Famous Last Words (band)
Famous Last Words is an American metalcore/post-hardcore band from Petoskey, Michigan. Formed in 2010, they're known for their concept albums and have released three studio albums to date: Two-Faced Charade, Council of the Dead and The Incubus respectively. Following their 2015 American tour, the band departed from InVogue Records to join Revival Recordings, with whom they have recorded and released The Incubus.
The group consists of vocalist Jeremy "JT" Tollas, guitarists Tyler Myklebust and Evan Foley, and bassist Matthew Bell. Former musicians are bassist Jesse Maddy and lead guitarist Ethan Osborn and drummer Craig Simons. As of 2017, Tollas is the only original member.
2009-2012: Inception, In Your Face, and Pick Your Poison
Hailing from Petoskey, Michigan, Famous Last Words formed in 2009 and quickly began to make their mark within the scene. Utilizing heavy guitar riffs, catchy hooks, folly, and symphonic elements, the band took things a step further and introduced detailed stories into their lyrics and album structure; transforming their band into more of an art project. It was characteristics like this that lead the independent label InVogue Records to sign the band in 2012.The band was founded in 2010 in Petoskey in the American state of Michigan as A Walking Memory. Before the group assumed its present name, Famous Last Words, they released the EP You Could Have Made This Easier in 2010. This appeared in self-initiative. After the name change this was followed by the EP's "In Your Face" in 2010 and Pick Your Poison in 2012. The latter has already appeared at InVogue Records.
2013: Two-Faced Charade
Their first studio album, Two Faced Charade, released April 30, 2013. This is the first of their concept albums, a story about an outcast, who falls in love with his neighbor, Elise. Situations escalate, and he ends up following her into town, and finding out she has a boyfriend. He grows enraged, and starts to hear a screaming internally, one very similar to the one he feels inside. This scream is soon followed by a voice, the form that his previously mentioned schizophrenia takes. It starts telling him the actions he must take to have Elise as his. He eventually makes a plan, when the boyfriend is about to go on a business trip, the main character stops him outside and acts concerned, since it seems as if the boyfriend was heavily drunk. He brings the boyfriend inside, and proceeds to murder the boyfriend, and then hesitantly cut up the body, and then bury it into the ground. Afterwards, he uses the boyfriend's phone to text Elise, in the perspective of the boyfriend telling her that they're done for, and that the stress of this job that the boyfriend took was too much. Elise gets heavily upset and the next day, when the main character goes over to her house to act like he was just coming to have breakfast, she rejects him kindly, explaining how they got broken up over text. The main character tells her everything is okay, and eventually that he took care of the boyfriend. She gets extremely confused when he says this, and once the main character realizes this, he runs back to his house, with Elise on his tail. She walks into the house, and into his bedroom, where the main character is. She sees the bloodied knife and turns to the door, smelling the stench of blood and bleach. She walks into the bathroom and sees the blood, and the main character reassures her that he took care of her boyfriend, and that it's all okay. After she calls him a monster, he grows extremely angry and yells at her that he did this all of her and himself, before she says he did it all for him. He smashes her head into the wall vigorously, before realizing what he's doing and stopping himself. Realizing he just accidentally killed Elise, he turns to the mirror and tells the "inner-demon" that he had messed up his life, before the main character cuts himself down the wrist, killing himself.There's a short film and a short story both written by the lead singer, JT Tollas. He even directed the short film, and starred in it.
2014-2015: Council of the Dead
The band premiered the single "Council of the Dead" on January 27, 2014, and announced their second studio album, Council of the Dead, on the same day. The album is set to be released on August 26, 2014 through InVogue Records. On May 6, 2014 the band announced "The Hope Revolution Tour" beginning late August through September with fellow acts Hawthorne Heights, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and New Empire in the US.On August 1, 2014, the band released the music video for two new tracks, "One In The Chamber" and "The End Of The Beginning", from their upcoming album Council of the Dead. Famous Last Words have revealed the artwork and track listing for their upcoming sophomore studio album, Council of the Dead was released on InVogue on August 26, 2014 nationwide.
On August 25, 2014, the band released Council of the Dead. It reached #91 on the Top 200 and #18 on Independent Albums on Billboard's charts. On October 10, the band announced "The InVogue Records Tour" beginning late November through December with fellow acts For All I Am, Kingdom of Giants and Whether, I in the US.
On February 19, 2015 the band announced "The Touring Dead" beginning late February through March with fellow acts For All I Am and Tear Out the Heart in the US.
2016-Present: Revival Records, The Incubus, and Arizona
On January 5, 2016 it was revealed by Revival Recordings that they have signed Famous Last Words, the first single, as well as acoustic versions of "I'll Be Home Soon", from their upcoming compilation was released on iTunes, along with a promotional lyric video.On June 10, 2016, the band announced "The Method to the Madness Tour" beginning late July with fellow acts Outline in Color, It Lives, It Breathes and Open Your Eyes in the US. On July 9, 2016 the first single, "Pretty In Porcelain", from their upcoming album was released on iTunes, along with a promotional music video.
On September 30, 2016, after a change to Revival Recordings, the group released their third album, The Incubus.
On November 10, 2016, the band announced "The Incubus Tour" beginning late November with fellow acts, The Funeral Portrait and Versus Me
On June 13, 2017 founding member and drummer Craig Simons announced his departure from the band, wishing them luck in the future.
On December 11, 2017, the band announced their leave from Revival Records, and wished all other bands on the label their best.
On October 26, 2018, the band released the first track off their new EP titled "No Walls"
On May 16, 2019, the band released their EP "Arizona". Their first release under SBG Records.
Members
;Current- Jeremy "JT" Tollas – lead vocals
- Evan Foley - guitars, backing vocals
- Tyler Myklebust – bass, rhythm guitar
- Cody Paige — drums
- Jesse Maddy – bass
- Ethan Osborn – lead guitar, backing vocals, rhythm guitar
- Craig Simons – drums, backing vocals
- Matthew Bell – bass, backing vocals
Timeline
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Discography
Studio albums
- Two-Faced Charade
- Council of the Dead
- The Incubus
Extended plays
- You Could Have Made This Easier
- In Your Face
- Pick Your Poison
- Two-Faced Charade
- Council of the Dead
- The Incubus
- Arizona
Singles