Ian Crittenden, Houston Johnson, Keelyn Anderson, Vincent Dicaro, and Gabriel Berentzen have taken Ashburn by storm with their band “Very Last Resort.” This indie rock/alt band performs numerous song covers and, most recently, their first single, “Afterthoughts (First Edition),” which has received almost 2,000 streams on Spotify.
Started by Crittenden and Johnson two years ago, “Very Last Resort” has only continued to improve in their output over time. Inspired by bands such as Flipturn, The Strokes, and Arctic Monkeys, the full band has come together to produce a Paramore-esque single and have their fans anticipating an album release in the summer.
“I personally want to make music that’s easily enjoyable to everyone despite their personal music taste,” Johnson said. “Something to kick back and just relax to for three and a half minutes.”
With Crittenden and Johnson on guitar, Dicaro on bass, Berentzen on drums, plus Anderson’s vocals, the group collaborates about once a week. The band works hard in preparation for upcoming performances at local venues such as restaurants, breweries, and amphitheaters.
Original songs, however, would not be complete without the creative songwriting of Crittenden.
“I like my songs to have stories or some sort of meaning other than just basic indie love songs,” Crittenden said. “There’s plenty of those. Creating songs that are too easy or not interesting enough doesn’t provide much excitement in us, because if we stop having fun playing songs, so does anyone listening to us.”
In the end, everything comes down to the unbreakable bond between each member of the band. The cooperation and efficiency in which they all work together has led to the success of this five-piece ensemble and only continues to support it.
“My favorite part of being in a group like this has to be the friendships and connections that come out of it,” Houston said. “These guys have become such a big part of my life over the past few years and I genuinely don’t know where I’d be without them.”
Working hard on the upcoming release of their first album, “Very Last Resort” continues to thrive in the diverse world of music and does not plan on slowing down anytime soon.
“I’m so incredibly grateful for the opportunities this band has given me,” Anderson said. “Performing and producing music is genuinely one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”For more information on future performances and releases, visit their website verylastresort.com.
