Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Last Letters is an American Pop/Punk band dedicated to serving up weighty themes and messages. Charles Iwuc is the sole writer for the group and records all of the band's music in his home studio, Seagull Studios VI. After having followed the Vans Warped Tour in other bands and playing in the beach-folk trio The Gulls, Charles Iwuc started writing the first set of songs for the project in the spring of '16. The debut EP 'Nothing to Write Home About' was released the following fall via Old Sport Records.
Since the beginning, Last Letters has been treated as a homage to the early 2000s, 'American Pie' era of Pop/Punk. Incorporating the juxtaposition of songs in major keys paired with heavy lyrical themes of toxic love, heartbreak, and growing old alone, Last Letters has always been an emotional outlet for Charles Iwuc.
The newest boisterous release from Last Letters is "I Love You, Amy Smart." Commencing with a voice clip from the movie, 'Just, Friends,' you can hear the character Amy Smart saying her piece before the full driven force of Last Letters kicks in to serve us amped up vibrancy. In an Emo Rock explosion, the lush guitar chords' up-tempo liveliness hit a high voltage parade of musical angst. Exceptional vocals float overtop of the enticing rhythms as captivating melodies get met with mesmerizing tempos to click your inner reset button. We dare you to try and not dance to this energetic track; that's how much it has us in a trance of radical eruption.
As you sway from one side of the room to the next, we hear the tale of a relationship gone wrong. Sometimes doing everything the right way still won't work if the match isn't the best fit and Last Letters drives that point home like a new car fresh off the lot. There is no taming what Last Letters has to offer us in the musical department. As a group that doesn't want to be taken too seriously yet remains a creative escape for their listeners far and wide, Last Letters has us in the realm of nostalgia.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Last Letters, and congratulations on the release of your single, “I Love You, Amy Smart.” With an approach of not wanting to be taken too seriously, how do you let that mindset shine through the pieces that you create?
I try not to overthink the meaning of songs. Are they autobiographical? Are they about other people? Are they based on movies or books? Are they sequels to Ariana Grande songs? Yes, movies.
What did the creative process look like when bringing this song to life?
Usually, I’ll drive down to the beach before sunrise, bring an acoustic, put on my cowboy hat, dip my toes in, sip my coffee, and watch the turtles as the sun goes up. For this one, I did none of that. I listened through ‘First Date’ and thought to myself, ‘I could do a lesser version of that.’
As a solo artist, what has been the best piece of advice that you have received?
“If your ‘hater’ count keeps going up, you’re doing something right.” -Michael Jordan
That being said, I’ve been gaining some fantastic haters on Reddit and that’s what’s keeping me going. Just the other day I had someone comment on the new single ‘Amy Smart’ saying, “What sub am I in? Crap music? No.” I just so happened to post that in /r/shittymusic, so I can't figure that one out. Then again, I received a “you’re a hot dad this is a cool vibe” and life felt balanced again. I could use some more haters though.
What moment or story inspired the creation of, "I Love You Amy Smart?"
One of my favorite Christmas movies (I didn’t want to say the word for another 11 months, but here we are), Just Friends. I also factored in inspiration from my real-life crush, Amy Smart. She was in a good chunk of those teen movies and I wanted to write a song that sounded like it was off an American Pie soundtrack, similar to Enema of the State era Blink; in the key of A major, insane drum fills, and have ‘fuck’ in the chorus. I was originally going to name it ‘Why Haven’t You Called Me Back, Christina Applegate?’ but I think obnoxiously long scene song titles went out of style during the ‘Infinity on High’ days.
What can we expect to see from you in 2021?
Hopefully better press photos and fewer songs about celebrities. And if I stay focused for more than one song at a time, you can expect to hear a collection of ‘songs that spank’ in the spring. In the meantime, I’m working on a live album. What does that mean during a time where bands can’t play shows? I’ll let the suspense build... and then have you seriously let down.