Hailing from the Midlands in the UK, Loud Liars are a rising rock band who’ve been quick to make an impact with their infectious blend of catchy pop-focused writing, slick rock production and alternative aesthetics. Having made an impactful debut in 2023 with their first single “Taking Control,” followed by their sophomore outing “King of the Night,” the trio, formed by James, Jack and Charlie, is rapidly gaining attention and support in the UK music scene and beyond.
Their debut single “Taking Control” has already racked up ninety thousand streams, earning recognition and support from Dean Jackson and Alyx Holcombe at BBC Introducing. With a strong presence on TikTok and slots on Spotify’s All New Rock editorial playlist, Loud Liars are building a real buzz.
The band’s energy, songwriting flair and musicianship have been showcased in live performances at iconic venues such as Piece Hall in Halifax, and they’ve sold out head shows in Leeds and Leicester. As they prepare for festival appearances in the summer of 2024, Loud Liars drop their latest release, the highly anticipated third single titled “Red Handed.”
Co-written by Jordan Lees, who previously penned CHINCHILLA’s hit single “Little Girl Gone,” this powerful and fierce track is set to win over new fans around the world. Brought in by the strike of drums, a gripping scene takes hold as the punch of the beat drives gritty guitars and lively vocalisations.
Dropping down to a muted filtered beat and snaking bass synth lines as the smooth lead vocals spin catchy lines as the arrangement builds up. Injecting energy with pounding drums and growling backing vocals, the song erupts into a spectacular chorus of driving sonic energy and soaring vocal hooks. Wrapped up in exquisite sound design and packed full of instantly memorable songwriting, “Red Handed” is an infectious alternative rock outing cut with dark pop and electronics.
Paired with the single is a music video which features the band performing the track in a church while drenched in red lights to provide the perfect visual accompaniment for the high-octane song. With live shows in Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow lined up in April, 2024 is shaping up to be a breakout year for this thrilling new outfit.
We caught up with Loud Liars to find out more about their musical journey so far, their new single “Red Handed” and what they’ve got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Loud Liars below.
Hey Loud Liars, howâs things?
Hey guys, all is good in the Loud Liars camp, how are you!
How did you get together as a band?
Our singer James was transitioning from a solo project and wanted to form a brand-new Rock band, he put an ad out on Facebook for a drummer and a guitarist with similar influences. A few weeks later we got in a practice room together and everything fell into place after that first session which was quite magical. It actually meant that our first show together was at The Great Escape in Brighton which was pretty cool!
Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?
Naturally, all three of us love Rock music in all itâs forms, but we also love Metal bands such as Architects, BMTH, Bullet For My Valentine, Sleep Token etc.
There are also bands such as Don Broco, Hot Milk and Day Seeker which we draw influence from sonically, especially there âPopâ side.
James also has a big passion for Country Pop music and actively listens to this daily.
Weâre a pretty mixed bunch when it comes to listening habits but I think thatâs what gives our music a difference.
What was your highlight of the year for 2023?
Hmmm, there were two main highlights for us, the first was playing The Piece Hall to over 3000 people which was only our second outing as Loud Liars, that gig was incredible. This is closely followed by selling out both of our debut headline shows in Leeds and Leicester respectively, it was so cool to see so many people show up and sing our songs back to us at such an early stage in our band career.
What do you love about the UK music scene?
There are just so many great bands, bands that are so underrated with absolute bangers in the lock up!
What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?
This one is quite a difficult question as we have mixed emotions running through our tracks, some are heavier with screams and breakdowns, and some are way more poppier. I think it depends how youâre feeling on the day, if youâre feeling angry, maybe Taking Control is a good car ride to work song (if you want to get sacked of course) ha-ha, but if youâre downing a beer ready for a night out, maybe give King of the Night a spin.
Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?
Itâs got to be Bring me the Horizon, Dayseeker or A Day to Remember, we canât narrow it down any more than that Iâm afraid.
How did you find making your new single âRed Handedâ?
It was a good process actually, James went to a session at Jordanâs studio in Slough and the song just flew out after they developed the concept. For the music video we wanted something pretty dark and fitting with the songs meaning, so we hired out All Souls church in Leeds (this was before we realised that it was the setting for an episode of Midsomer Murders) and we lit the whole Church up red. It absolutely bangs!
How was it writing the track with Jordan Lees?
Jordanâs great, super talented although heâs not really a âRockâ writer as per se, but the sessions him and James laid down worked perfectly for both Taking Control and Red Handed. James is back in the studio with two new writers this weekend to cook up some more Loud Liars tunes.
What message did you want to get across with this release?
Donât be a naughty boy! đ
What artist have you been listening to most recently?
James â Dayseeker, Jack â Sleep Token, Charlie â hmmm, I think he mentionedâŠSpice Girls?
Whatâs the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?
We want them to connect, we want them to feel like they can relate, sing along and actively enjoy what weâre putting out.
Whatâs been your favourite live performance so far?
Itâs got to be The Piece Hall, that was one crazy show, 3000 people in Halifax and one hell of a stage.
Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?
Grasspop in Belgium has kind of delivered on this for June of this year, we have BMTH and Avenged Sevenfold, all thatâs missing is ACDC!
Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?
Our advice is probably quite different to the norm, you need to ensure that you have thick skin from the get-go, as youâre most certainly not going to please everyone. We would also suggest that you take the time to write the very best songs that you can and ensure that the product is strong before you even think about releasing it. Too many bands believe that they âdeserveâ something or a chance but arenât willing to put the groundwork in, so focus on great music, a killer live set and get marketing your music to the right target audience using every social channel at your disposal, do not get hung up on labels.
Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of 2024?
We have lots of new singles in the pipeline ready to go and weâre going to be hitting it hard with live performances up and down the UK starting with more headline shows in Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow in April. Weâre super excited.
Stay tuned on our socials!
Watch the music video for Red Handed below
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