Am fünften März erscheint “Sisterworld“, das fünfte Studioalbum der Liars. Der Longplayer ist ein düsterer Kommentar zum Leben in Los Angeles. Nachdenklich und wütend zugleich, beschreibt die Band die verlogenen Strukturen einer Stadt, die von falschen Versprechen zu leben scheint. Wir sprachen mit dem Trio über die Ambivalenz der Westküsten-Metropole und die Entstehung der Platte.
You have been working separately on the last album, Angus stayed in Europe while Aaron and Julian moved to L.A.. Which influence had your resume to a closer collaboration on the new album?
I think we just craved the possibilities of living and working within close proximity of each other. On the last record it felt interesting to have such differing perspectives but this time we wanted to make sure the work had the kind of cohesion you can only get by being in the same city.
Your last album was very inspired by the way you had listened to music when you were teenagers. Does this approach apply to „Sisterworld“, too?
Not really. I think with this record we thought less about music and more about the current cultural climate. We wanted to absorb our surroundings and did that by way of newspapers and tv more than listening to music.
How did you collaboration with Tom Biller come off?
We had worked with Tom on some other projects and knew that he could handle a Liars record. It was important to us to have someone be on board who could make things happen technically for us. Tom has a large network of friends and peers in LA so that helped us in being able to experiment with many different spaces.
How many of the new songs originate from the demo-recordings? Did you spend a lot of time on the post-production?
All of them. We make complete songs as demos then work the sounds further in the studio. Its always important for us to spend heaps of time on post production – particularly editing – because we tend to really let loose and do a lot of experimenting in the studio.
Angus, on „Sisterworld“ you often choose a lower pitch of voice as usual. Was it a deliberate decision or did it arise out of the situation?
I think the way i sing is just a reaction to the tone or mood of the song we’re working on. Its certainly not something i think much about. I like singing because its always an experiment.
The atmosphere on the album is very gloomy and paranoid. Is the situation in the alternative-scene of L.A. so bad?
Its not the alternative scene we’re discussing on the album. The music is a response to the realities of everyday life in LA. And yes, it is that bad. Often the perception of LA is of some kind of paradise, but i assure you nothing could be further from the truth.
How do you keep your identity as a part of a subculture in L.A.?
Maintaining identity in any large city is hard but in Los Angeles it almost feels impossible. I think people retreat within themselves as a way to deal with it. They may do that mentally or physically but the point is to escape as a way to re-establish a sense of self.
Los Angeles has due to the punk rock-scene in the late-seventies this long tradition of experimental-music, why does it seem to be so hard there?
LA is a very strange place. Its not easy to put your finger on it. I think its a very post-modern city and so that may account for why there is a long tradition of experimental music. I wouldn’t call it ‘hard’ in LA, more like confounding.
How do you explain the fact that the Eastcoast-Noise-Scene, with bands like Wolf Eyes or Black Dice, is much more popular as the Westcoast-Scene?
Because Wolf Eyes and Black Dice are good bands. I’m not sure it has much to do with scenes. Music happens before scenes are established. Its also not much fun to think about popularity of bands. Its not a contest.
“The Smell” is a bastion for different-minded artists. Do you have any relation to the club?
Yeah its a good place run by great people. Hopefully more places like the Smell start happening all around the world.
Do you plan to play live gigs in Germany in the near future?
Yes, i believe we’ll be there sometime in May. Maybe in time for Walpurgis Night!
