Talk about yourself—Who are you? Where are you located? What band(s) do you play in? Any other hobbies? Anything you feel mentionable here. Drop your links as well!
My name is Brett Horton and I play guitar in The Last King. I started TLK back in November of 2014 and have really enjoyed managing the band over the past 6 years ever since! Although I’m the only original member of the group, it’s been a pleasure watching us grow over time and gain popularity. I truly never envisioned TLK becoming what it has today when I started it back in high school. I live in Milton, NH and enjoy playing and listening to music, exercising, working at my current finance job, golfing, playing basketball, fishing, and hanging with friends/family.
Follow my social links
What genre do you play?
The Last King plays technical deathcore. A blend of many different types of metal including progressive, tech, Deathcore, djent, slam, and thrash.
What is your instrument of choice? Do you play other instruments? Is there any you wish you could play?
8-string electric guitar is my main instrument however I also dabble in drums, bass, and on the rare occasion, vocals. I wish I was a legitimate singer all the time however. I’d even love to learn a wind instrument such as the saxophone at some point.
Tell me about your gear—what did you start out with and what did you upgrade to (if at all)?
I started with a Jackson dinky 6 string about 10 years ago for a school project and have worked my way up over the years to owning all different kinds of guitars and amplifiers. I own guitars by Gibson, Fender, Ibanez, Ltd, Legator, & Jackson however I currently play a Kiesel Vader VM8 and use Axe FX for all my guitar and effects processing.
What bands influence your playing style?
Revocation, Archspire, After the Burial, Within the Ruins, Meshuggah, The Black Dahlia Murder, Periphery, Megadeth, Rush, Yes. Even some old school contemporary jazz artists such as Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Frank Zappa & Al Di Meola have greatly influenced my playing over the years.
If you were to recommend music for others to listen to, what would be your top 3 bands/artists?
Brockhampton
Erra
Tame Impala
Were you a band geek? (I was so I like to know if anyone else was HA!) But also, if you weren’t, how and when did you decide to be a musician?
I’ve been a band geek since the 6th grade as I’ve been wearing band shirts every day since I was first turned onto music growing up in a classic rock household. Bands like Aerosmith, AC/DC, Guns & Roses, & Van Halen really caught my attention as a youngster however it wasn’t till I discovered Green Day and played countless hours of Guitar Hero/Rockband that I decided I needed to become a musician and really make those noises come to life on an authentic instrument.
Do you have any future goals or plans?
To build a legacy that someday I can reflect upon and tell myself, “Damn I really did all that.” Whether that means building an extensive discography, collaborating with as many musicians as possible, or inspiring those around me to improve themselves in any avenue possible, that’s all I could ever really hope to achieve in my future.
Any advice for aspiring musicians?
Work hard now so your future self can thank you. I know it’s a long, tedious, and sometimes undesirable road to master your instrument and put in the hours to get ahead however. It’s worth it in the long run. There are many days where I don’t even want to look at my guitar or I’ll be too burnt out from work to put in band time however, at the end of the day, the music will always be there for you and will continue to make you feel something nothing else can. I’ve been playing guitar for over 10 years now and still have so much to learn and improve upon.
It’s also crucial to listen to all genres of music. Train your ear to be open to as many sounds as possible and never think there’s only one or even a select few ways to complete a task. One of the ways I was able to expand my musical vocabulary was by forcing myself to listen to all genres over the years including rock, metal, Jazz, funk, pop, hip hop, r&b, classical, country, & psychedelic. Staying receptive and open to new things is how we improve and expand our minds and I truly can’t emphasize enough how important that is as a musician.
Echoes of Oddities 