Lior Attar, known simply as the artist LIOR, was born in Israel before moving to Sydney with his family at the age of ten. By the age of 12 he was thoroughly immersed in the study of classical guitar as well as writing and composing his own songs. As a result, his soulful arrangements are infused with tones collected from his Middle Eastern Jewish heritage that accompany a vast vocal range. Piercing eyes and an Israeli complexion compliment a voice that guides listeners into an understanding of the simpler, more peaceful side of acoustic harmonizing.
With children the age of five and seven, other than gigging and vibing the “weird and interesting stuff” of his hometown Melbourne, Lior lends his spare time to them, to music, writing and touring. Of being on tour he loves “the fusion of travel and music. Performing accelerates the travel experience because you’re moving around and having a wonderful time.”
In his upcoming tour Lior is encouraging fans to pre-request songs for him to cover, a fun feat that is said to be quite a crowd pleaser. You can request songs on his website lior.com.au or on his facebook page. Covers such as Up on the Roof by Carole King and even Bon Jovi’s Living On a Prayer have been winning crowds over left, right and centre stage. However, his aim to genuinely engage with the audience does not only take the form of song, it is the stories that accompany them which are equally entertaining. In fact, his tales are being requested as much as the covers. His music reflects this gift of storytelling, which is obvious when you listen and truly indulge in what he brings to the song – warm, rich and charismatic imagery.
According to Lior, “to be a good songwriter, you have to be partially obsessive with writing… The challenge is finding inspiration. You can go five whole days and not be able to write a word, or sit for 15 minutes and write an amazing song. Being a songwriter changes your whole notion of what being productive means, good songwriters understand that. Time spent actively seeking inspiration, listening to music or getting knowledge for yourself is still part of the process and it takes time.” Ironically the most incongruous of moments inspire this seasoned musician. His songwriting depends on bursts of responses to creative stimuli as much as it does on ‘musical methodology’. Perhaps that is his secret to his talent, finding beauty where it might not normally be found.
Lior will be gracing the stage at The Street Theatre on Thursday October 22, with The Blue Ruins supporting. Tickets are available through thestreet.org.au for $42 presale, or else $47 at the door.
