INTERVIEW: Liam Forde’s world is now in tune
Photo: Liam Forde’s debut album is called Great to Be Here. Photo courtesy of Yodai Yasunaga / Provided by Fortune Creative with permission.
Liam Forde, the singer-songwriter and actor, is about to release his debut album, Great to Be Here, and he’ll celebrate the release with a special concert at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City on March 25, the same day the recording is made available. The new album consists of original pop and jazz tunes, according to press notes, and the first singles are “When My World’s in Tune” and “Geraniums,” released earlier this year.
According to his official biography, Forde has received many honors, including the Bistro Award for “Performer on the Rise,” the Nightlife Award for “Outstanding Male Vocalist,” the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Julie Wilson Award and a Helen Hayes Award for “Outstanding Performance” in Hand to God. The Connecticut native counts many people among his influences, including Jon Batiste, Lake Street Drive, Ben Folds and composer Michel Legrand.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Forde about the new recording. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What can fans expect from the album Great to Be Here?
Jazzy bops, peppy and perhaps peculiar meditations, and sad, soaring ballads. All of the songs on Great to Be Here have a dreamy quality. Old-world romance is the overarching theme.
What inspired the song “When My World’s in Tune”?
I often feel out of tune with the culture around me, so I wanted to write about the atmospheres, scenarios and moods that make me feel in tune. When things were really tough during Covid isolation, I found comfort in thinking about the joy of being out and about in NYC, cruising down the street with jazzy rhythms in my heart. Those days are returning. I can feel it.
Are you planning on touring the new songs around?
Certainly. More on that later. You can stay up to date on my appearances on my Instagram (@liam.forde.music) and on my website (liam-forde.com).
How much has COVID-19 disrupted your professional life?
For a while, everything grinded to a halt. Things are slowly returning, but it’s still not what it was. Many of the songs on the album were written during the pandemic. Others were bouncing around in my head for years, but in fragments. I’m grateful that I finally had the time to buckle down and put it all together with my producer and friend Zack Eldridge. Zack is also the drummer and co-arranger.
When did you first fall in love with music?
A lot of moments stick out, but the first reaction I remember having to a song was to the nursery rhyme “Oh, Dear! What Can the Matter Be? (Johnny’s So Long at the Fair).” The churn of the waltz combined with the lyric made me really sad and worried. I thought, what if Johnny never comes back? It broke my heart. Hearing my sister playing Ella Fitzgerald’s Best of the Songbooks album through the bedroom wall was another big “aha” moment. The melodies swept me away. I couldn’t get over the opening line of “I Got it Bad and That Ain’t Good”: “The poets say that all who love are blind, but I’m in love and I know what time it is.” That is still one of my favorite lyrics.
Is there a greater independence when putting out a solo record? Do you like being your own boss?
I’m a freelancer, so I’m used to working for myself. It’s ideal because it offers me flexibility. So, yes, I like being my own boss very much. I can’t overstate how much I’ve learned making Great to Be Here. I’ve wanted to do a solo record for a long time because I feel I have a unique aesthetic and point of view to share with the world. I hope this album reaches anyone who might need to hear it. We need tenderness now more than ever.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Liam Forde’s new album is Great to Be Here, and he’ll celebrate the release with a March 25 concert at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City. Click here for more information.
