Liars have just lived through their first full decade. A decade that has seen them push limits and expectations, gain accolades and fans in equal share, and lose a few head-scratching followers as they continued to shave and regrow their past, present and future, record by record. Ultimately, this is a band who refuse to lie still and whose career has covered a smorgasbord of sounds, textures, and strange album titles that still to this day excite, bewilder and entice. 2010’s ‘Sisterworld’ swayed from the anarchist brutalities Scarecrow’s on a Killer Slant to the drone infused, unsettling and atmospheric sounds of Drip. Simply put: fantastic. While Liars may remain as unpredictable as ever with the style of their albums - the standard of which has now reached a frightening consistency - they are, for a band so full of weird and wonderful ideas, now a reliable outfit; unswervingly unpredictable.
I sit down with Aaron and Julian before a show and then later catch up with Angus separately. So has the success of ‘Sisterworld’ been a surprise pleasure for the band? “I’m not sure it’s really something we’re even aware of,” says Aaron, so not something the band pay particular attention to? “Not really no, we value the feedback from people we respect when making it but once it’s finished, it’s finished”. Well, the people they respect clearly relished in it’s warped and hypnotic sounds, because the album spawned an entire remix album with contributions from an illustrious roster of Thom Yorke, Atlas Sound, TV on the radio, Alan Vega of Suicide, Devendra Banhart, and many more. Perhaps there was a degree of preciousness about the songs being toyed with? “Again, we’re precious about them until they are finished, I think once you release the album you are in many ways giving [the songs] away,” adds Aaron. “We just said ‘take the things and do what the hell you want with them!’” chips in Julian, his slow drawl rumbling like a prolonged bass note; a visceral contrast to the concise mannerisms of Aaron.
Liars seem to work in atmospheres, textures and moods as much as they do songs, creating tracks that ooze a sickening dread, doom and ominous terror, whilst also landscaping sounds more spirited and sensuous, creating a gamut of emotions and sounds. Such is the exploration of this field that it’s almost cinematic - would this be an area the band could see themselves be involved in? “Yeah, it’s really a different process to what we’re used to - adhering to someone else’s idea or vision for the work. But I suppose in the right context with the right relationships, it could be interesting” is Angus’ response on the matter. So, keep your eyes peeled for a Liars penned flick that will no doubt soundtrack a damaged, perverted and distorted post-apocalyptic world in which paranoia is the only human emotion to be able to be physically expressed.
So, for a band now synonymous with an ever-changing soundscape, what is the band’s mentality when approaching, writing and recording new material? “I think we all become so immersed in the project that our reactions become the same from being so involved, so a collective mind-set or approach seems to be reached that way” Aaron suggests. “It’s the initial song writing stage that requires the right mind set. When it comes to recording there is already an established mood or feeling that just needs to be harnessed rather than created” Angus adds, before Julian further states, “I think collectively everybody seems to work well together”. It’s not surprising that they work well together after a decade, but - strangely for a collective unit so in sync with one another - the group consists of some very strong individuals that perhaps you would never place together.
In interview, Julian had talked slowly and radiated a humble aura of a pleasantly stoned gentleman (from what I have heard the band are quite partial to the odd joint), however, on the stage, he becomes a pounding loon, his hair done up in plats, attacking his drums with a malevolent ferocity that brings to mind a crazed Joe Pesci repeatedly stabbing a pen into his victim’s neck. The juxtaposition is quite marvellous, unearthing the band’s vision. This further rears its head when we briefly discuss how being in a band yourself spawns a competition with other bands; Aaron and Julian both instantly nod, “yeah,” as though it’s a necessary evil, “I mean I keep track of new music I need to get caught up with, and I usually try to listen to five new albums a day. But yeah, I’ll admit to that, I mean even Angus and I are competitive” suggests Aaron. “I wouldn’t say we were competitive,” adds Angus, “we do work better individually but that’s because our ideas are often so separate they need to be hashed out before they’re presented to the group”.
So, again, for a band that thrive on forward momentum, progression and musical advancements, has the ten years being together created a sense of nostalgia or fond retrospect? “I think different answers for each member, really” says Aaron as Julian adds, “I think of nostalgia as remembering when I was young, doing cartwheels on the lawn or something. I think when you’re looking forward there is no point in worrying or thinking about what’s in the past”. “I think I need more nostalgia,” adds Aaron quite earnestly, “I move on too quickly, I don’t keep anything”. But something suggests he is talking on a more rudimentary and emotional level than musically. So, nostalgia being somewhat of a trend, the current spate of bands and artists playing classic or old albums in their entirety - is this something Liars would do? Or have been approached to do? “I personally would be a strong no,” comes Aaron’s immediate response “but I might meet some resistance on that” he further adds. “It has a lot more to do with the idea of nostalgia than it does a live show, I mean there is the argument that it makes people happy, but that is very questionable to me. Why does it make them happy?”, “it’s a little gimmicky” remarks Julian. “It’s currently something that we wouldn’t do,” Aaron firmly states, “it scares me that it makes people happy, I see it that if you go to see Sonic Youth and they play a song from Daydream Nation in their set you get excited, that makes so much sense. But if you’re going to see a program of music that you inevitably relate to a compact disc or album, in a live setting that is completely damaging. Not even just in ruining how the album sounds, but if you don’t get to see a certain band play live then there’s a certain amount of tough luck involved. I think to try and make peace with that now would be pretty depressing”. This rather fervent and vigorous response is hardly surprising given their dedication to forward drive in music, and it’s also a vision into the intensity that can clearly bubble within them, and result in explosive and pulverizing music. There is still clearly a fire burning deep in the rumbling guts of Liars, and one that continues to spit out passionate and scolding flames on all that stand in their path.