Interviewed: Lior

15 Mar 2010

In the lead up to this weekend's Between the Bays festival, Liveguide caught up with Lior - one of the biggest drawcards of the festival - to discuss charity, adapting to the theatre, and what to expect on his forthcoming album.

Hi Lior. Can fans expect a new record some time in 2010? If so, can you reveal anything about the songs thus far?

Yes, just about to go in and record it. It should be ready for release later in the year. Looking at all the new material, there’s lots there and it’s pretty diverse, so it’s still yet to be seen which way it’s going to lean stylistically. I can say that the last few years have taught me a lot about song writing, and I reckon that this is the best body of work I’ve done to date on a song writing level.

Given the success of your first two records, do you feel pressured to work on a third one?

The great thing now is that the pressure was left behind with the second album and it really feels like its time to enjoy it all again in a purer way. It was hard to escape the second album cliché’s of a new sense of pressure, shifting expectations, etc, but now it feels like I am simply in the momentum of doing what I love and am meant to be doing.

How was 2009 for you? What was the highlight/lowlight?

2009 was the best year in my career as far as live performances go. The single highlight was the concert with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. To perform songs off both albums with full orchestral arrangements was the biggest musical buzz. The lowlight was having a whole season at the Edinburgh Festival cancelled due the venue needing to go into repairs….

You’ve done a lot of charity shows recently – in particular last year’s Youngcare shows and I see you have a charity show coming up for “Righteous Pups”. Do you think musicians should take part in events of this nature more often?

I can’t speak for other musicians. I know many musicians who do a lot, in fact I am in constant respect and admiration for many musicians who do more than I do. From my experience, music artists in this country are immensely generous.

How was the Shadows and Light tour? Did you ever envisage your music ever having such an unusual accompaniment?

Yes this was the first time I worked with a visual medium in such depth. When I saw a performance by shadow artists Stephen Mushin and Anna Parry, I had a very strong vision of how they could tell stories alongside my music, and really wanted to do it in a live interactive way rather than just a playback. It just seemed to fit with the “human” aspect of performance which I hold so pure. The shows at the Sydney Theatre Company were some of the best I’ve ever had, and I vividly remember a rare feeling of completeness. It’s not often that an artistic vision is so fully realised, so I treasure those shows.

Are you interested in breaking the mould of singer/songwriter performance in other ways? Or was that a one off?

It’s more about constantly challenging myself and keeping myself interested. You have to feel inspired yourself before you can hope to inspire others.

Are there any Australian singer/songwriters or bands that you’re particularly enjoying at present?

I think Josh Pyke is one of the most talented lyricists I’ve heard in a long time. There is also a young artist out of Sydney by the name of Adrian Deutsch who I think is a really gifted songwriter, and is set to release an album soon. Chris Cheney (Living End) is always an exciting performer, and I’m looking forward to hearing Glenn Richards’ (Augie March) solo album. Sarah Blasko is great too of course.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the Between the Bays festival?

I’ve played in a few festivals on the same bill as Tex Perkins but have always had timing clashes so have never had a chance to see him. This time around we share the same stage, so I’m going to make sure I catch his set.