Getting a kick out of music

Singer-songwriter Lior Attar has played with some of the great musicians of his time. He also plays soccer.

Lior Attar

Singer-songwriter Lior Attar, 44, has played with some of the great musicians of his time. He was a serious soccer player until age 15, when ‘music won’. He still kicks a ball socially.

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Growing up in the Attar household in Israel, was music much of a feature in your day-to-day life?

My parents weren’t musically educated but they have a great love of music. Mum is a big Leonard Cohen fan. Dad is a classical music tragic, but because he never had any formal education and grew up in Iraq he wasn’t introduced to classical music until he moved to Israel later in his teens. As a kid the idea of listening to classical music was like torture for him. Then later as a teenager he thought there must be something in this for so many people to like it. He bought a Beethoven record and that was the beginning of a long love-affair with classical music. I had a broad palette of music being played around me but something just drew me to pick up the guitar and from then on it was my own journey.

You’re currently on tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra performing everything from Britten to Purcell and R.E.M., accompanied by a backdrop of works by artist Bill Henson. What makes this a fascinating production to be part of?

I’ve wanted to work with the ACO in any kind of capacity since I saw them at the Adelaide Festival a few years ago so when they asked to be part of this show I didn’t have to think very long about the answer. But being part of a show that is multi-sensory and has a visual component. I’ve been a fan of Bill Henson’s work for a long time so there are multifaceted things that attracted me towards working on this presentation.

Bill Henson has had his share of controversy and today we see artists under increasing pressure with the #MeToo movement. Do such political movements place fetters on artistic expression? Are artists free or do they need to watch what they say and do?

I do think there are intense pressures on artists who express themselves. They may not be legal inhibitors but things like the accessibility to voice opinions on social media make it difficult on an emotional level for artists because they get bombarded with criticism so quickly and so broadly. You have to have real strength of character if you’re out there expressing your opinion or protesting something because you know you’re going to get a barrage and it could be hate-mail. I think maybe spiritually and emotionally it’s an extremely testing time for artists who, at the best of times, have to wrestle with the inevitable self-doubt that is so part of being an artist.

In 2005 you independently released your album, quite rare at the time. What kind of trends in producing and releasing music are we seeing now?

The independent thing has become the norm but out of necessity. That’s why I did it independently because I was frustrated with not getting the level of support I wanted. Plus I wanted to maintain artistic control … In terms of trends, the artists who are surviving and making careers are multiskilled because it’s extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make a living out of writing and recording albums now.

Are your children musical?

Every dad thinks their child is a musical prodigy (laughs). Yes they are musical and they have an immense love of music. Whether they end up pursuing it, I don’t know. The love of it is the most important thing.

Lior will perform as part of the ACO’s Luminous at Sydney’s City Recital Hall tonight (and Aug 20-23), at Sydney Opera House tomorrow and at Queensland Performing Arts Centre on Monday.