New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Kansas City-based, Chicago-raised musician, songwriter and chef Liam Kazar presents his new single/video, "Nothing To You," from his forthcoming album Due North, out August 6th on Woodsist / Mare Records (Kevin Morby's Woodsist imprint). In conjunction, he announces a Midwest tour, including two record release shows in Chicago. "Nothing To You" follows "Frank Bacon," plus previously released singles "Shoes Too Tight" and "On A Spanish Dune." On "Nothing To You," Kazar finds the sweet spot between indie rock jangle and subtle country twang as he sings, "I hope you don't resent / The love between your hands." In his words, the track"always kind of had a set-it-and-forget-it kind of feeling to me. In a good way. It's sort of one of those tunes that just plays itself and never stops moving along, like a long summer day." The accompanying video, created by Rohan McDonald, visualizes the warm and hazy qualities of Kazar's voice, as retro animations float across the screen.
Throughout the last decade, Kazar has been recognized for his adaptability and deftness in the studio and on stage, leading to tours and collaborations with Jeff Tweedy, Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn,
Daniel Johnston, amongst others. Aside from Kazar's incredible musicianship, he's also a fantastic chef. He runs a restaurant, Isfahan, in which he makes gorgeous dishes that honor his Armenian heritage and his family's journey to the United States from Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. While Kazar has consistently been a dream bandmate over the past several years, making his own songs presented a chance to finally find his own voice. Due North is a personal revelation, where the more Kazar wrote, the more his songs showed what kind of artist he's always wanted to be - one whose own joyous rock songs are so irresistible, full of charm, wit and heart, they feel timeless. "This record kind of all stemmed from a conversation I had with Jeff [Tweedy]," says Kazar. "I showed him some of my earliest songs I was working on and he told me, 'It sounds like you're writing for the people in your bands, you're not writing for yourself.' He was completely right." In creating Due North, Kazar enlisted co-producer
James Elkington (pedal steel), the rhythm section of Spencer
Tweedy (drums) and Lane Beckstrom (bass), Dave Curtin (keyboards), and Ohmme and Andrew Sa on backing vocals. The album was mixed by Sam Evian at his Flying Cloud Recordings Studio in upstate New York.
Liam Kazar Tour Dates:
Fri. Aug. 6 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village - RECORD RELEASE SHOW
Sat. Aug. 7 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village - RECORD RELEASE SHOW w/ Sports Boyfriend
Wed. Sept. 22 - Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel
Thu. Sept. 23 - Kansas City, MO @ Lemonade Park w/ Shy Boys
Fri. Sept. 24 - Des Moines, IA @ The Gas Lamp w/
Karen Meat
Sat. Sept. 25 - Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club w/
Little Fevers
Sun. Sept. 26 - Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo supporting Ohmme
