Meet The Last Slice | Hard Rock Fusion Band

We had the good fortune of connecting with The Last Slice and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi The Last Slice, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Kyle Norris: Ever since I got introduced to the Guitar Hero III video game on the Wii and hearing the soundtrack, I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be a rockstar. I’ve been playing guitar for about 14 years now and with seeing the rise of social media, I understood that online content creation is critical for garnering a fanbase in the current music industry. After cosplaying and writing original solos in the styles of dozens of rock, metal, blues guitarists, I developed a strong following of over 850 thousand followers across Instagram and TikTok combined.

I initially wanted to become a hired gun on tour for a successful band, and I eventually realized (especially after not getting the Smashing Pumpkins audition) that my true passion was writing original music to help showcase my own style and personality. My guitar influences come from the likes of Buckethead, Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Prince.

I conversed with some of the best and most passionate musicians I could ask for, and together we formed our band, “The Last Slice”, in the summer of 2024. We all know the assignment: Push the boundaries of the modern music scene in our own style while giving nods to the greats who came before us.

Mykal: It’s not something I chose. I’ve been a creative since I was a child so it just made sense to make it a full time thing.

Dave Penner: I feel like I was born to create. When I was 16, I worked all summer as a lifeguard to buy my first bass guitar, and since then, my passion has never faded. I want to always be up to something. Whatever project I’m a part of, I want to offer people the unexpected.

Piot Wojcik: Because I could not imagine to sit in an office from 9-5 and having the same day over and over. Always looked up to musicians who are able to play shows, get all the girls and travel the world at the same time.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
CONTEXT: Our self-titled debut EP “The Last Slice” was crafted in November of last year during nine studio sessions in Van Nuys, California. The production team included the whole band, as well as producers Jeff Blue and Ray Garrison.

Kyle Norris: Our biggest challenge was writing music (5 songs!) on a deadline of nine days. This was new territory for us because our usual writing process at the time was bringing in riffs and jamming them out in a relaxed environment and not feeling rushed. We would normally work on multiple songs at once.

When these two producers came in to help us, we wrote one song at a time. It took us a couple days to get used to this process, but we were fortunate that a lot of these songs wrote themselves and we finished right on time! Sometimes being under a deadline helps bring unexpected creativity.

Ultimately, our goal with the EP was to develop something fresh. As we were experimenting, we discovered that the ferocity found in Mykal’s rapping performances paired extremely well with my heavy guitar riffs. To push the production envelope, we combined elements of trap drums and live drums in the rhythm section to embrace our versatility.

I was taught in college, the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, that you’re always a rhythm player first, lead second. As a nod to guitarist Buckethead, I installed a killswitch on my guitar to help create my signature sound in the rhythms of the guitar riffs. This technique is found in almost every song of ours written up to today (along with blistering guitar solos, of course!)

While writing these songs, I remembered the importance of creating music that can be applied to the synchronization licensing world. We imagined how great our song “Turn Back Time” would sound over a skateboarding video game in its soundtrack. I want the world to know that we don’t half-ass anything. We preach innovation and will always stay authentic to ourselves in our music.

Mykal: What separates my art from others? Because it’s about me. As far as challenges, every day is a challenge. Just gotta work around or through it. I want the world to know that The Last Slice is here to stay.

Dave Penner: There are people that want to fit into a very specific sound or sound just like other bands. For us, we’re just trying to do our thing and be who we are, and we hope others dig it and find something special in what we do. All four of us are heavily involved in the process, which seems rare for bands. We also love our engineer, Stewart Tuttle, who acts almost like our unofficial fifth member.

Piot Wojcik: Never was into copying my favorite drum heroes rather than take a little here and there (inspiration) from each of them and mix it together to get my own style of playing drums.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Kyle: First, selfishly, I’d plan their visit on a weekend where my band, The Last Slice, takes the stage! During the week, my #1 spot I take all of my friends to is Barney’s Beanery on Santa Monica Blvd. The best sliders one could ask for followed by basketball, shuffleboard, and pool. If my friends want to party, the Victorian or Warwick would be the places I would take them. Can’t go wrong with the Hollywood walk of fame either, that’s a must for any LA tourist. I also have to warn them before I take them into the wax museums, the sculptures are so realistic to the point you feel a little disoriented afterwards!

Mykal: Undisclosed.

Dave: Northeast LA is my stomping grounds these days. Plenty of nature trails at the local regional park when I want to get away, and bars like Gold Line and The Goldfish. For people visiting, I try to take them to The Magic Castle, and it’s also hard to deny the magic of Clifton’s Republic.

Piotr: Huntington Beach Main Street with lots of bars and restaurants and also the Pier and Beach right next to it.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Kyle Norris: I wouldn’t be where I am in my musical journey without my mom. From a very young age, she instilled in me to never take the easy way out and always work to be above average. I often show her my social media content before I post it online, and we love to brainstorm creative ideas together all the way up to execution. She’s been to every Last Slice show and will always be my #1 cheerleader!

Mykal: Everybody who loves me and supports what I do.

Dave Penner: My wife and baby daughter, who have sacrificed some of our time together so that I can pursue this dream and do what I love. Don Phillipe, who always supports us and is down to rock live with us.

Piot Wojcik: Just to my Mom and Dad and that’s it for now.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelastsliceband/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastSliceBand

Other: Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LI7eOT1m8usJPXOO3FbRZ?si=cXbhkMSgQx6RWAk9tTNBsw

Image Credits
Riley Rydin
Emily Eizen
Bracey Black
Zimmy