Interview: Liquid Time

One listen and you will concur, the band Liquid Time are special. A flow somewhere between indie pop, psyche rock and surfer sonics,  their fluidity allows them to move with ease between genres. And it is so smooth, you almost don’t hear it happening. Effortlessly meandering between languid guitars, hazey phaser sweeps, and psychedelic hooks, the five mix various styles to create a hybrid sound - a warm beachy bliss. And let’s not forget  that punchy percussion and superb use of the bongos! 

Formed in Sydney, Australia, Liquid Time perfectly evoke their city’s Northern Beach scene, the inspirational hub of their funky tunes. Consisting of Lewis Miles playing guitar and singing vocals, guitarist Luke Langford, bassist Cooper Parsons, Jarrah West tinkling the keys (synthesised and otherwise) and Josh Reeves on the drums, this quirky quintet are for anybody who loves good vibrations.

But don’t think it’s always light listening, their lyrics have real substance. Songs like  ‘Heads Heart’, which addresses anxiety, and ‘Living’, ironically about writer’s block, show that the lyrics are just as strong and individual as the music. Their latest EP, also named Living, is a fantastic body of work, the tracks ebbing into and out of each other, like chapters in a story. Living  is a taster of what this band has to offer, and I look forward to hearing where Liquid Time goes in future. 

S: Thanks for the interview guys, let’s get started! To me your sound conjures blissful beachy imagery. Has your music ever been inspired by your surroundings, and if so, any particular place? 

LT: Yeah of course! We’ve all grown up by the beach so it’s hard to not be inspired by all that it’s got to offer. I think music and place go hand in hand, growing up and writing songs it’s all about what’s right in front of you. For us that was the beach, but now I’m constantly getting inspired by new places, even places I make up in my head that might not exist. I think some of the new tracks we’ve been working on, soon to be released, have been more inspired by having a dance in the sunset smashing margaritas having a good time.

S: Liquid Time saunters between laid back chill and psychedelic grooves. Do you guys have a creative process? Or is each jam session different? 

LT: Every session is definitely different, but for the most part it will be one of us bringing some pretty average chords to the table then our drummer Josh telling us how to actually play them properly, then the structure comes semi naturally. Recently we are experimenting with new percussive elements and drum machines so the creative process has been almost flipped on its head, but that’s all part of what’s to come with Liquid Time 

S: Who and what are you guys listening to at the moment? 

LT: We all listen to such different music, I know Jarrah has been frothing Wings lately,  Luke’s always frothing cruisey Jazz like L’Indécis and L’éclair. Cooper is always listening to new music, constantly finding us the goods, at the moment I know he’s loving Andy Shauf. God only knows what sort of afro-disco funk Josh is listening to at the moment, probably Brooklyn Funk Essentials or Christopher Cross as always.

For me I’ve still got The Slow Rush on repeat day after day, but in-between I’m loving the new Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange album and new Bin Juice track Unprofessional Behaviour. We have a Spotify playlist that we try and update every month filled with everything we’ve all been loving called ‘Sunset Time’ so suss it out if you’re at a loss for hot tracks. 

S: I’m always looking for new tunes, so I’ll definitely take a look! Your dreamlike EP "Living" flows like a story  - is there any significance behind the EP’s track order? 

LT: We’d been opening our live show with Heads Heart for ages, it had always been a sort of intro track for us, so it was only fitting to have it first on the EP. Other than that the aim was to keep it interesting enough so people would listen all the way through at least you did though, thanks for that haha! 

S: The pleasure is all mine hahaha. At the festival of your dreams, who are your three headlining acts? 

LT: Haha that’s such a tough one. Realistically you want to mix it up over the weekend, so I’d say:
Friday – St Germain, ease into it, get a bit silly, wake up – gear up for Saturday night. Saturday – Tame Impala, would be rude if they weren’t on the list, seeing Tame headline during the middle of a festival - couldn’t go wrong there. Then Sunday picks up a million shattered pieces of your brain to send off the fest. Sunday – Kylie Minogue, imagine ending a festival with Kylie Minogue on a Sunday…brilliant!

S: As you continue to make brilliant music, what’s on your dream to do list? 

LT: So much world domination to be done and so little time it’s so hard...seriously though so many people to meet, hands to shake, deals to be made, we can’t wait for the future ! We would love to play Meredith at some point / get across the pond (Pacific ocean) for a few international bevs! 

Lots of Love from Liquid Time xx