the Shepherd’s Bush Empire and the Manchester Club Academy at the start of next year.
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