Exclusive Interview with 'LIAM CANET LEIVA'

Two Argentines who happened to be at a party in the midst of chaotic New York City made the decision to collaborate and create music. They set out to release an upcoming album, drawing inspiration from artists like Lana del Rey, Arctic Monkeys, Johnny Cash, and Hooverphonic, with a combination of a jazz pianist and a guitarist with blues influences. Check out Liam Canet Leiva’s single, ‘Tsunami” and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?
LIAM CANET LEIVA: I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina, currently living in New York. I started making music since I was kid, I really don’t know what age I started, so its been a long time. Ive gone through many fazes music wise, even so I always had a love and passion for music. Its the only think that makes sense for me in this world.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
LIAM CANET LEIVA: I’ve had some training, but mostly I’m self taught, I really don’t know all bout chord progressions and all that, I just simply play what seems right to me and from that I start developing the sound of the song.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘LIAM CANET LEIVA’?

LIAM CANET LEIVA: There’s really no idea behind Liam Canet Leiva , Basically my dad wanted me to be named Liam, but my mom didn’t want to because Liam Leiva didn’t sound right, so my dad got tired and said “put whatever last name you want, but the kid is gonna be named Liam” hence Liam Canet Leiva.

I have a lot of musical influences honestly and I have to thank my dad for this, he gave me everything I know about music and the love for it, but The ones that I can name know are Arctic Monkeys, Johnny Cash, Lou Reed, Rolling Stones, John Lee Hooker, Hooverphonic, etc.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
LIAM CANET LEIVA: Key element are the lyrics, and the voice, because my voice aint perfect but I love to sing and express it man, and the lyrics I just wanna make other “Liams” in the world not feel alone, like some artists did with me.

My producer and I never know how to answer this question, but I guess it would be like seeing Jesus walking on water for the first time, having a cigarette.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as INDIE?
LIAM CANET LEIVA:
We are still in that phase of learning, and adopting various influences from our root music influences and todays music. Also my producer and I we feed off each other, he comes from a more jazz background and I from a blues so we have each other to learn, side by side, holding hands.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?
LIAM CANET LEIVA:

It becomes pretty apparent when you listen to our music that we hit a lot of issues regarding cultural and social but at the same time we write about that its okay if your having bad day and wanna get fucked up that night, or simple stuff like going hangover to the airport.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?
LIAM CANET LEIVA:

I see music as the most powerful force of nature, that sometimes we can’t understand why we have something so amazing, I simply see musicians as antennas to capture that wave of the super power that music has.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

LIAM CANET LEIVA:

It depends on the day, sometimes it starts simply by the lyrics I wrote on the subway that day and we start from that, sometimes its the melody and then when all three of us get in the room to look at the finished product (Martin Litvin, Cata Balladares and myself) we start to shape it to the ideas that pop in our heads.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
LIAM CANET LEIVA: Well the disliking of my voice is one, but now I just feed off it, its gives me energy and drive. And the thing that all musicians go through, the producing all night and three people listening to it, the venues and take all the equipment, the four people coming to see us play, something that happens to all of us and will continue to happen, but that’s the amazing think about music, 30 minutes of happiness goes a long way in our lives.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

LIAM CANET LEIVA: We just played bowery electric in New York for a big crowd and people were dancing our songs and screaming and asking us for more, that was our best moment so far, but also because three months prior we went to see this artist named Angela Grey and the minute we set foot inside there we said “we have to play here” and three months later we made it, we realized it finally paid off.

And then obviously paying rent with music is a big one and an arena wouldn’t be bad either jajajaj, but one step at a time, we are happy now, and now the album is coming out, and we are gonna love to see people reaction.