The Songs Behind: Liv Bloore
Discover the songs that shaped and inspired Liv Bloore, who has just released her stunning debut EP In Heaven, After Hours and is getting ready for her debut full band headline show.
Last week saw Liv Bloore release her debut EP In Heaven, After Hours, a true masterpiece of a release from an artist who feels genuinely unlike anything else around right now. Spanning alt folk, shoegaze and ethereal ballads, it is a deeply personal collection touching on love, queerness, grief and religion, with songwriting on it that marks Liv out as one of the most exciting new voices on the scene.
To celebrate the release, Liv will be bringing In Heaven, After Hours to life with a full band headline show at The Lower Third in London on 24th April. It is shaping up to be a very special night that you won't want to miss.
I caught up with Liv ahead of the show to hear more about the EP and her journey so far, before discovering the songs that have shaped and inspired her through my Songs Behind feature.
Your debut EP 'In Heaven, After Hours' is out now. How does it feel to finally have these songs out in the world?
"I’ve been working on this EP for 4 years, writing and teaching myself to produce. I’m overjoyed for it to be out, I feel a mixture of relief and excitement and I feel it is just the beginning of how these songs can connect with people."
The EP touches on some really personal themes. How easy do you find it to write so openly, while still making it feel like something others can connect to?
"I feel I listen to very emotional and personal music, like Phoebe Bridgers and Florence + The Machine so I just write like my inspirations. I always start with the lyrics which I write in my notes app on long walks, like a kind of digital journal. I’ve received some really lovely messages from people, especially about Her Flowers saying that they’ve found hope in the music which really moves me and makes me want to keep writing about vulnerable subjects."
One of the most striking things about the EP is how it moves across so many different sounds and genres. Was that always the plan, or did it surprise you where the songs ended up taking you?
"I think because the EP took 4 years of writing and 2 years of producing, my music taste evolved from mostly folk to listening to much more cinematic and rocky influences like Wolf Alice which made me want to take some of the songs to a more shoegaze/ rocky production. I studied classical music, specifically late medieval choral music at university so I wanted the EP to weave together as many genres as possible!"
You have a full band headline show in London on 24th April. How excited are you to bring these songs to a live setting and see how they take on a new life on stage?
"I’m really excited to perform these songs just as I have produced and arranged them. I’ve been performing the EP as a folky/acoustic set around London for the past two years, so I can’t wait to go full on distorted guitar, crashy drums and really have some fun belting the songs (tap into my musical theatre obsession haha!)."
Favourite Song to Play Live:
'Sing For Me' and 'The Darling Song' by Liv Bloore
“I love playing Sing For Me acoustically by myself, but now practicing with a full band for my headline I love playing The Darling Song as I’m able to really belt the bridge and bring in the distortion and crashy drums."
Song That Reminds You of Your Childhood:
'In Spite of Ourselves' by John Prime
“A family favourite which reminds me of evenings sat outside in the summer with our friend Keith playing the guitar and me and my sister playing along (quite badly) with our violins."
First Album You Brought:
'Red' by Taylor Swift
“I remember being given Taylor Swift’s album 'Red' on CD when I was about 10 years old, and playing it in the car non stop until my whole family was sick of it!"
Song That Made You Want to Be a Musician:
"Me & My Dog by boygenius was the first song I listened to and thought ‘this is the type of music I want to make’. 'Cardigan' by Taylor Swift made me want to be a songwriter, and 'Sun Bleached Flies' by Ethel Cain made me want to be a producer."
Song That Gets You Through Hard Times:
"I have a playlist called ‘getting out of a rut in a slow sad to angry hot way’ (bit cringe I know ) and it has songs like 'I Know The End' by Phoebe Bridgers, 'Free' by Florence + The Machine, 'Begging For Rain' by Maggie Rogers and 'this is me trying' by Taylor Swift."
A Song You Would Have Loved to Write:
'American Teenager' by Ethel Cain
"Every session I go into I bring it as a reference, and then sometimes leave disappointed because I’ll never come close to writing such a masterpiece!! Pop along to my headline and you may see me cover it with a full band…"
Song You'd Put On at a Party:
"Probably 'American Teenager', sorry. I have also been known to play 'Funeral' by Phoebe Bridgers at pres before… But I’m a huge RAYE fan so maybe 'Black Mascara' nowadays?"
Favourite Song of All Time:
'Sun Bleached Flies' by Ethel Cain
"The lyrics are devastating and the production is just otherworldly. It is hopeful and heartbreaking at the same time."
Song You are Most Proud Of:
'Her Flowers' by Liv Bloore
"I’m very proud of Her Flowers, as it is the first song I produced completely myself. I oversaw the production on all of the tracks on the EP, but this one I started from scratch and built up layer by layer on logic. It really tested my patience and my perfectionism and I cried many late night tears, it was a real labour of love! I’m unbelievably proud of this whole EP, and thank you so much for listening :)"
