The Story Behind: Last Train

AN UNEXPECTED SOUVENIR FROM ASBURY PARK, NEW JERSEY…

‘Last Train‘ has been a special song to me since day one. It might be because it was my first radio single or even more because this song is the first stone, the foundation of my recent music journey… In the summer of 2015, I didn’t know it, but I was about to be struck by an inspiration that would lead to something great…

I was in an unstable relationship, you know, that struggling and uncomfortable ”in & out” kind of thing. I needed to step back and think if it was the right thing for me, so I called one of my old buddies and we decided to head out to New Jersey, roadtrip style.

Asbury Park is a cool place located on the Jersey shore where I’ve already been a few times. My first trip here was kind of a pilgrimage because my music heroes (Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen) lived and started their careers here. I fell in love with that place and made it my summer destination.

Even if it wasn’t my first trip in ‘AP’, I never brought back any souvenir, so I decided to stop in a local music store called Russo on Lake Avenue and I told myself ”Why not bringing back a guitar?”.

AND THEN, THE MAGIC HAPPENED…

I spotted an acoustic guitar, sat down to play a bit while there was another guy at the other end of the room… We started jamming, singing a bit, then he told me ”Man, you sound great, you should write and record a few songs!”… it sounded like a true wake up call to me. I bought that guitar, went back to my hotel room, took a pen and a piece of paper, and I started to write on how I was feeling at the moment… and God knows I had many things to write about. My new friend suddenly gave me the kick in the butt I needed to start a new music project.

‘Last Train‘ basically means ‘I love you, but I just can’t go anywhere further like that’.

This is simply how I felt, but I’m quite proud of what has emerged from this moment of my life. I think everyone has experienced a situation like this and that they can relate to the song.

First, the chorus came up: ”I gotta catch the last train baby, are you gonna come my way? Or you pack, or you don’t I’m never coming back again” and I never changed it since. It was crystal clear that I was not just coming back in Canada with a guitar, but with much more than that!

BACK IN MONTREAL, HEADING STRAIGHT TO THE STUDIO

As soon as I was back in Montreal, I called my friend Martin Gauthier (who arranged the song) and asked him if he was interested in recording a few tracks. He said yes, and we got in the studio to work on ‘Last Train‘ and some other songs. Once ‘Last Train’ was arranged, I knew this one was going to be a hit and I was really excited about it.

In Fall 2017, ‘Last Train‘ started airing in radios across Canada and United States and it became the opening track of the ‘I Won’t Forget You‘ EP that was released in 2018. You can get the CD in the online store or buy the song on any good digital platform.