One band who has been making waves this year is British indie/rock outfit The Last Dinner Party. The band are preparing for a headline UK tour, which follows on the back of high-profile festival appearances at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds over the summer.

Adam Kennedy talks with Emily Roberts from The Last Dinner Party ahead of their upcoming sold-out Newcastle show.

Speaking about the band’s summer festival season, guitarist Emily Roberts said: “It's been fantastic. It's been really surreal because people know Sinner and Nothing Matters, and they are singing the lyrics.” She adds: “A long time ago, people didn't know the songs and that was cool. But this is a completely different experience.”

Recollecting memories of a busy festival season, Emily said: “I think my favourite show was Green Man. You are on a tiny little stage, but the crowd went all the way back over the hill. And it was just insane.”

The Last Dinner Party signed to Island Records before they released their debut single, Nothing Matters, in April 2023. This took the band by surprise somewhat. “It was kind of surreal, like, how is this happening to us? I guess we couldn't have expected any of that,” said Roberts. “Obviously, we couldn't have done all the things that we've done without the support of our management and label. So, I feel really lucky to have that.”

There has been a high demand for the band’s upcoming UK headline tour dates. Speaking about the run, Emily said: “I'm really excited. I'm from Cheshire, and I went to school in Manchester. So, the Manchester show will be particularly special for me. I think we're doing the Academy, which is where I went to my first-ever gig as well. So that'll be incredibly emotional for me.”

It's been somewhat of a meteoric rise for The Last Dinner Party, but did the band know they were onto something special when they got together in 2021? “I honestly had no idea. I mean, I just liked the songs. And I liked the people. And I thought just see where it goes. I didn't really have any expectations of it, which I think was a good attitude to have,” explains Emily. “We rehearsed for quite a long time before we started gigging …. But it was difficult because of COVID. We went a couple of months without seeing each other. And then we'd have to pick up again where we left off. I think we were rehearsing the same song for about six months. But I think also, that meant that we perfected everything. And everything was exactly how we wanted it to be before we did our first gig.”

The band has a run of shows coming up in the US towards the end of October. “I've never been to America before. So, I'm really excited to see New York and LA. It'll be a great experience. And just to see what the response is like over there. I think we’ve already sold-out New York, which is great. So, I guess we'll see what happens and see what it's like,” said Emily.

The group are presently thinking about their setlist for the upcoming shows. “For America, and maybe the UK, we're planning on doing a couple of new songs, and possibly a cover in America. But currently, the set so far has just been what we're putting out over the course of the next year or so. So, the full album, really. I think it'll be good to try out some new things on tour,” confirmed Emily.

Aside from their headline dates and summer festivals, The Last Dinner Party have shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the music business this year including Lana Del Ray, Florence and the Machine, along with an upcoming tour with Hozier. “It's so great that we get to be on the same line-up as these stars - it's crazy,” said Emily. “I think Florence is such an inspiration. We had a little chat with her backstage as well. And she was giving great advice, like, stick to your guns creatively. She's just a really inspiring person and really nice.”

The rest of the year heading into 2024 looks particularly busy for The Last Dinner Party. “We've got back-to-back tours till Christmas and the album release early next year. I think we've been booked into a few festivals next summer. But other than that, I think it's quite open to what comes in a moment, which is good.”

The Last Dinner Party will play a sold-out show at The Cluny in Newcastle on Tuesday 10th of October. For further information, please visit: https://www.thelastdinnerparty.co.uk/