Liars is an experimental electro/rock band formed in 2000. Australian-born … Read Full Bio ↴Liars is an experimental electro/rock band formed in 2000. Australian-born Angus Andrew is the founding and only constant member with Aaron Hemphill (percussion, guitar, synth) leaving the project in 2017 and Julian Gross (drums) no longer is able to perform due to personal reasons. The band has released 8 studio albums since forming and remains one of the few bands still consistently active from the post-punk revival scene in New York of 2000s.

Although initially lumped into the New York dance-punk scene of the early 21st century, they have come to be categorized by their dramatic stylistic shifts between albums, while retaining a consistent interest in rhythm and sound texture. Liars are one of the many contemporary bands to draw from the late 1970's British post-punk movement. Their first album, 2002's They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top, bore some resemblance to the work of Delta 5 and Gang of Four, accenting their angular, acerbic punk with modern synths and drum machines. Liar's second album, 2004's They Were Wrong, So We Drowned, eschewed their debut's trendy post-punk aesthetic in favor of dissonant atmospherics and electronic soundscapes more akin to the sound of This Heat. That album stratified fans and critics alike, especially chafing with those who took to They Threw Us All for the clear dance/punk leanings of a number of that album's tracks (e.g. "We Live Northeast of Compton"). 2006 saw the release of Drum's Not Dead., which continued the direction they had taken with They Were Wrong but was met with a much more favorable critical reaction. 2007's self-tited LP, Liars, found the band once again shifting styles, this time towards 60's style garage rock and 70's proto-punk, all through the dark, effects-driven prism that Liars began channeling on They Were Wrong. While more straight-forward than their previous 2 LPs, the record contained the same focus on rhythm and experimentation with the deconstruction of traditional sounds. Similar to Drum's Not Dead. Liars was critically praised and found its way on to Best of 2007 lists. They released Sisterworld, in 2010, which continued in their experimental post-punk direction. Its deluxe edition came with a completely remixed version of the album, with tracks being remixed by artists such as Thom Yorke, Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead and Carter Tutti. In 2012, they released WIXIW, which saw the band take an almost entirely electronic direction with their music.

On January 13, 2014, Liars premiered their single "Mess on a Mission" and announced the title of their 7th album as Mess, which was released on March 24 via Mute Records.[17]

TFCF
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On February 20, 2017, Liars updated their site with a short video clip titled TFCF.[18] Another video was later added, called TFCF H, and then TFCF E, and so on. When taking the last letter of each of these videos, the word THEME is spelled out. On June 2, the band released four more videos which spell out the word FROM.[19] On June 15 and June 24, more videos were released spelling the words CRYING and FOUNTAIN, respectively. On May 18, Andrew announced a new Liars album to be released sometime in August, along with the amicable departure of founding member Aaron Hemphill. He will go on tour from August with a new backup band.

The initialism TFCF was the title of the band's LP which was released on August 25, 2017. Liars have, as a matter of course, sounded radically different with each album, pursuing new concepts and occupying diverse mindsets. On this, Liars’ eighth studio album, the bustling backdrops of Los Angeles, Berlin and New York have been replaced with a presence far more intimate and autobiographical.[citation needed]

The Apple Drop
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On May 4, 2021, Liars announced the release of a new album, titled The Apple Drop, which was released on August 6.

The Overachievers
Liars Lyrics

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I bought a house with you
We settled down with cats
There wasn't much to do
So we just sat and watched the TV
And smoked weed

We drove a biocar
'Cos we all love the earth

It didn't get us far
And always sounded like a walrus
With ulcers

L-A-L-A

We surfed at Malibu
So we could see the stars
And when the sun fell off
We'd drive back slowly
to Topanga

L-A-L-A

Then once that wasn't enough
We gave up on our jobs
And bought back all our time
To spend it walking in the forest

L-A-L-A

HELP! ME!
HELP! ME!

L-A-L-A

I bought a house with you
We settled down with cats!

There wasn't much to do
So we just sat and watched the TV

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Liars’ song, “The Overachievers” talks about a couple who have settled down into suburban life but are living life on their own terms which isn't about being materialistic or successful in a traditional sense. They have bought a house, have cats, watch TV and smoke weed because there is really nothing else to do in the suburbs. They drive a biocar because they care for the environment, even though it doesn’t take them that far and sounds like a walrus with ulcers.

The couple prioritizes leisure, such as surfing at Malibu to see the stars and driving back slowly to Topanga when the sun falls. They eventually give up their jobs so they can have more time to themselves and take pleasure in walking in the forest. However, towards the end of the song, it seems like the couple's concern for the environment is put aside as they shout for help. The lyrics are straightforward yet thought-provoking as it gives the listener an insight into suburban life where pleasure seeks frivolities rather than success and wealth.

Line by Line Meaning

I bought a house with you
We committed to each other and co-owned a property

We settled down with cats
We adopted pets and established a domestic lifestyle

There wasn't much to do
We lacked purpose or motivation

So we just sat and watched the TV
We relied on passive entertainment to fill our time

And smoked weed
We escaped from reality and muted our emotions with drugs

We drove a biocar
We embraced a trendy, eco-friendly transportation option

'Cos we all love the earth
We want to show our care and concern for the planet

It didn't get us far
We faced limitations or setbacks in our chosen lifestyle

And always sounded like a walrus
We were embarrassed by the loud or awkward noise our car made

With ulcers
We experienced physical or emotional stress from our situation

We surfed at Malibu
We pursued an exciting coastal activity in a scenic location