Fierce and uncompromising, Liverpool’s rising stars The Mysterines have been attracting a great deal of attention since their debut EP Take Control released in 2019. The band’s rising profile is down to their impressively engaging live performance, as well as the fuzzy and visceral energy that they bring to the table. The indie rock duo now consists of vocalist/guitarist Lia Metcalfe and bassist George Favage, and they’re ready for bigger challenges on the horizon.
Accompanying the band’s boisterous Rock ‘N’ Roll is lead vocalist Lia’s incredibly powerful vocals. At the age of 8, Lia started picking up the guitar with the incentive to complement the short poems she wrote as a kid. Fast forward to her formative years, teenage Lia had an epiphany that music is her calling, hence, early days Mysterines was born.
Today, The Mysterines release their new single ‘I Win Every Time’. Laced with grunge-filled distortion, the track quickly unravels into a dark world of desire and chaos. The music video features visuals of Lia being trapped in her bedroom in isolation and slowly descending into madness. To find out more about the band’s new release, we sat down with Lia Metcalfe to talk about the evolution of The Mysterines and how 90s alt-rock bands like The Strokes have inspired her.
An interview with Lia Metcalfe from The Mysterines
How did you guys come together and become The Mysterines?
Forming bands is usually quite long and sometimes trivial until you feel comfortable with the right people to work together creatively. How we came together is through experiences like that, but we’re definitely at a strong point now and able to write the debut album together.
Where was your head at while making your debut EP Take Control?
Probably the same place every 16-year-old girl’s head was at.
With your new single ‘I Win Every Time’ this Friday, is there any sentiment behind your songwriting?
The sentiment was and always is to just enjoy the song.
How has your songwriting style changed over the years?
I think the new songs and their lyrics have become more precise and thematic.
What is your take on following trends regarding music making?
I’m not sure if anyone can follow a trend musically. Most musicians are just making the music that they enjoy and want to hear themselves. If they’re making music for anyone else or to fit into a trend, then they should probably stop trying.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
We all like a lot of different artists, from Dua Lipa to Bon Iver to AC/DC. We take inspiration from most of the music we listen to.
I know you’re a huge fan of The Strokes. At what point in your life did you discover them and what are your favourite album(s) of theirs?
I was brought up on The Strokes. My parents loved them and used to go and watch them play a lot when I was a kid. I was born in 2000 so that was peak era for bands like The Strokes and Kings of Leon, Black Rebel, etc. My favourite album of theirs is probably the debut album Is This It.
What do you most look forward to doing after the pandemic (aside from touring)?
Not hearing about it on the news anymore.
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