Famous Last Words

Hard-hitting post-hardcore/screamo/metalcore outfit Famous Last Words emerged from modest Great Lakes beginnings to achieve national prominence during the mid-2010s, propelled by a string of ambitious concept albums whose second installment, 2014's Council of the Dead, registered strongly on Billboard's pop charts. The group sustained an intensive touring schedule while issuing further thematically driven material, including a subsequent full-length and the 2019 EP Arizona.

The band coalesced in 2009 within Petoskey, Michigan, situated along the Lake Huron shoreline, with an original roster centered on vocalist Jeremy "JT" Tolas, guitarist Tyler Myklebust, lead guitarist Ethan Osborn, drummer Craig Simons, and bassist Jesse Maddy. Their 2012 debut EP, Pick Your Poison, cultivated a modest yet devoted regional following that expanded rapidly upon the 2013 arrival of Two-Faced Charade, their first full-length studio effort for Ohio-based InVogue Records. Renowned for theatrical presentation, Famous Last Words issued Council of the Dead the following year, a conceptual release chronicling assorted characters confronting mortality that broadened their audience and peaked at number 91 on Billboard's Top 200.

Original bassist Maddy had exited by then, paving the way for Matthew Bell's arrival, while guitarist Evan Foley was also incorporated into the lineup. After transitioning to Revival Records, the band unveiled its third LP, The Incubus, in late 2016. Once the Incubus touring cycle concluded in 2017, founding drummer Simons departed, with Cody Paige stepping in during 2018. This configuration produced the Arizona EP, released in May 2019 through SBG Records.