Musician Spotlight: The Last Straw

Harry and I have been fans of The Last Straw since 2007. We've witnessed their growth, their growing pains, their transformations and successes. We are fans of their music and musical path. They are wonderful souls, smart minded and truly committed to their craft.

(L to r) Jason Graumlich, Kyle Daniel, Pearce Harrison, Marc Williams

Kyle Daniel brings rocking lead vocals and blazing guitar. Marc Williams provides the perfect undertones with thumping low rhythm on bass and vocals. Pearce Harrison brings amazing engergy with hard hitting drums and percussion. The newest member, Jason Graumlich, brings an awesome compliment to round out the four member band with great vocals and inspired guitar work.

If you're a fan of solid southern rock and roll then you need to treat yourself to a listen. And while you're listening read on to get to know them a bit better...

MA: How did “The Last Straw” band name originate? How long has the band been performing?

TLS: The name originated with a good friend of the band in the winter of 06-07. The band had played one show under another name that we can't remember; it was from a Black Crowes song and that didn't sit well with anyone. After much deliberation and months of beating ourselves up about a name, we finally came to an agreement after a friend who was helping book and promote the band was involved in a phone argument with a girl. After going round and round with the girl he finally hung up on her and shouted "That's The Last Straw!" It was a true eureka moment. Everyone looked around the room at each other and there was no doubt that that was the name of the band. In January 2007 the band began performing as The Last Straw.


(L to R) Pearce Harrison, Kyle Daniel, Jason Graumlich, Marc Williams
Nashville, TN  August 2011

MA: Tell us a bit about you; your history with music...



Jason Graumlich, TLS Studio, March 2011

 JASON: My mother played piano in church and I sang regularly in choirs growing up.  I developed an ear from my parents record collection at home and quickly picked up the '1964 Tesico' electric guitar that was laying around the house (which was my fathers).  My uncle was also a trumpet player in Miami, FL and his musical tastes spilled over to me quite naturally. Most everyone in my family is or was a music lover in some way.  By my freshman year I had quit skateboarding and started my first band.

Kyle Daniel, Exit/In Nashville, TN, 05.28.2010

KYLE: I began playing music as soon as I could walk. From toy instruments, to the violin, saxophone and drums. I finally picked up guitar when I was in high school.  

MARC: My life has been filled with music since my very first memories. It's fair to say that I've been raised with and tuned into pop music first and foremost since the beginning. When I was very young we had a piano and a guitar in my house that I would bang on. However, at the age of 4 on the 4th of July our house was struck by lightning and we lost everything. Unfortunately my parents opted not to replace the piano or guitar. It would be 17 years before my interest in playing an instrument would reawaken. The music I remember the most as a preschooler was my moms music. The Beatles, whom I must admit I hated practically until the time I started playing bass at the age of 21 because my mother wore those records out and talked about them so much (shhh... Don't tell on me...) and Motown were the staples. Temptations, The Miracles/Smokey Robinson, Supremes, Stevie Wonder. 

Marc Williams, TLS Studio, March 2011

 We also listened to alot of Aretha Franklin, The Pointer Sisters, Fleetwood Mac, Tina Turner, Crosby Stills and Nash, The Eagles, Huey Lewis, Robert Palmer. When I got to first grade I was old enough to start gravitating towards my own music. I'm a first generation MTV kid, from when they actually played music. At that point I would wake up hours before I had to leave for school to go in the living room and turn on MTV and wait for my favorites. My early favorites were Billy Idol, Van Halen, The Cars, The Beastie Boys, The Eurythmics, Cinderella, Men at Work and of course Micheal Jackson. Mrs. Davis was my first music teacher in school. Her classes to this day are some of my fondest musical memories. I took to her lessons very naturally and it's always been that way for me with music. Despite my love for music I never played an instrument until my college soccer days started to wind down around the age of 21. Brian Turner, a friend and co-worker, started bringing his guitar around after work and that was the first time I'd been around a guitar player. He sparked my interest in playing an instrument.  With my soccer days over I needed something to fill that gap. After hanging around for some time I expressed interest in learning to play. Around that same time he happened to find a broken "3 string" fender squire that an old bassist friend of his left in a closet years earlier. He gave me that and a broken guitar amp and off I went. The bass had a broken truss rod so the strings pretty much laid flat against the neck board. The amplifier was blown. It made the worst sound ever. It did, however, introduce me to bass strings and frets which is all that really mattered at the time. He taught me "Hey Joe" and I haven't stopped since. 



