High Voltage

One of the stand out albums of the year so far has been Sisterworld by Los Angeles based post punk three piece LIARS. High Voltage hooked up with drummer Julian Gross to talk about the album, Los Angeles and telling lies…

First off the new album is really great, the sticker on the front told me that the album is based on your experiences in LA. Can you tell us a little bit about those experiences and how they manifest themselves onto the new album??
 
"Our experiences in LA were not unique but certainly visceral and at least twice, brutal. Los Angeles is a fascinating and violent place that brings into question many ideas about the role of the city in relation to identity and self-fulfilment. Our work was inspired by the frustration and paranoia embedded in the American dream."
 
There's quite an unsettling, even woozy, feeling to much of the album which is quite a contrast from what you might think of as the archetypal LA sound (sun, sea, sand etc), is that a result of LIARS' twisted minds or is that what LA is really like?

"There is an idea of LA and then there is the reality of the place. The image does not always fit the profile. Hollywood promotes an identity that isn't equivalent to our understanding of Los Angeles. We thought to offer a different perspective."
 
Your previous album was recorded in Berlin, what prompted the change and apart from the geography how did making this album differ from the last one?
 
"After working in Berlin for two albums we had a desire to return to more familiar surroundings. The process wasn’t much different apart from the fact that we gave ourselves more time and allowed each other more input on revisions to our songs."
 
What is a 'Sisterworld'??
 
"If a child asked me the same question I'd tell them it was their 'special place'."
 
The album comes with another CD of tracks that have been remixed by various artists, although it's not really a remix CD in the usual sense. Was it always your intention to have the whole album 'remixed'? Did you ask people to take part or were people already asking to remix your music?
 
"Yeah we wanted each song to be re-interpreted. We thought it would be interesting to give particular tracks to artists we admire and see how they digested them. I get really bored with how the remix is used nowadays. Mostly it’s just the lead track from an album remixed six times in minutely different ways. That’s super boring. We wanted to expand the idea of collaboration beyond the borders of house beat."
 
What's your favourite track on the remix CD?

"I decline any notion of favourites or judgment when it comes to the work we received. In my eyes it’s all equally relevant and interesting."
 
There's some pretty elaborate packaging with Sisterworld, who came up with that idea and how did you manage to convince your record label to go for it?
 
"Brian Roettinger from Hand Held Heart is an old friend of ours. He is the awesome brain that created our visual Sisterworld. He had created the special design of the package previously, and it worked really well with what we wanted to convey with the visual representation of the new record. Angus talked with him on what Sisterworld meant to us. Then Brian and Zen Sekizawa (who took the photographs) came up with using Big Sur in California as the location to do it.  Then we worked with Brian on the little details. What else should be in the Sisterworld, how we look, what font do we use, hand written or typeface...but for the most part we just gave over most of our visual  power of attorney to Brian and Zen. We have always controlled all the visuals for everything in the past.  But have recently found it very liberating to just give it to someone you trust and let them do it there way without trying to interject too much. Patrick Daughters was our first venture into this idea with ‘Plaster Casts of Everything’ video, and it worked great!

Same with Andy Bruntel and the Scissor video. So with Brian being in charge of the visuals, it’s a no brainer. "He's Grammy Nominated for packaging design!" that helps with the label. But they also have a long history of interesting ways in packaging. The visual side of music is as important to them as it is to us. Plus we have a strong relationship with them. Los Familia ese!"
 
Can you point our readers in the direction of something cool to listen to?
 
"Factory Floor, Pink Dollaz, Die Andwoord and Minnie Ripperton."
 
....Something to Read?

"Remainder - Tom McCarthy."

....and something to watch/look at??

"Pawn Stars, Tim and Erics Awesome show and James Brown performing live."
 
As a music fanzine we're obligated to ask you a lame question related to your band name, so can you tell us the best Lie you've ever told??
 
"No because if the country that I lied to reads this and finds out I'll be locked up for life with no chance of parole."
 
Massive thanks to Liars who will be appearing in Manchester at this years Dot-To-Dot festival  on the Pineapple Folk stage (Academy 2) on the 31st May. Their excellent Sisterworld album is available in all worthy record stores and if you’ve not heard it yet you should.

TAGS: Liars, Dot to Dot,

Liars - Myspace