Last Dinosaurs
Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane in 2007.
via Wikipedia: Last Dinosaurs · see source
Last Dinosaurs are an indie rock band from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, who got together in 2007. The lineup features brothers Sean and Lachlan Caskey—both sing and play guitar—alongside bassist Michael Sloane; the Caskey siblings are of Japanese heritage. The band takes its name from the song "Last Dinosaur" by Japanese rock group The Pillows. They are signed to Dew Process in Australia and Fiction Records in the UK, with international distribution through Universal Music Group.
Their first release, the 2010 EP Back from the Dead, gained traction after they uploaded a demo to Triple J Unearthed. The track "Honolulu" went into heavy rotation on Triple J, leading to festival slots at Splendour in the Grass, Laneway, Falls Festival, and Southbound, and support gigs for acts like Foals and Foster the People. Their debut album In A Million Years came out on 2 March 2012, hitting number eight on the Australian Albums Chart and number two on the digital chart. A sold-out national tour followed, along with dates in the UK and Europe.
Bassist Sam Gethin-Jones left the band in July 2013 to pursue other music. Michael Sloane, who had already filled in on bass and directed videos for songs like "Zoom" and "Time and Place," became a permanent member in January 2014. The second album Wellness arrived on 28 August 2015, preceded by singles "Evie" and "Apollo." It debuted at number 18 on the ARIA Charts. The band toured Australia for Wellness in 2015 and followed up with the "Miracle Methods" tour in 2016.
On 5 October 2018, Last Dinosaurs released their self-produced third album Yumeno Garden, with singles "Dominos" and "Eleven" leading the way. By this point, original drummer Dan Koyama had left the band. In 2019, they toured Europe and the US, and released the single "FMU," which Sean Caskey said was inspired by tensions between Hong Kong and China. Another single, "Flying," dropped in April 2020, shifting toward French house and 90s nu-disco sounds.
The fourth album From Mexico with Love came out on 4 November 2022. Lachlan Caskey wrote it while quarantined in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing the country as a major inspiration. He co-produced the record with James Agnus after returning to Australia. The band’s fifth album, KYORYU, was released on 21 May 2024. Their sixth album, Wellnxss—a reworked version of Wellness that includes five new songs—came out on 13 February 2026.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Genre
- Indie rock
- indie pop
- dance-punk
- alternative rock
- synthpop
- shoegaze
- city pop
- nu-disco
- Years active
- 2007—present
- Label
- Dew Process
- Universal Music
- Fiction
- Current members
- Sean Caskey
- Lachlan Caskey
- Michael Sloane
- Past members
- Sam Gethin-Jones, Dan Koyama
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The Caskey brothers are of Japanese descent; their middle names are Ryusuke (Sean) and Kyohei (Lachlan).
- The album Kyoryu is a concept album about a dystopian future with AI satellites and outer space exploration.
- The EP titles RYU and KYO are shortened versions of the Caskeys' Japanese middle names, and together they spell "Kyoryu," which means dinosaur in Japanese.
- The single "Flying" was originally a demo from Lachlan's SoundCloud and marked a departure toward French house and 90's-inspired nu-disco.
History
Sean Caskey and former drummer Dan Koyama met during high school in 2007 and started a band called The Cairos, which later became Last Dinosaurs. Sean's younger brother Lachlan Caskey soon joined as lead guitarist, and Sam Gethin-Jones joined as bassist. The band's name was taken from the song "Last Dinosaur" by the Japanese rock band The Pillows. After releasing their debut EP in 2010, the band posted a demo to the Triple J Unearthed project and were subsequently interviewed by radio DJ Zan Rowe.
The track "Honolulu" from the EP was placed on high rotation on Triple J, leading to festival appearances including Splendour in the Grass, Laneway Festival, Falls Festival, and Southbound, and support slots for Foals, Matt & Kim, Lost Valentinos, and Foster the People. In early 2011, the band announced plans to record their debut album after their "Back from the Dead" tour in mid-2010. Recording with producer Jean-Paul Fung at BJB Studios in Sydney began in June 2011, documented on a Tumblr blog.
The album In A Million Years was released on 2 March 2012, debuting at number eight on the Australian Albums Chart and number two on the digital album charts. The band completed a sold-out national tour and later toured the UK and Europe, releasing the album in the UK in September 2012. On 23 July 2013, Sam Gethin-Jones left the band to pursue a different musical sound and personal pathway. Michael Sloane, who had previously worked with the band as a bassist and music video director for "Zoom," "Time and Place," and "Andy," toured as substitute bassist from September 2013 and was officially announced as a full-time bassist on 28 January 2014.
On 1 May 2015, Last Dinosaurs released "Evie," the first single from their second album Wellness, premiered by Linda Marigliano on Triple J's "Good Nights" program on 30 April 2015. The second single "Apollo" was premiered by Marigliano on 15 July 2015, alongside the album announcement. Recording for Wellness took place at The Grove Studios near Gosford, New South Wales.
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