Interview: Charming Liars – “We have never been the kind of band who wants to make the same record twice”

The British-American L.A.-based trio, Charming Liars has a new album in the works and released their latest single ‘Insomnia’ back in September. We were able to reconnect with the band to gain some more insight into the upcoming record, their cover of Sir Elton John’s hit ‘I’m Still Standing’, and their video for ‘Insomnia’.

ME: Congratulations on the debut of your latest single and thank you for chatting with us once again. Last time we spoke, you guys were on The Material Tour in 2016. Between then and now you guys have worked on your debut full length album and we here at Music Existence are happy to catch up with your journey. So what was the writing and production process like for the debut album?

Charming Liars: We do all the songwriting and production ourselves so it’s always a very personal, organic journey. On top of that we really embraced the idea of being uncomfortable in the studio.

ME: Do you feel that your musical style has evolved between the E.P. 12:31 and the full length?

CL: I think it’s definitely changed consciously and unconsciously. We have never been the kind of band who wants to make the same record twice, but there were also some things we liked about 12:31 that spilled over into the new record.

ME: The video for your lead single Insomnia, touches upon very deep and often culturally taboo topics. What was the motivation behind such an intense short movie/music video?

CL: Some of the songs on the new album deal with some darker issues and the video really just became a visual counterpart of what we had already done sonically.

ME: What other topics can we expect to hear about in the album?

CL: As I mentioned, this album can at times dive into dark water lyrically, and even musically, however there is a balance. Some songs are a reminder that there is hope at the end of the dark tunnel and other songs are about the darkness itself.

ME: I read that the filming was done in New Orleans. What was the experience like and why was that location chosen specifically?

CL: New Orleans is one of my most favorite memories. We were actually there in the middle of a hurricane, but that didn’t stop us from fully soaking in all the city had to offer. The beauty about filming in that location was that we had a massive selection of places to shoot that were just a few hours from each other. One day we would be in a swamp and the next day we might be in the middle of a colorful city. New Orleans, you have my heart.

ME: Earlier this year you guys covered Sir Elton John’s ‘I’m Still Standing’ and remade it into your own distinct version. What was the most difficult aspect in creating this cover? Favorite part?

CL: When you’re covering a massive hit like this, it’s very hard to hear anything different from the recording we all grew up listening to. I must have heard that song 50 times before we ever even decided to cover it. So the challenge and the fun was in dissecting and reconstructing it into something completely different.

ME: How did you guys get involved with MusiCares of the Recording Academy/Grammy’s?

CL: We’ve always been very passionate about the work MusiCares does and we felt “I’m Still Standing” would be an amazing way to give back to such a fantastic organization.

ME: Can we expect a tour soon?

CL: Absolutely! We have a few shows to finish off the year with and then next year we expect to be on the road quite a bit.

ME: What are you guys looking forward to the most in 2018?

CL: More tours and more friends. The incredible thing about playing music on the road is that when you get home you realize you’ve just made friends all over the world.

ME: Any shoutouts?

CL: To our extended family (our fans): we can’t wait to see you guys on the road next year! Love you all.

To learn more about Charming Liars and their upcoming album check out the links below:

Charming Liars Homepage | Facebook | Instagram