Name: Liraz Charhi aka Liraz
Occupation: Vocalist, songwriter, dancer, actress
Nationality: Iranian-Israeli
Recent release: Liraz's Enerjy EP is out via Batov. She is also currently on tour, see her perform live here:



If you enjoyed this Liraz interview and would like to stay up to date her music and tour dates, visit her on Instagram, and Facebook.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in writing lyrics or poetry? How and when did you start writing?

Sure, my earliest music experience started in my Iranian home. My grandmother used to bring Iranian Records from Tehran and listen to them with me. I felt a big curiosity.

The thing is that after the 70s, I did not get anything new like that from Iran. That’s why I really fell in love with the new age of the psychedelic Iranian music and poetry when I found out about in Los Angeles' Iranian neighborhood. Poets like Rumi Hafiz, and more great poets.

I kind of understood that there is a big connection between the psychedelic aspects of 70s music and the poetry of this time.

It is sometimes said that “music begins where words end.” What do you make of that?

Love, psychedelics.

It is actually feels very familiar with my experience of listening to the same records again and again for years. Then, my curiosity was very big, so I actually started to to make music which literally creates all the layers of my old Iranian heritage and the new me - being Israeli and Iranian at the same time, and falling in love and with psychedelic music

When my family's stories stopped, because they had no future in Iran after the 70s - that’s the exact point when the music starts started to grow inside of me.

Entering new worlds and escapism through music and literature have always exerted a very strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to writing?

I am always drawn to the feelings that are the truth and the reflections of my heart. It was because of my feeling for the Iranian hijab protests women. I was thinking about them before their story was even out in the open, I’m talking about 15 years ago. I followed them and I wrote about them because they inspired me.

Then I really had curiosity to work with them so, I invited them to record two records with me and wrote the albums with them. And now the current EP Enerjy is about the relationship between us and the world … and the relationship between Iran and the world and how much we are familiar with the same position and the same familiar situation.

We share the same enemy. We are fighting the same enemy. So it was very clear to me that my heart was open to write about this topic.

What were some of the artists and albums which inspired you early on purely on the strength of their lyrics? What moves you in the lyrics of other artists?

This is a very good question. I expected them to take all their rage out at the beginning of our journey and the lyrics would be in our face. But it took me a while to explain them, and even convince them to really open their minds and hearts because this is why and what we gathered for.

The agenda in Iran generally is to make everything calm and easy and beautiful. It is a deeply engrained cultural habit to be in touch with your good side. But I was looking to dig inside their souls and write protest lyrics with me.

I wanted them to use their anger and to help me make it even more powerful and loud.

I have always considered many forms of music to be a form of poetry as well. Where do you personally see similarities? What can music express which may be out of reach for poetry?

I think music can take you even further.

You can take your imagination even higher than you could with poetry because when you read something, your imagination goes to one specific thing. But if you hear and also read the lyrics at the same time, the layers of the music, the instruments, the beats, and the vibes of the song can take you to many many, many others imaginations, to your old memories, to your dreams, and your wishes.

As I always say, music can really heal us from our deepest darkest side and lead us to our biggest dreams and happiness

The relationship between words and music has always intrigued me. How do you see it?

I literally see them as one. I cannot say that I first hear the music and then I listen to the lyrics or the other way round. I’m always taking it as a one beautiful monologue that I can listen to or a dialogue which brings me to imagine the scene of the situation.

What kind of musical settings and situations do you think are ideal for your lyrics?

My concerted music is very danceable  

I think you need to listen to my music when your feet are on the floor and you can dance.