We recently caught up with Dan, the guitarist of Barrow-In-Furness punk outfit The Liars Club to find out a little more about the band and what they’ve got going on at the moment.
Can you introduce yourself and tell me a little about the band?
The Liars Club are four, hard rockin, beer drinkin, group of sensitive thugs from the north west of England (we are also single, please enquire through email).
How did you all meet and decide to start making music together?
Noah and I (Dan) have known each other pretty much since we were born because our dads are mates. We started playing in bands together when we were about 17 and we’ve just continued from there, even if it doesn’t sound like it. Frank and Matt joined the band in 2019 when we were looking for a new bass player and drummer. It was nice that Matt volunteered to take some time away from his main hobby, which is drooling over steam trains. This enthusiasm is why we picked him over any other drummer who wanted to be in the band. Frank used to play in a cover band with the local oldies so we thought it was only right to save him from that.
Where do you draw your influences from?
I think we draw influences from multiple different things. We all listen to different genres of music and have individual interests outside of the band that play a part in how we write songs. There are the obvious influences: Idols, Fontaines, Dead Kennedys – but we all listen to a lot of different stuff, indie and Jazz and Electronica, Frank owns the best of Celine Dion and I think that all comes across in what we do.
You released your new EP Of Self a few months back – can you describe the writing and recording process for it?
Our manager told us that if we didn’t write 5 songs for him he wouldn’t let us see our families again. Under that duress, we began to work on Of Self, recording it with Gav Monaghan of Magic Garden Studios in sunny Wolverhampton which is always a good experience.
How has the reception been for it, now that it’s been out in the open for a few months?
The reception has been pretty positive I think, we’ve had a few spins on decent radio shows from people like Jack Saunders and Steve Lamacq which is cool. Apparently we’re more liked in Australia than we are in the UK as well so we might have to schedule an Aussy tour.
Did you run into any challenges or issues whilst creating the EP, or did it all go to plan?
To be honest this was our second EP and the first with the new lineup – so we were desperate to get in the studio, we had worked with Gav before and knew the potential of what we could create. I think it speaks for itself – it shows how far we have come as a band and apart from one slightly mediocre review in France people seem to dig it.
Moving onto live performances, do you have any upcoming shows in the works?
We’ve recently played The Castle in Manchester and we’re due to play there again in November, but other than that the gig schedule is bone dry. PROMOTERS PLEASE HIT MY LINE WE NEED FUCKING GIGS.
What can fans expect from a The Liars Club show?
It might be a cliché but you get what you put in – we are high energy and in your face. You’ll come out soaking in sweat, your ears ringing thinking what the fuck just happened.
And finally what’s in store for the band for the rest of 2021 and 2022?
Shit loads, another EP with a couple of singles of it and as many live shows as we can throw together. The next 12 months is about spreading the word far and wide – so do your homework, listen to Of Self, look out for the first single to come off the next EP this Autumn and get yourself to a gig – but don’t wear your best T-shirt it might get ripped off you.
