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Last Ark Out

Last Out Ark is a genre blending instrumental music project based in Vancouver (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ lands) and Montréal (Tiohtià:ke), Canada. Its members can be found performing regularly in the Montréal, Calgary, and Vancouver music scenes and have variously attended the Banff Centre for the Arts, received nominations for the Western Canadian Music Awards, and toured across Canada, USA and Europe.

Following up on their 2017 debut LP “Wake”, which featured lush textures and warm analog sounds, Last Ark Out’s upcoming video album project entitled “Lift” is a 7 song LP and video album featuring music written with a host of incredible guest artists in mind. The album features blistering performances by Larnell Lewis (Snarky Puppy, Laila Biali), Sasha Berliner (Tyshawn Sorey, Nicholas Payton), and Hailey Niswanger (Esperanza Spalding, Terri Lyne Carrington), as well as JUNO-award winning saxophonist Allison Au, viral drum sensation Sarah Thawer, and Montreal keyboard stalwart David Osei-Afrifa.

This project was generously funded by the Canada Council for the Arts ‘Digital Now’ program, and will see a full album release on February 23rd, 2024.

Last Ark Out is:
Arthur Smith (guitars)
Justin Gorrie (saxophone, guitar, EWI)
James Huumo (keyboards & pianos)
Jeff Gammon (bass)
Colin Parker (drums & percussion)

Last Ark Out: Lift

by Neil Duggan
March 12, 2024

Not a band to let a pandemic or distance get in their way, Last Ark Out managed to collaborate with a number of guest musicians across North America during times of social distancing to produce their second album, Lift. This follows on from Wake (Multiverse Mule Records, 2017). They are a Vancouver and Montreal-based instrumental collective whose music is a hybrid of rock, jazz and funk. Last Ark Out, formed from former classmates from Vancouver Community College, are ...