The Last Plane Home is flying once again.

Formed by guitarist David Winn, vocalist/guitarist Topher Beyer, drummer Phil Courtney, and bassist Chris Olry while they were attending New Haven High School, along Olry’s cousin Bryce Douglass on the keytar, the group fizzled out when Courtney left the state for college.

“He had the drums, and it’s always easier to meet at the drummer’s place,” Winn said. “We all had apartments, so we didn’t really have anywhere to play.”

About a decade later, the thought popped in the band’s heads to reunite thanks in large part to social media.

“I think it was seeing the anniversary stuff popping up on Facebook,” Winn said.

Reformed, with Isaiah Laatsch on drums, Last Plane Home is back and in the ALT Spotlight.

“The music is outstanding,” ALT 99.5/102.3 DJ Zack Skyler said. “Just some great punk.”

going live … again

According to Winn, there was never a set goal for the group in the early days. They were just looking to have some fun.

“Honestly, I think we just wanted to jam,” he said. “We did want to play for people, but it wasn’t a super cohesive idea. We all have interests from all over the rock spectrum: punk, metal, classic rock. We kind of fell into an upbeat pop punk-inspired sound, but honestly, it was just us throwing things together that sounded good. We definitely wanted something with some energy to get people dancing.”

The group recently performed at O’Sullivan’s Italian Pub with Neon Straightjackets and Bebop & The Rocksteadys. Winn said the energy was electric.

“It was what I wanted to see,” he said. “It was people just having a good time. They didn’t necessarily come there for us, but when people are dancing and having a good time to your music, that keeps ya going.”

posting music online

The band’s initial music can be found on Bandcamp with their 2009 Demos, released Jan. 1, 2009.

It wasn’t until 11 years later that their next post went online, a cover of Plans’ “Unholy Medicine,” which they released on Dec. 30, 2020. Since then, they’ve released singles and EPs, their latest being April’s Con Air, featuring “Can’t Get Out Alive,” “Radio Nation,” and “No Hope for Dreamers.”

It’s “Radio Nation” that was sent to Skyler.

“We felt strongly about our stuff, and as fun as it is to create music for yourself, we felt like sharing it,” Winn said about submitting songs to ALT. “The song ‘Radio Nation,’ especially, is about everybody coming together and enjoying the music, literally putting it out there on the radio. We felt, ‘Why not? ’”

Continuing forward

The band’s music and an interview can be heard at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 3, and Sunday, Nov. 6, as well as during the station’s hourlong Homegrown Showcase each Friday at 8 p.m.

While they enjoy hearing themselves on the radio, the group will continue to work.

“We’re definitely looking into writing more originals, and I think we’ll keep the energy going with those,” Winn said.