Pearce Harrison, TLS Studio, March 2011

PEARCE: Music has always been one of the few things that make sense in the world. I knew as a kid that music wasn't just a bunch of sounds, it was feeling.  It was unconditional, a drug I couldn't get enough of; from blasting Genesis cassette tapes I had stolen from my mom to marching on a field 6 days out of the week at 6 AM with a 40 lb drum on, it was all therapeutic.

MA: When did you realize music was going to be your life’s work?

JASON: There wasn't a set moment when I knew this was gonna be "life's work".  It was an almagamation of experiences.  Most likely jump started by the marriage of my first "live" experiences seeing music and my first experiences playing in front of receptive people.  It was also quite addictive to play music constantly, as I picked up the guitar fairly quickly.

KYLE: Placing in the finals at the International Blues Challenge when I was a senior in high school gave me a strong sense of accomplishment. Having the motivation to push myself even harder to be a better musician, it was at this point I was certain that I would have a career in music.


The Last Straw performing at Exit/In, Nashville, TN 04.08.2011

MARC: I never started playing with the intent of going for a career in music. My first and only goal was to play one show at the Boro Bar and Grill in Murfreesboro, TN. At the age of 23 I decided I needed more work experience in construction so I joined the Air Force to do just that. My secret ulterior motive was to play my bass every night after work and join my first band and see what I could become. I joined my first cover band in the service at the age of 24. In two years I went from being the weak link in the band to bringing forward songs that the other guys had a hard time playing. At that point I began thinking I may have the ability to move back to Nashville and try joining an original band. I still never dreamed of a career in it though. Before moving back home I had to put my bass down for a while as I was shipped off to Iraq in March of 04. Camp Anaconda/Balad AFB is where the fire to go for it as a musician was ignited. One day there had been a particularly heated mortar attack. That attack had been my third close call while there. I'll never forget the moment the next day sitting in that big red dump truck reflecting on life and deciding I was going to do something for myself and make a real go at music. 

PEARCE: When I quit baseball to devote more time to drumline, I knew it was a move to set off my career in music.



The Last Straw, Nashville, TN, August 2011

 MA: Who are your musical influences?



Jason Graumlich, Mercy Lounge, 08.09.2011



  JASON: There's not enough time in the world to answer this question. I have always been a sponge. My brain soaks up music from everywhere.  I am influenced by musicians, artists and authors.   I am influenced as a player as a writer and as a performer.  I am influenced by the region I live..."The South"... The Beatles radically changed my life early on.  Revolver and so on, as well as the British Blues invasion, the Yardbirds, John Mayall, etc.,  which led me to the blues and Muddy Waters, Son House, Howlin' Wolf , Little Walter and on up through the Mississippi Hill Country men like RL Burnside, and Junior Kimbrough.   Whatever my father listened to was what I grew into.  His ear was very tuned in to everything. He taught me to hear it all. Bob Dylan "The Times They Are A Changin'" "Positively 4th Street' and "Blonde on Blonde" set me up for focus on poetry, musings and raw lyricism. The Stones "Exile on Mainstreet"  kept me grounded. "American Beauty" by the Dead got me into the Byrds and Gram Parsons and the whole California roots scene.  This led me to country music like Haggard, Cash, Hank Williams and Willie Nelson. I am a lover of Jeff Tweedy. I am influenced by Texas troubadours like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. I read a lot of Kerouac growing up and his writings and poetry always set me free and helped cultivate my wandering eyes and ears.  This has gone on too long... see?!  I constantly search for new music and new influence, as it is never-ending.  Right now I am being influenced by coffee and Lucinda Williams.  I could write a book on my influences.



Kyle Daniel, Exit/In, 04.08.2011



KYLE: My influences: Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks,  Chris Robinson, Jonny Lang, Carlos Santana, Jack Pearson, Greg Martin, Joe Bonamassa, Lowell George,  Paul Rodgers, Van Morrison, Joe Cocker, Duane Allman, Jim James, Audley Freed, Jimmy Herring.  

