Having spent the last few months slowly building their reputation as one of London's most exciting newcomers, alt-rock outfit Liars Teeth have now delivered their highly-anticipated new EP 'Disorder'.
Channeling the retro rock vibes of acts like Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden, the four-piece instantly explode on this new collection. Filled with riveting guitar hooks and truly memorable moments, this new release is sure to show them as a force to be reckoned with throughout the rest of this year.
So with their new EP doing the rounds, we sat down with the group's rhythm section Enrico Terella and Russell Keeble to find out more about their origins and what first brought them to the world of music.
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What were the first instruments you fell in love with?
Rus: Weirdly it was guitar that initially drew me in. But then I had a taster lesson on a drum kit at 12 years old, and that was it, I was obsessed. (Still love playing guitar though)
Rico: Bass for me... the first and the last!
What has been the most prominent inspiration behind your music so far?
Rico: So far, it would be our mutual love for Stoner Rock and Alt-Rock from the last few decades ... We all have our own channels we draw inspiration from when it comes to crafting new sounds/ideas... it’s never “let’s make a new song that sounds like XYZ”.
Rus: Yeah i’d have to agree with that. I grew up on a staple diet of Grunge, Alt-rock and prog bands...but I draw influence from everywhere, other styles of music as well as soundtracks, novels and art. It all gets thrown into the pot.
What kind of music did you love as teenagers?
Rico: Grew up listening to Dad’s (now) “Classic Rock Collection”, years later coming home after school drowning in Stoner Rock and now discovering everything else I missed that was released since then.
Rus: I was a pretty obsessive skater in my teens so that had a lot of influence on my music, especially from Skate vids and games. Bands like Deftones, RATM, Tool (obsessively), Radiohead etc as well as older stuff like Led Zeppelin and King Crimson were all on rotation on my shitty Mini disc player.
Can you remember the first song that made you want to pursue a life in music?
Rico: This is a really long time ago but i used to watch and support my teacher back then play in a local covers band that were performing awesome renditions of 60s, 70s and 80s Soul/RnB & Blues classics. Not only was I mesmerised by how skillful all the musicians were but you could also tell that there was a great chemistry and dynamic between them. I can’t remember what song they were playing but it definitely inspired me to pursue music further.
Rus: The others guys will laugh at me for this but yeah! I remember seeing the video for Stinkfist by Tool at like 2am on a re-run of headbangers ball. At the time (i was prob 14) it just floored me. Up until then i’d never experienced something that was so dark, emotive and rhythmically interesting...it totally inspired me to delve deeper into drumming and just music in general.
When you wake up in the morning, what kind of music do you like to listen to?
Rico: I usually start the day off with a blend of electronic-infused rock music and/or anything else new that stumbles along - discovering new music has never been easier and most of the time this is how I add new favourites to my playlist.
Rus: Usually something pretty chill, something like old 70’s acoustic stuff or more ambient Thom Yorke-eque things.
How many of your songs have you written about people in your life?
Rico: I wrote a song about an ex once (I know, such an old cliche!)
What have been the most memorable moments in your career so far?
Rico: Experiencing life on the road for the first time was probably the coolest thing I did. I was lucky enough to spend that time with great people and also made new friends. Oh, and then there was the release of our EP of course!
Rus: For me it’s definitely releasing our EP Disorder at the end of last year. Having recorded, engineered and mixed it myself, it was a really enjoyable challenge to put it together and get it out!
Outside of music, what are your biggest passions?
Rico: Strangely, I’ve noticed that I’m very driven about my day job... oh, and Pizza.
Rus: I'm obsessed with Tennis, playing it, watching it....I hate to admit it but I'm a massive tennis nerd.
If you weren’t musicians, what other path do you think you might have taken?
Rico: Mmmhh, not sure - but chances are you would probably still see me at venues ... a lot!!
Rus: Definitely a pilot. I’d love to fly small charter planes in some remote part of the world...getting my licence is definitely still on the bucket list.
And what advice would you give to those looking to start a career in music?
Rico: When I get asked this question, I always remember why I have started music in the first place: To me, being successful is to be able to make music and be with people who I respect and people who show me that same amount of love.... Otherwise, what’s the point?
Rus: Hmm, I could talk for hours on this subject. But basically I would get you to ask yourself what you want out of music. A career in music can take thousands of different forms, most of which aren’t very glamorous or well paid. If you want to take the creative route and make a career out of your own music, I wouldn’t even bother thinking in those terms. Just make what you love and it’ll stay genuine...and hopefully take you somewhere cool. Otherwise there are loads of opportunities to play your instrument, as long as you don’t mind playing other peoples tunes that is!
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Liars Teeth's new EP 'Disorder' is available to stream and download now. Have a listen to it in the player below.