Toronto rockers LST IN HLYWD dominated 2022 with their first-ever tour titled "Summer Valentine tour", playing fourteen shows across Ontario to thousands of people. The band also gained over 65,000 followers across their social media platforms within their first year of forming. LST IN HLWD's self-titled debut EP dropped October 20, 2022 and accumulated over 87,000 streams on Spotify alone. Their loyal fanbase is growing drastically and spans worldwide - Canada, America, The UK, Europe, Australia, and South America. This powerhouse band is made up of four members - Damian Rose (lead vocals + lead guitar), Lana (bass), Catherine Carter (guitar) and Chris King (drums).
MEET THE BAND
Damian Rose portrays a wide range of experience within the music industry being that he's been playing 40+ shows a year since he was fifteen. He's well versed in playing live shows along with being a multi-instrumentalist - vocals, guitar, drums, keys, ukelele, and bass. His influences are a wide variety made up of Ghost, Machine Gun Kelly, All Time Low, Panic! At The Disco, Guns N Roses, Van Halen, Motley Crue and tons more. Aside from music, Damian enjoys working out, hanging out with friends, baking, watching Netflix and watching horror movies.
Catherine Carter began playing piano at the age of four and has learned to play various instruments throughout the years such as guitar, alto saxophone, and drum kit. She is also passionate about mixing and music production. In middle school, she fell in love with other genres of music after listening to BØRNS and other artists. Catherine now prefers playing and producing genres such as indie, pop, alternative, rock and punk music. Her all-time favorite artists are BØRNS, Barns Courtney, James Bay, Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy.
Lana started out as the visual artist for LST IN HLYWD as she's created almost everything the band has used - logo, thumbnails, photography, etc. Her musical powerless involves a couple of other instruments including baritone and violin. Her wide range of taste in music includes the following genres - rock, jazz, pop, disco, pop punk, alternative, classical, folk, glam metal, musical theatre, and many more. Lana loves experimenting with new things which is reflected in her art, hair/clothing styles, and hobby exploration.
Chris King has been playing drums for ten years and has been a musician for even longer. After giving up on playing the piano, Chris decided one day he wanted to learn the drums to be able to play in a band with other musicians. Aside from claiming his spot as the heartbeat of the band, Chris helps behind-the-scenes work for the band including audio production.
SELF - TITLED DEBUT EP
And now it's the moment you've been waiting for... Get ready to deep dive into the pop-punk EP of your dreams. The self-titled EP is a collection of tracks that will feed your pop-punk soul just enough to leave you feeling content but will also have you craving more from LST IN HLYWD. In a world where pop-punk has been revived from the late 90s and early 2000s, the younger generation is craving the genre more than ever before. From Tik Tok reels to Spotify playlists, the genre alone is dominating the music industry right now.
The leading track Summer Valentine instantly grasps you into its full-blown nostalgia with high-pitched vocals from Damian and wailing guitars that truly make it feel like it's summertime. In its chorus, the band blends together perfectly to create the perfect pop-punk sound. With its all-too-relatable chorus lyrics - "We're singing I Think I'm OKAY at the top of our lungs" - you'll soon find yourself realizing how memorable your teenage years were.
Traveling into "Wish You Were Her(e)", the edgy and angst vibe sounds like this band would instantly be the headliner of Warped Tour every single year. The track embraces heartbreak that's often too toxic. Its chorus is the one you know you'll be screaming in your room when someone breaks your cold heart.
"Just Drive" was co-written by Lana with Damian as she claimed it as her favorite song on the EP. As the song's first verse serves as a buildup to an energetic chorus, you're met with an exhilarating guitar solo. With a repetitive chorus of lyrics - "You love it, you love it, you love it" - you'll find yourself having sweet dreams about the song.
"P.S. I Love You" happened to be the first track I listened to from LST IN HLYWD and will instantly pull you in with its creative pop-punk vibe. The bedroom pop track enhances the summer of love for teenagers, striving to be with a past love. The chorus lyrics - "Shining lights, empty bedrooms, see your shadow in hotel rooms - but it's just smoke in mirrors, P.S. I love you" - is the perfect way for the band to fully capture your heart with its emotion.
LST IN HLYWD truly sends it home with "My Undying Bride" which holds the perfect MCR vibes simply with the first verse's lyrics - "I would die for her, I would kill for her, either way what bliss". With its catchy chorus - filled with alluring vocals, captivating lyrics and screeching guitars, you're instantly captured into a brave new world. As the track gradually comes to an end, you realize this is the band of the new generation that will capture pop-punk hearts everywhere.
LST IN HLYWD
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