MARC: My biggest influences in any musical setting are the people I'm playing with first and foremost. I try to check myself at the door when first entering a jam and let the situation show me the way. I've tried to not copy any one player in my time as a bassist. People constantly tell me I sound like so and so or ask if I listened to this guy or that and they rarely get it right. I've striven to develop my own style and think I've done well in doing so. I've never copied solos or learned tons of songs by any one player. There's only two guys that I've learned more than 3 songs by; Dirk Lance of Incubus from my old cover band days and Phil Lesh of the Dead because the straw did a Dead tribute show one time.  

Marc Williams, Mercy Lounge, 08.09.2011

 That being said my short list of favorite bassists is: Old school - James Jamerson, Noel Redding, John Paul Jones, Paul Mcartney, Family Man Barrett. Newer school- Flea, Les Claypool, Dirk Lance, Eric Wilson, P-Nut.

PEARCE: I used to jack cassette tapes from my mom starting as soon as I could walk and put the tape in a player, especially Michael Jackson and Genesis. Those two really set the foundation for me. Then when I was about 10 years old and starting to actually learn how to play grooves behind a kit, I discovered my dad's Led Zeppelin records. 

Pearce Harrison, TLS Studio, March 2011

When I was 12 or 13 I really got into the heavy hitting "nu-metal" scene (deftones, Korn, etc.) that had a lot of hard hitting drummers, which got me to a 311 concert. Chad Sexton was very influential in my drumming... such a groove machine.

MA: How do you bring your individual influences and originality to your current role in the band?

JASON: I don't really think about bringing my influence into a band.  It's subconscious. I find the "Jason" shaped hole and I squeeze in there.  I'm just myself.  Hopefully it works like I want it to or to best serve the music.

Kyle Daniel, Jason Graumlich, Nashville, TN August 2011

KYLE: My personal influences permeate the bands sound, because I perform a majority of the vocals. I try to take all of the influences and combine them to shape my own sound. I started playing by ear, imitating these players and their styles. That was my way of learning the guitar. So, in a sense, they all teach me a little bit more about playing, each time I dive into their techniques.

MARC: When I joined The Last Straw it was a very roots/blues based band. With my rock/pop heritage all I've tried to do all along is add my bounce to the music. If you can make the music bounce you'll make the heads bounce. 

PEARCE: When I joined the band, people were coming up to me every night after shows and telling me how much my heavy hitting past has brought new life to this band. I didn't really understand until after the first album was put out and you can hear the difference between that first album and our current music; how much heavier the drums are in their presence in these recordings. I consider myself a straightforward rock drummer and that was something this band needed I feel.

MA: Do all of you participate in songwriting? What is your songwriting process?

JASON: We all participate in some shape.  Sometimes more than others.  I find there is no set way to writing or process.  When the muse hits, I go with it.

KYLE: I do participate in the songwriting process, however there is no true “process” for me. I feel as though I write from every angle. I write from a melody, a hook, a single lyric, music, or any point in between. This all depends on what mood hits me first. I try not to limit myself in the process, it is usually apparent when a certain component is screaming to be elaborated on. I try to follow my instinct when songwriting.



Marc Williams, TLS Studio, March 2011



MARC: We have co-written a few songs with this line-up. We are still trying to find our method as a band. Personally, I write alot of poems and throw them out or stuff them in folders or save them on my phone. Writing a song in large part should be an organic process. I believe that songs reveal themselves to you as much as you create them. The music gods have no set method and neither do I.  Sometimes a song idea comes from a groove or riff. Sometimes it comes from a melody I can't get out of my head. Sometimes a phrase sparks the melody.  Ultimately what you're trying to uncover when writing a song is a mood. Then you try to make a point with the hook. From there everything else must fit into the sonic landscape to support that. I'm more concerned with the over all sound of a song than the actual lyrics. There's nothing musical about a word or letters alone, unless you spell the word musical with them. That's why I believe the strength of a song lies in the melody first, then music, then the lyrics. What order they come about doesn't matter just as long as they do. That is perhaps a very opposite line of thought from the singer songwriter folks here in Nashville but that's just me. I typically don't understand or pay attention to the words of a song unless the whole soundscape draws me in anyways. 

