By Isaiah Iles
On Sept. 20, local band Left For Last played in front of hundreds as the opener to the Saturday session of the Louder Than Life music festival. Band members Elijah “LJ” Reed, Jordan Johnson, James Reed and Reese Osborne got the opportunity of a lifetime.
The band received this opportunity by winning the Loudest in Lou competition. Artists performed in a weekly battle of the bands until one was crowned as Louisville’s local representation in the upcoming festival.
For the Henryville, Indiana band, the Loudest in Lou competition was no easy task. In the days leading up to their performances, they spent several hours together practicing and writing new songs. To make their set match the required length, Osborne says they were forced to spend 12 hours a day several times a week creating and perfecting new material.
“Since we were kids, it was a dream to play at that festival, so just having the honor and privilege to play it so early on was just like a dream come true for us,” bassist LJ Reed said.
Once at the festival on Saturday morning, band members were surprised by the hospitality and efficiency of the crews they worked with. The festival’s strict schedule acted as a good change of pace for the band.
“It put into perspective for us the work that needed to be done to be able to load onto the stage and off efficiently,” lead guitarist James Reed added.
Their vocalist, Osborne, “enjoyed the structure” and took opportunities to talk and meet with other artists when he could.
In the wake of Louder than Life, the band is adamant about not slowing down. They have plans to release their first EP at the end of this year and already have two songs out on streaming platforms: “Far Away” and “Gravedigger”.
Besides new releases, the band is also looking to expand its live audiences and presence in the Louisville area.
“We’d like to integrate ourselves deeper into the Louisville scene and build some strong connections. There’s no way for anyone to elevate if you’re not supporting each other,” drummer Johnson explains.
They believe the music scene took a hit during COVID that it hasn’t recovered from, and they’re eager for chances to help it rebuild.
“We’re just getting started” says James Reed, “(we’re) very excited for what the future holds.”
Photo Courtesy / Left for Last
