Liars
Former dance-punks turned experimental drone-merchants Liars have just released their most eclectic record yet. We talk to frontman Angus Andrew about witch hunting, freaking people out, and bossa nova.
Words_Chris McCorry
Back in 2001, the New York was the toast of music journalists the world over. Almost every band in NY with a funky rhythm section and ice-pick guitars were slapped with the label dance-punk. Liars were no exception. With the release of debut album ‘They Threw Us All In A Trench And Put A Monument On Top’ in 2001 they found themselves misleadingly lumped in with other New York luminaries, such as The Rapture and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It was clear from the start though, Liars had much greater scope.
Creative differences in the ranks eventually led to the departure of bassist Pat Noecker and drummer Ron Albertson, leaving only vocalist Angus Andrew and guitarist Aaron Hemphill. Recruiting long-time cohort Julian Gross, the reinvigorated trio started recording the follow-up album ‘They Were Wrong, So We Drowned’ - a concept record telling the story of black magic and witch hunts in Germany. They abandoned the previously danceable sound of their debut in favour of more esoteric soundscapes and experimentation. This new direction confused many critics, dividing opinions and infamously receiving the lowest possible ratings in both Spin and Rolling Stone. Many went so far as to claim that the album was unlistenable, baffled that Liars would turn their back on the music that had brought them to the dance.
Clearly unaffected by the critical backlash, the band relocated to Berlin to record their third full length, 2006’s ‘Drum’s Not Dead’. A gloomy, sparse collection of drum-heavy songs centred around the two characters of Drum and Mount Heart Attack. The album attracted a heap of critical praise, and it seemed that Liars had finally managed to refine the more experimental sound of ‘They Were Wrong, So We Drowned’ into something a little more accessible. Something they’ve developed on even further with their eponymous new album.
“With ‘They Were Wrong, So We Drowned’ we worked everything around the concept of witches and witch hunting” says Angus, “For ‘Drum’s Not Dead’, we were concentrating on drums, and instrumentally things were pared down. When it came to doing interviews we ended up being asked more questions about Drum and Mt. Heart Attack than anything else. A lot of people seemed to get a little hung up on the concept”.
With each song name-checking the mysterious Drum or Mt. Heart Attack, the concept was hard to avoid.
“I guess we were trying to explain ourselves too much so this time we decided we didn’t need to explain ourselves anymore. We decided to just make a really direct record that didn’t require too much talk”.
The new record is definitely more direct and immediate. For a start, it’s possible to listen to one song in isolation without hearing the album as a whole. With previous album ‘Drum’s Not Dead’, each track flowed into the other, playing more as a complete piece of music rather than distinct tracks.
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