- 2023-09-28
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MUSIC
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Liam Barrack Releases Debut EP “Sines and Symptoms”
Toronto-based singer-songwriter Liam Barrack released his debut EP “Sines and Symptoms” on September 13, 2023.
The EP comprises 4-track, produced by Ryan Worsley. Additionally Jesse Humphreys, and David Mooney co-produced the 1st track “Sick Kisses”.
The EP features contemplative and self critical songwriting with an earnest pop sensibility.
He started making the EP with producer Ryan Worsley in 2022 and recorded at Echoplant in Vancouver.
Liam Barrack said of the EP, “Recording this EP with producer Ryan Worsley from Echoplant in Vancouver has given me a clearer picture of the landscape and where I might be able to fit into the music world.”- Liam Barrack explained track-by-track for the EP.
“Sick Kisses”
“'Sick Kisses' is a song about being hopelessly devoted to making something work, but ultimately realizing that everything you're fighting for is both in vain and compromises your resolve.
She was my first serious girlfriend. We were together for nine months, and then got back together for about a week at the start of the school year. During that week, she got me really sick, then left me again. When we broke up, she wrote a play about it. So this song is a response to her play.
Writing this song has taught me a lot about what I want in a relationship. Most of the time when I write a song it's kind of like therapy for me – a good way of objectifying my problems so I can experience them as an entity separate from myself. In writing this song, I solidified what I want in love in the future.” -
“Bulletproof”
“'Bulletproof' has a double meaning. It's about being pushed so low by your feelings of inadequacy that the mental restrictions on what you're worth actually begin to loosen. Embracing the sensation of being protected from the negative emotions surrounding unrequited love, recognizing that there is a state of clarity and vitality in despair and rejection.
The lyrics are inspired by my personal experiences. There's an anger and hopelessness that comes along with wanting something you feel that you can't have, and that emotion, so overpowering you would do anything.
When I was younger I fell very easily into that role, and it wasn't until I got a bit older that I decided that it's easier to let the pain of rejection go. If you can't have who or what you want, then it's best to accept that not everything will work out for you. It's ok to fail. Being ok with those things will make you happier, and your life easier.”
“Tryin'”
“'Tryin' is about managing a relationship with someone while hardly being able to manage yourself. It's about wanting to keep something you're losing, and making promises of change - ultimately that you're 'Tryin'.
I have a lot of problems with executive function: simple things like trying to fall asleep, making it to meetings on time or even remembering small things ends up being a struggle for me, and it puts a serious strain on the relationships I have with people.
It's the penultimate feeling before something fails. There are two paths you can take from here – one of them is to try, and the other is to concede. 'Tryin'' represents the optimistic and more involved approach. To reform yourself into what someone else needs of you and have healthier relationships.
Sometimes I'll just be thinking of the thing I want to talk about and a whole song will spill out very quickly. Other times the parts are crafted separately or in a particular order. Ultimately, the drive is in what's unknown. It's really a method of knowing myself better on all fronts. Oftentimes I won't realize what a song is about until I've finished writing it and can stand back and look at it. It's the ability to see your subconscious thoughts and feelings culminate into a piece of art in real-time that drives me.”
“Memories”
“I spent a lot of time in various intoxicated states during my first year of university. The title of “Memories” and this song's lyrics are a self-deprecating statement about my inability to remember things well while drunk or high.
The message of the song is really, 'I wish I could pay attention to all the fun I seem to be having.'
'Memories' sounds like it's directed to a person, but if you listen closely to the lyrics, you'll be able to tell that I'm actually speaking to the substances in a personified manner. The guitar on this track is really wavy to demonstrate the wobbly nature of intoxication, and I wanted the chorus to be an intense moment of clarity where statements of intent are made, in an attempt to drive home the confusion of that time in my life in an accurate way. In real life, I'd go through cycles of recklessness/abandon, then have moments where I thought I knew a direction I wanted to move in before it ultimately slipped away again. I think the song
reflects that well.” - source : Apple Music
