At Long Last

Every teenager with a guitar or
a set of drumsticks has had dreams of being on stage—with the bright lights and
the roar of an audience cheering for their original songs.

They dream of camaraderie with
bands they’ve idolized, the thrill of playing city after city, and the
unforgettable adventures on the road between shows. But, like athletes with
hopes of going pro, high school musicians rarely get to live their dreams.
Fortunately for an Edmond quartet, At Long Last, this is not the case.

At Long Last formed in 2008,
when most of the members were only 12 years old, and their band is a rising
star. Their debut album, Let’s Get to the Point, hit iTunes in August, and the
band spent a good chunk of the summer touring the east coast with well-known
pop-punk band Forever the Sickest Kids. Last month, in perhaps the biggest show
of their career to date, At Long Last opened for The All-American Rejects. This
was an especially significant milestone because the second song At Long Last ever
played together was the former’s hit, “Swing Swing.”

“I never would have thought I
would be playing with them,” Jordan Lindley admits. He says it’s surreal to
play with bands that have influenced them—to have superstars treat them like
equals. “It’s because everybody’s been in that position,” Carson explains.
“Everybody’s been that opening band.”

Their first tour was 12 shows in
the U.S. and Canada. Though consisting of endless hours crammed in a van and
sleeping at odd angles, it whetted their appetite for more. “I had the time of
my life. I’ll never forget it,” Caden Castelli says. The tour meant living the
dream, playing alongside their heroes as peers.

The four have been friends since
elementary school and started the band in seventh grade. At first, they were
considered a talent-show act. Then they started playing gigs outside of school
and getting noticed. Now juniors at Deer Creek High School, they’ve received
support from their friends and parents. “They are the ones that have pushed
us–every one of our parents have just pushed us to get to where we wanted to
be,” Jordan says. “Without them, we wouldn’t have the opportunities we’ve been
given,” Carson Hawkins adds.

At Long Last’s album Let’s Get
to the Point has been in the works for a long time. The track, “Your Name,”
comes from the early days of the band. “I wrote that one when I was probably 9
or 10,” recounts Jordan, singer and guitarist. He never thought it would be
heard by anyone aside from himself and his bandmates.

Jordan writes the majority of
the music, but everyone collaborates and sometimes other band members write
songs also. “We write all of our own stuff,” Caden informs. “We wrote these
songs from real-life situations. It’s something people can usually relate to,”
Jordan says.

The band has already accrued a
lifetime worth of memories. When Carson turned 16 while on tour, the singer of
Forever the Sickest Kids brought him up on stage in Lancaster, Pennsylvania,
for a rendition of “Happy Birthday,” followed by Carson crowd-surfing. Their
show in Danbury, Connecticut, was designated “Prank Night,” and one of the
other bands, Paradise Fears, came out during At Long Last’s set and tied the
arms of Cole Verble and Caden so they could barely play. They put shorts on
Jordan’s face while he was trying to sing and started taking away Carson’s
drums while he was playing. At Long Last retaliated by tee-peeing the stage
during Paradise Fears’ set, and then both bands teamed up to attack the
headliners on stage with Nerf guns. After the show, they all got together for a
cookout.

More memories include the band’s
antics between shows. In Canada, Cole split open his head on a table, spilling
blood everywhere. “Then we ordered a pizza, and everything was fine,” Jordan
says. Cole didn’t let the injury stop him; he even played the next day with a
huge bandage on his head.

“I just want to get back on the
road, and I think we all do,” Caden says. They’ve had offers, but school keeps
them grounded for now.

Academics are important to
everyone in the band, and so are their other real-world obligations.
“Being able to balance [the music]… makes us look forward to it so we’re
not sick and tired of it,” Jordan relates. Sometimes, conflicts are inevitable.
The quartet missed the first four days of school this year because of their
tour, and Cole missed a week of football practice. Their school was
understanding and supportive, allowing excused absences for the shows. “There
are often sacrifices, but it’s always worth it,” Jordan says.

The teenagers hope to record
more music in the spring, in time to perform in a summer tour with new
material. They record at Engaged Audio in Springfield, Missouri, with their
producer and mentor, Kevin Gates. Until then, they’ll continue playing shows at
local venues and private parties, keeping up with their schoolwork and other
teenage activities. And they’re happy with that.

Carson Hawkins has always known
what he wanted to do in life. “Ever since I was little, everyone else wanted to
be astronauts or marine biologists. I just wanted to be a drummer in a rock
band,” he reflected. He loves looking out at the audience from the stage and
knowing they are there to hear him play. He’s motivated by his family and his
bandmates. Carson is not only a rocker, but he is also very serious about
education. He’s never received a B on a report card, and he’s almost fluent in
Spanish. “I figure, ‘Why not?’ It gives me something to do in school, and it’s
useful.”

Cole Verble was taught to play bass guitar by his brother, who is four years older. Now playing his old bass, Cole is proud to share his accomplishments with his older brother. He is motivated by his family, especially his dad who passed away not long ago. Apart from music, Cole is also an athlete, playing football, swimming, and running track. Academics are important, demonstrated by his  membership in the National Honor Society.

Jordan Lindley sings and plays
guitar. “As long as I can remember, I was shouting and singing and it was kind
of bad for awhile,” he admits. Most of his family is in the medical field, but
Jordan was inspired to take a different path by his uncle who was in a band.
“It was cool to learn that my talent came from my family,” Jordan says. “That’s
kind of what started me in wanting to do this.” When Jordan was six years old,
his uncle died of a heart attack at age 30. A few months later, Jordan got his
first guitar for Christmas. Since then, music has been his outlet, much to the
delight of his supportive friends. “Whatever we do, they love it, and that’s
just amazing to me!” he relates. Jordan can release good or bad emotions
through his music, and it’s enjoyed by his fans. Additionally, he plays
percussion in the school band and he is continually writing music.

Caden Castelli, lead guitar, has
been playing since 5th grade. “I loved it so much. It was a lot of fun to
play,” he says. Whether in a larger venue like the Diamond Ballroom or a
smaller one like the Conservatory, he loves playing. Caden can’t wait to get
back on the road for another tour. On the side, he DJs weddings and school
dances. He’s also involved in student council and rides mountain bikes.

Follow the band on Twitter at
@AtLongLastOKC or visit their website, www.atlonglastband.com.