Discovering the pop rock band Last Hikari

Formed two years ago, Last Hikari is gradually establishing itself as a name to watch on the pop rock scene. On the occasion of this interview, Last Hikari looks back on the band's formation, the recent arrival of their new bassist Christophe, their participation in Tremplin La Pâture, as well as their projects for the coming months.

Last Hikari - Photo credit: Nicolas Cook

Hi Last Hikari, I hope you're doing well! To start this interview, I'll let you introduce your band to our readers.

Composition band formed in 2023, Last Hikari brings forth a last light between pop rock, punk/rock and J-Rock. With incisive riffs and catchy choruses, Kevin (lead guitar), Christophe (bass), Alex-Milan (drums) and Marie (guitar/vocals) make the stage vibrate with a strong identity, without compromise, and bring to life music that is as luminous as it is explosive. 

How was the Last Hikari project born and what made you want to start this band at that time?

It all started when Alex-Milan met Marie at their workplace and asked her if she was looking for a music band. He knew that Marie was a guitarist singer and he had started drums. Marie accepted very quickly, having always dreamed of creating a pop rock composition band. She asked Kévin, a childhood friend, if he wanted to join this project, he accepted without hesitation. Regarding the bassist, there were several changes and most recently, Christophe joined us when he saw our post looking for a bassist. 

I think the desire to form this band is common to all musicians: to share their passion, emotions, stories through compositions that tell certain passages of our lives. 

Your universe navigates between pop rock, punk/rock and J-Rock. What are the major influences behind Last Hikari?

Avril Lavigne, Sum 41, Green Day, The Offspring, The Interrupters, Blink 182, Black Sabbath…

Two years after the creation of your band, you welcomed Christophe on bass a few weeks ago. How did this meeting come about and how did his integration into the band go?

Christophe followed us on social media. He had come to one of our concerts and really enjoyed it. He's a guitarist by training but always wanted to play bass on the side. So when we posted on social media that we were looking for a bassist, he didn't hesitate! We welcomed him to a rehearsal, he had worked enormously on the compositions, he was very involved and came with lots of ideas. For us, it was obvious. 

The integration happened quite naturally, especially since he already knew some members of the band :)

You're currently composing new songs. How has the integration of a new member influenced your creative process? Are roles clearly defined or does creation happen collectively?

The integration of a new member brings us "renewal", new riff ideas. Generally, for composition, one of the members proposes a riff then everyone gives their ideas and we work collectively in structuring the compositions. For the lyrics, it's often Marie or Alex-Milan who compose them ? 

Let's talk about concerts. What experience do you take away from your participation in Tremplin La Pâture? (during which you inaugurated your new backdrop and your badges by the way! ^^)

It was an experience that was both stressful and exciting! The apprehension of not engaging the audience with our music was intense. But what was most difficult was going last! We were lucky enough to see all the other bands play and clearly, the level was super high!

We come away with a wonderful experience, interesting and enriching musical and human encounters with a very present spirit of conviviality and mutual support. We certainly didn't win the springboard, but we were spotted by the organizer of the Jol'Fest festival and we will therefore be part of the lineup in September 2026 and that's great!

What we take away from this springboard is clearly: a huge musical impact.

Backdrop and badges designed by Distrolution Merch

Is there a concert that particularly marked you since the creation of your band? If so, which one and why?

I think we'll all agree that it was the La Pâture springboard. For all the reasons mentioned above and especially because it was the first time on stage with us for our bassist and he set the place on fire!

Let's talk about merch. Is there an item (merch, pressing, stage equipment) that you attach particular importance to and why?

The backdrop. Why? Simply because it entirely represents our band, with a logo created from A to Z by all the band members who brought their personal touch and of course drawn by our dear drummer Alex-Milan.

Finally, what can we expect from Last Hikari in the coming months?

New compositions, new concert dates and why not the recording of one or more compositions, that would be great!

Thank you for your time!