Hailing from San Diego, California, Lost Dakota bring an emotionally-charged brand of rock music that straddles a multitude of genres ranging from emo to pop-punk to trap in what the band defines as "post-genre."

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Lost Dakota consists of two members: Christian Perez (vocals/guitarist/programming) and Greg Degracia (Drums/Backup vocals)

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Lost Dakota? How long has the band been around?

Greg and I (Christian) were in a metalcore band together called Mandala back in 2016, which is how we first met through a mutual friend. Greg still drums for Mandala to this day and is doing great things with them (check them out if you’re into August Burns Red). I played in a few pop-punk and alternative bands throughout high school and college but Lost Dakota has been the longest running band I’ve been in since its inception in early 2017; it’s also the first band in which I’ve been the vocalist for, which has been rad.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

Lost Dakota has been the original name for the band since the start and I love how it rolls off the tongue. The meaning behind the name actually derives from a childhood friendship in which I had a best friend called Dakota. We were inseparable and swore we would always be by each other’s side. However, my family moved away but kept in touch every so often until we never heard from each other again. So as an ode to lost friendships and the way life works, Lost Dakota become the name.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

I love to write and produce music so I am always coming up with new ideas or melodies for songs and draw a lot of inspiration from what is appearing in Top 40 hits. I write a majority of the material including guitar, lyrics, and any programming/beats that the song needs. Our writing process is interesting in that a majority of the music is first written and demoed out by me and then brought to our drummer Greg who will make the drum parts his own after hearing midi drum tracks. From there, we go back and see if anything needs to be changed or rearranged after jamming them out.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

 There’s a lot of different influences that we draw from. Greg and I listen to a lot of rap and hip-hop when we’re together, especially Post Malone who has done so much for rock music than I think people like to admit. I’m particularly fond of bands like Balance and Composure (RIP), Bring Me The Horizon, and Hundredth who sway between genres and make whatever sounds good to them. That’s really a driving force for our own band, writing what we want and what would be fun to play live.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

 Green Day is a huge inspiration for wanting to start a band. I watched “Bullet In a Bible” over and over growing up and would emulate Billie Joe while covering their songs in my garage. My first “real” guitar was even the Billie Joe Armstrong Signature Gibson Les Paul Jr! That and growing up going to Warped Tour, you see all the bands that were at their peak then and just wanting to be them and do everything that they do.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …

We’ll usually drive to the venue together and just blast music on the way there to get us in the right mindset. Oce we get to the venue we’re playing out, we usually have some time to spare before going on so we walk around the venue, hang out with friends who have come out to the show, and just try to have a good time. Maybe sneak in a beer or two before we go on haha

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

Not to be cheesy but I think just being able to play shows and just do what we love to do. Especially as a two-piece it’s something that not a lot of bands really do, especially in this scene. So being able to continue to put out new music and play further and further from home as a result of the work we’re putting is a highlight in itself.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

That’s tough because there are so many out there that we would love to tour with. If we’re thinking HUGE artists than probably 5 Seconds of Summer, Post Malone, Fall Out Boy, or Green Day  because they have stellar live shows and put so much energy into their shows. Greg also said he would like to tour with Counterparts, Picturesque, Chon, and The Gorillaz, which I totally agree. That would be dope. Oh, and Secrets too!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Check out our newest single “Ebb & Flow” on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you stream your music. If you see us playing near you, come out and hang because we love talking and meeting new people and just vibing! Also, listen to Life In Discord, Dream Haze, If Only, and Small Talk. because they’re the homies.