Pearce Harrison, Mercy Lounge, 08.09.2011

PEARCE: Participation in songwriting comes and goes. Lets say I’m not around when Kyle and Jason are hanging out and come up with a lick or a verse or a hook, it doesn't mean I’m not going to have my hand in the process somewhere.  The songwriting all comes together when WE all come together and play it for the first time. But Kyle and I have written songs together that were finished before I even touched a drumstick. Its all about how our ideas and influences come together that make a song.

MA: How do your strongest musical influences weave into your songwriting? For example, in your new song, Rearrange, we hear some Stone’s influence in the tones, but it is uniquely a TLS song. How do you allow influence while maintaining your originality?

Jason Graumlich, Exit/In, 04.08.2011

JASON: I can't tell you how my influence makes its way into a song.  It happens.  It's either a natural flow or it's forced.  If it's forced, I don't do it. When I came up for the riff in "Rearrange" I didn't think, "Hey, I need to play this Stones thing here", it just happened and I let it come. It was only after that when I realized what it was. It works beautifully in the song. Thank you Keith Richards!

KYLE: It’s a slippery slope when adding components in which you want to be “in the style of.” It can either tag you as a rip off, or a great success. I think we allow those sorts of feelings/ influences to come into play when it’s appropriate. Before, we were notorious for putting too many elements into songs, and putting parts in unnecessary positions, but I think we’re passed that. I think an influence/feel is one thing, as long as you make it your own.

(L to R) Pearce Harrison, Jason Graumlich, Kyle Daniel, Marc Williams
TLS Studio, March 2011

MARC: I think your influences come out naturally. If you intentionally lean on your influences when creating a song or part you're going to wind up copying that influence. I've already done the cover band thing so I'm not into that so much anymore. When a song comes forward there are parameters that are set for that piece. The key and tempo give you the boundaries for that song. Your soul, hands, and tools give you your personal sound. When you combine with other musicians in an honest open way what comes out is an original sound. Unless you're all leaning on the same exact influences. Then you may as well go find some wedding gigs and make some easy money.

PEARCE: That’s funny you mention it because I’m not even thinking Rolling Stones when were playing that. Granted the guitar tones and licks are Stones influenced, the drums are almost doing a heavy metal beat. One of the ways we played it when we wrote it originally, it was a double bass pattern. But we trimmed it down to fit the vibe of the rest of the song. I find myself using less and less double bass these days because its not always called for. But that’s a big step considering I grew up playing in punk/metal/hardcore bands.

MA: How do you feel your music has changed since the formation of The Last Straw?



Kyle Daniel, TLS Studio, March 2011

KYLE: We are a completely different band. It’s been a hell of an evolution with this group, but I truly feel blessed to be in the position we are. We came out strong, but I feel as though we left room for a lot of improvement. In our case, that’s a great thing. We have been able to blossom over the years, dissecting every component of what we do until we find what works best.  We are a very critical band, and although some of our songs are more intricate than others, it’s all about the basic core of what’s going on. I feel as though we are on a rise out of the “jam-band” genre, and moving into the rock-n-roll arena. We love to “jam,” but we have realized certain aspects of our abilities that allow us to be more impacting as a rock-n-roll unit.

Marc Williams, Exit/In, 04.08.2011

MARC: Before I joined, the band was very roots/blues based; very classic rock sounding. There was alot of jamming and solos and what not. When I joined I wanted to push the sound forward a generation or three. As we've gone through line-up changes I've always leaned towards players that have their heads into more modern music. A few years later I think we are starting to get to that place that I imagined when I was first asked to audition.  We are focusing more on songs these days. We have taken a turn towards a more modern straight ahead rock-n-roll band and I'm excited about the future.

MA: Do you prefer large shows or more intimate shows? How much does the audience affect your performance? What do you feel brings on the music transcending the environment to take on its own rising energy?



Jason Graumlich, TLS Studio, March 2011

 JASON: Audience/artist connection can make a performance magical or dead in the water no matter the size.  If energy is being transferred between the stage and the audience odds are things are going in a positive direction, big show or little.

KYLE: We definitely like to play bigger shows. The audience is a vital aspect of our performance. The more energy they provide, the harder we go and the more dynamic we become. Intimate shows are fun if they are stripped down and not as high energy, but The Last Straw is all about energy!

