Q&A: Liam Kazar Reflects on Life and Loss in His Album, ‘Pilot Light’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KATHERINE CHUNG ☆
Photo by Alexa Viscius
LIAM KAZAR HAS FOUND HIS HOME—As a touring artist, daily lifestyle priorities such as relationships and shelter haven’t been easy to find. Thankfully, he has always had his family to support his dreams. Whether that meant playing small family shows on special occasions or putting on a show for family members, he has always made time for the ones he loves.
Kazar is another artist who does not want to be defined by a genre. He wants to be recognized for his songs. Looking at his daily lifestyle, it makes sense for him to want to be recognized for his songs. In high school, he studied jazz music. At home, his family played home-style music, acoustic, and piano. However, listeners may argue that his current genre is less jazz and more R&B music. His relationships with the people he’s grown up with have helped him find his sound. Music is his life.
In his debut album, Pilot Light, he tells the story of a relationship that has come to an end. He recognizes the importance of being in love, grieving, and feeling lonely. The opening track, “Pilot Light,” is calming and heartfelt. It explores the early stages of a relationship. He sings, “Love never goes, but it starts to hurt.” He acknowledges that the relationship has blossomed, but like a flame that can fade in an instant, there’s always the possibility of it ending.
Luna sat down with Liam to discuss why music feels like home to him and how his relationships are reflected throughout the album.
LUNA: Can you share more about your journey in the music industry and describe the genre or mix of genres that best represent your sound?
KAZAR: I was born into it. My father played music. From a young age, my sister also played instruments. I just followed suit. That is what we do around the holidays. We pick up a guitar, the piano, and we sing songs. Or at any dinner party or gathering, we would play music. Music is a part of my family.
The journey into the music industry began in high school, when I started performing with other musicians at clubs around Chicago. Or in places similar to The Hideout or local Battle of the Bands events. From there, things naturally progressed.
I keep my genre(s) easy for people. Music that they could wrap their heads around. I play indie rock music, but could be into the R&B genre. I care about songs more than the genre. Creating songs is my favorite thing to do. In fact, the songwriting process is my favorite part of the music-making process.
LUNA: You studied jazz in high school. How has that background influenced the music you create today?
KAZAR: I studied a lot of jazz in an earlier period of my life. In high school, mostly. I loved that music. It was the music genre I would listen to the most. The thing I love about jazz is that so much of it goes over my head. I am not analyzing it the way I analyze a song. A song can seem like a puzzle, and I tried deconstructing it. My brain just does it. Jazz takes over my brain. It just immaculately washed over me. For that reason, I listen to it and it is beautiful and exciting for me. And if you listen to jazz music that much, it starts to seep into you. Y’know? It influences you whether you like it or not. I do love it a lot.
LUNA: For new listeners, can you explain what a pilot light is?
KAZAR: The practical definition is a small flame to keep an appliance going. Whether that is a stove or a hot boiler for your water heater. I believe that a pilot light represents something you hold deep in your heart—contained, yet never extinguished.
LUNA: That’s interesting because each track tells its own story, and by the end of the album, it feels like the flame has finally burned out.
KAZAR: Yeah, well, the last song is called “Next Time Around,” and I think there is still a little bit of hope at the end. “I’ll have to catch you next time around.” It’s pretty obvious that the other person has moved on, but there is still a flicker because I am saying, “I’ll have to catch you next time around,” even if it is hopeless.
LUNA: You mentioned that you love songwriting. How long have you been working on the lyrics for this album?
KAZAR: I worked on this record over the span of about four years. I tour a lot. I make a living playing in other people’s bands. I was working on [the songs] in between tours. The oldest song on the record is the last song, “Next Time Around.” I wrote that maybe five years ago and recorded it maybe four years ago. And the most recent songs I recorded last year.
LUNA: Are there background vocals or instruments in the album?
KAZAR: It’s a family affair on my record. I made it with Sam Evian, who produced it. He and his partner, Hannah Cohen, run a studio together called Flying Cloud, where we recorded the album. There are two female vocalists on the record, Hannah and my sister, Sima Cunningham. I’ve played on Hannah’s record, and we both play on Sam’s projects. Sometimes Sam appears on my record as well. Sam and Hannah feel like family to me, just like my sister does. That’s why this record feels like a family project.
LUNA: You often describe your writing and recording process as stripped back and homey. It feels like you’re recording right in your house, surrounded by family.
KAZAR: That was built out of necessity. Y’know? We only had a few days to record this. A bulk of it was recorded over six days. The easiest way to record that much material in that little time is to get a bunch of musicians in a room and start cutting tracks. When you do it with that process, other instruments bleed into the microphones. That’s how you get that sound of being in a room, because that is what it is.
LUNA: That is interesting because in your music, you talk about the facade with reality. What is home to you?
KAZAR: My relationship with the idea of home has been complicated because of how much I’ve toured. For the past three years, my suitcase has basically been my home. I’d crash with my family in Chicago, stay with Sam and Hannah out of state, or spend a month touring—sometimes even in Europe.
A lot of making this record was me dreaming about having a real home again. I’m happy to say I finally do have a home. I live in Brooklyn, and it truly feels like home. For a long time, I didn’t have that feeling.
LUNA: Speaking of touring, what is your dream venue to play at?
KAZAR: I have been lucky enough to play many venues. I have not played my own music yet. I have a dream to play it in specific locations. As someone who grew up in Chicago, I would love to play my music at a headline show at Thalia Hall. That would be a dream come true.
