“Authentic and raw, they mix the rock spirit of the East Village with the explosive power of Battleship

Potemkin!” Tom Morello.

​

This biography could almost stop there, as these few words perfectly sum things up. The Last

Internationale mix the music we love, from folk to soul, spicing it up with flavours that are as vintageas they are vibrant.

Delila Paz’s raspy voice, she also plays bass, and Edgey Pires’ electric guitar

work wonderfully together, embodying a rebellious and powerful rock sound, with convictions to

defend and stories to tell.Today they are releasing a new album, Road To Freedom, subtitled The Story

of a Band That Refuses Silence. Powerful, it evokes a road off the beaten track that the band took a few

years ago, a path strewn with obstacles but one that the band has overcome brilliantly.

“We are children of Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Woody Guthrie. We have a very strong connection with

folk music, Bob Dylan. It’s like a long chain in which we are links, punk rock too because we share the

same aggressiveness. We want to tell stories that speak to people and denounce totalitarianism,

whatever form it takes, and those in power…” (Delila Paz)

“Rock bands today completely deny its history and its political roots, and also everything that is

happening in the world and the community. But that is the very essence of rock! How can you separate

yourself from it? It’s impossible. Today, it’s in hip-hop that people denounce the system, no longer in

rock at all. We wanted to go back to the roots.” (Edgey Pires)

The opening bars of the introductory track, “Road To Freedom,” immediately grab you, with this

feeling of a storm brewing, waiting for the perfect moment to explode. A little like their career, which

has known many ups and downs and which we finally hope to see explode.For twenty years, The Last

Internationale have never stopped spreading their good word and, above all, they have never given up.

Often noticed and supported by a solid fan base, the time has come for something else, to move up a

gear.New Yorkers, they released two self-produced records in 2008 and 2011, The Last

Internationale and Choose Your Killer, to “put gas in their van,” as they say, while waiting until they

had the means to settle into a studio for a real album.

Faced with their commitment and their talent, Epic signed them. We Will Reign was released, a

reinforced-concrete record produced by Brendan O’Brien (Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Rage

Against The Machine, AC/DC...). This incendiary record brilliantly mixes punk rebellion and garage

sounds, with themes dealing with unnecessary suffering and evoking the urgency of a revolution. Two

tracks were made into videos, “Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Indian Blood” and “Wanted Man.”

For the first, David Letterman invited them to perform on his show; he was swept away.

The next step seemed natural: Los Angeles and its glitter, the supposed nirvana of rockers, but things

did not go as planned. It was even a descent into hell. Their label and their booking agent asked them

to be a little less committed, less virulent too, because under the Californian sun there is no point in

getting worked up, even, why not, renaming their band Delila. Well, yes, it’s a young woman singing,

isn’t it? The dream turned into a nightmare. Delila and Edgey discovered the hidden side of the

industry, far worse than in Russ Meyer’s film Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls.

A little as if the machine had decided to destroy the band.

Fortunately, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and The Last Internationale’s rage was

increased tenfold. Abandoned by the system, blacklisted, they would soon reinvent themselves. Edgey

having ties to Lusitania, the next stage of their existence would take place in Portugal. In the

meantime, they once again recorded self-produced CDs to survive (This Bootleg Kills… Vol 1, Live At

Doghouse Studios, This Bootleg Kills… Pop Stars Vol 1…) and Soul On Fire(2019), their second real

album, recorded in Porto. The title track evokes their journey: “But baby, I wasn’t built to die / Lay

down and be crucified…”

They had to start all over again, because Portugal, despite a few historical precedents (Victor Gomes,

Os Ekos, Sheiks…), is not known for being the capital of rock.

“In Los Angeles, we were living at someone’s place, we were literally sleeping on the floor, we had no

other choice. And we were writing under the stress of our situation. Here, in Europe, it’s cooler, but

sometimes we feel as though we live on a lost island because we are isolated. But it doesn’t matter

where we live, even though, because it is very quiet where we live, our thoughts only become heavier…”

(Delila Paz)

“It is very difficult to find musicians such as a drummer or a second guitarist to join us, but we are also

so much more relaxed that we regret nothing. Nobody wanted us anymore, and we were completely

destitute, so we went elsewhere…” (Edgey Pires)The fable is well known: “When the cold wind came.

Not a single little morsel. Of fly or worm… etc.” Delila and Edgey found refuge with Edgey’s family and

reinvented themselves. Their third album, Running For A Dream, whose title’s irony can be noted

considering their situation, was released in 2023.

Despite the urgency that is their watchword, they refine their work and work tirelessly,

finally arriving at this new opus named Road To Freedom, whose

cover can be noted as a nod to the flag of the United States. Many battles are addressed on it, because

the brave never have time to rest. They are once again on the front line against social violence with

“Animals” and wars of all kinds with “I Can’t Hardly Wait.”

“It’s a song that everyone can interpret as they wish. It’s not our happiest song, because it talks about a

death in battle without specifying which one…” (Delila Paz)

“It’s an echo of what is happening today. As soon as you turn on the TV, wars catch up with you. The

word ‘soldier’ is used at the end, but we just want people to fight for their freedoms, and against all

forms of injustice. Above all, it’s the story of someone who goes to war because they can no longer

stand the world they live in. It’s very dark, in any case.” (Edgey Pires)

“We are not political musicians, but the world in which we live is reflected in our music.” (Delila Paz)

The title “Road To Freedom” leaves no doubt about their intentions of emancipation. No more

oppression, no more conflict, no more war. In fact, they cover Grand Funk Railroad’s “People, Let’s

Stop The War,” which tells that perfectly. Another tradition perpetuated is that of incandescence made into music.

You only have to listen to“You Make Me Right” to be convinced, carried by a voice as exalted as those of Janis Joplin and Beth

Ditto combined.But not everything about them is incendiary, because the band (if we do not speak of a duo, it is

because they are always accompanied and supported by other musicians) also knows how to deliver

poignant ballads such as “New Storm Coming.” No, not a declaration song, but something else, as if

the more enveloping the tempo became, the more the threat of an apocalypse weighed upon us...

Fortunately, The Last Internationale are keeping watch, and we strongly recommend that you lend an

ear to the lyrics between two guitar riffs: the rock spirit of the East Village and the power of Battleship

Potemkin. You have been warned!

Christian Eudeline