MARC: Large shows are amazing in their own right and everyone dreams of playing to a stadium crowd. That being said, my roots are in the down dirty rock clubs. I'm a CBGB's guy at heart. I love a small dingy club with a packed house right on top of you. Sweat, heat, and tension. LOVE IT! The audience is as crucial as the band to a good show. The crowd is like one being. If you're talking and the other person isn't listening then it's a bad one way conversation, downright awkward. It's a circuit that you are creating with the crowd. They feed off of you first then you feed off of them then the whole experience rises. Letting go is the only way for the transcendence to occur. If you're too in your head on stage a crowd can feel it, then they get in their head. 

Pearce Harrison, Exit/In, 04.08.2011

PEARCE: The shows can only get bigger. We feed off of the crowd as if it were a buffet and we haven't eaten in 3 days. It’s a cyclical movement of energy that we throw at the crowd, the crowd throws back at us, and it continues.

MA: Your new release ‘This Is’ is due out soon. Will it contain rearrangements of your first release ‘Brought to Life’ or only previously unrecorded music?

KYLE: We have flipped the switch on this album. I am very excited for this release, as I feel it is our best studio effort yet. There is a little bit of it all on this album, but it is mostly brand new material. We have rehashed some songs for this album, because the songs have turned into completely different material at this point. “This Is” is the working title for this project, which may change by release date in January 2012.  Follow our website for updates.

MA: Where do you envision TLS in five years?

Kyle Daniel, Mercy Lounge, 08.09.2011

KYLE: I would like to see The Last Straw as a nationally and internationally touring act in 5 years. We don’t have to be headlining, but constantly touring with a nation-wide headliner would be a great chance to break out in the entertainment industry. I want to see us continuing to grow as a band of brothers, and sculpting this sound we have been working on for the last 5 years. 

MA: We know it’s a bit like asking to pick your favorite child, but what is your favorite TLS song? What makes it your favorite?

JASON: "Little by Little" is one of my favorites.  Lyrically it is different than any other TLS song.  It's more narrative and visual in that sense.  Has more landscape and atmosphere.

KYLE: I am a huge fan of “Rearrange.” I think it speaks to the times, without being too preachy. We all know that we need to change as a people, but it’s just harder than we realize sometimes. The song is very driving, instead of making you feel bad for not changing, it encourages listeners to make a change and feel good about it.

Marc Williams, TLS Studio, March 2011

MARC: "Bad as You Wanna Be." It's our first TLS co-write and it gives me my best chance to get the CBGB's out.

PEARCE: I'm REALLY moved by "Rearrange" right now. I’m listening to it as I write these answers actually. The message and melodies and harmonies in this song make me so proud to be playing drums for these musicians. The title of the song alone sums up what we are right now. We HAVE been rearranged and we HAVE to walk away with our heads held high and proud of who we are and the music we make. "Its high time we rearrange..."

MA: How do each of you find and listen to new music (i.e., satellite radio, iTunes, Spotify, etc.)?

JASON: I scour blogs for new music daily. I’m a hound for fresh things. I get bored very easily and need new influences. 

Kyle Daniel, TLS Studio, March 2011

KYLE: I just try to keep hip however I can. Usually a friend is showing me something new, and then I go and more. I like You Tube and any other source that suggest similar videos/styles. I also like Pandora; it is the background and sometimes foreground music of my daily life. 

MARC: Again, I'm a pop guy. I'm probably one of the only folks left around that actively listens to commercial radio every day. I let new music find me because if you're out in the world you have no choice but to hear new music. Friends recommend stuff to listen to, when we're on the road we listen to tons of music, festivals, local shows, T.V. I'm weary of plugging in the ipod and disengaging from the world as it happens.

PEARCE: I have a note pad on my iphone that has a page dedicated to band names that people ask me if I’ve heard or I need to check out. That’s how I get my new music fix.

MA: What is the best way to keep up with TLS and purchase your music?

TLS: The best way to keep up with the band is via our website: www.thelaststrawrocks.com  You'll find tour dates, merchandise and a place to buy our music! You can also find us on Facebook.

(L to R) Jason Graumlich, Kyle Daniel, Pearce Harrison, Marc Williams
TLS Studio, March 2011

Thank you TLS! We look forward to the release of "This Is" in January 2012.

That's a wrap for September's Musician Spotlight. October's Spotlight is not far away...

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