Photo by Amelia Tubbs
Alternative act Charming Liars has been working hard over the past few months, regularly releasing new tracks and a handful of music videos. With each new song, the band has brought something new and fresh to their listeners.
We had a chance to speak with Kiliyan Maguire, the vocalist for Charming Liars, about one of the band’s recent tracks, as well as their inspirations and how they’ve been keeping busy during the pandemic.
How have you been keeping yourselves inspired during the pandemic?
“I’ve just been jumping around different methods of inspiration. Some days it’s film, other days I just try to read something to get the juices flowing. I find that inspiration works best when I don’t keep too much pressure on it, I like to just let it happen.”
What inspired the song “Impact”?
“Honestly, watching James Cameron’s The Terminator and Spike Jonze’s Her on the same night. After the credits began to roll I started thinking, what if the AI in Her turned out to be a sort of crazed stalker? Like, if the odd complexities of love caused it to short circuit and go on a spiteful war path. I mean your computer has access to pretty much every detail of your life, your finances, your loved ones and even what you like to eat on Friday nights. If your computer suddenly turned against you, I’d say it could probably do a lot of damage.”
The video feels very 80’s inspired. Do you take inspiration from any artists in that time?
“There’s definitely a few artists from that time that really bleed into our work. Some of those artists include Depeche Mode and even though this artist had been around long before the 1980s, I love David Bowie’s work during that decade.”
Do you have any other inspirations?
“Absolutely! Some of the artists that have impacted me vocally and on a songwriting front would include The Doors, Jackson Browne, Third Eye Blind and Frank Sinatra. Of course there’s plenty more, however, these are the main ones.”
When live music returns, what’s your dream lineup to be a part of?
“Depeche Mode, The Killers and us!”
What’s one thing that you want new fans to know about you?
“I’m crazy about Elvis.”
What’s your favorite part about the music making process?
“How time ceases to exist. When Karnig and I start throwing ideas around, the day seems to pass in a blur. We just get lost in the sounds and structures. That’s the stuff that makes music feel like magic to me.”
What do you feel has been the coolest thing you’ve accomplished as a band?
“Working with Elton John to raise money for the Music Cares Grammy Foundation. It’s incredible to see music help in so many different ways.”
What does the future look like for Charming Liars?
“Bright! We have new songs and videos coming out every month!”
With new songs and videos on the horizon, we’re excited to see what Charming Liars creates next. In the meantime, you can stream some of their recent tracks below.
