Los Angeles Alt Rockers Charming Liars have launched their addictive new single “Like A Drug” with an early add on Spotify’s New Noise playlist and a premiere of the video @ Alternative Press. The video is a gritty look at the harsh realities of drug addiction.
The band’s Karnig Manoukian says: “It’s not unusual for a song like this to write itself. A song that illuminates the painful sides of love that are easy to overlook, especially when something beautiful is looking you in the eyes. This song captures what it’s like to be on the dangerous side of the gun we call love. “Like A Drug” is about every failed escape that brings you that much closer to the thing you know you should be running from. I think most people can relate to the feelings of a toxic relationship in some way or another. That’s what makes the theme of this song so universal.
Manoukian continues: “’Like A Drug’ captures two things that humanity knows all too well: pain and love. In the pain of love lies the rites of passage that bring us all together.”
“Like A Drug,” which was filmed and directed by Phillip Lopez, is the first of a short trilogy called Spoon. The other videos in the trilogy are “Time To Start,” serving as the trilogy’s part two, and “Insomnia,” which serves as part three. (“Insomnia” has already been released, and you can watch it here.) The music video set is scheduled to appear in film festivals, including the prestigious Sundance Film Festival later this year and early into next year.
The band’s evolution began in London’s West End when Karnig and Mike were still in their teens. They started writing and playing together in a series of bands and honed their musicianship with several tours up and down the U.K. In 2013 they decided to make the move to Los Angeles, in part spurred on by an encouraging social media message from songwriter and producer John Feldmann (Panic! at the Disco, Plain White T’s, 5 Seconds of Summer, Blink-182) – who told them to look him up for a songwriting session if they were ever in town. They connected with Kiliyan through a mutual friend while he was attending The Musicians Institute in Hollywood. Through initial conversations that lead to songwriting and then recording sessions – the 3 realized that they had an organic musical chemistry that would lead to interesting possibilities. The current line-up was solidified.
Having released a couple EP’s since their arrival in the states, 2016 saw the release of their single “Soul” which reached number #40 on the Alternative Radio Charts and who’s video has over 600,000 views on Youtube. A cover of Sir Elton’s “I’m Still Standing” was released in the spring of 2017 in conjunction with the Grammy organization’s MusiCares arm. The band continued to make inroads @ Alternative radio in the fall of 2017 with “Insomnia“, which is still getting residual play at the format.
They have built a following with constant touring, and have played across the entire U.S. as well as South America, Mexico, the U.K. and Brazil. Their touring resume includes the Uproar tour, as well as opening for Night Riots, Kings of Leon, Weezer, and Jack White. A full length album is in the works and will be released on June 22nd. To support the new “Like A Drug” single, tour dates are being booked for the summer.
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