The Midwest indie-rocker, Liam Brock has been on the cusp of something bigger lately, and I decided to sit down with Liam to unpack it all straight from the man himself. Whether it's opening for Arcy Drive, working on the video for "Burnt Away," or new music, we touch on it all in this interview. Let's get into it.

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Where are you originally from and how did you start making music?

I’m from Medina, Ohio which is like 40 minutes south of Cleveland. My first steps in music were when I was in middle school around 2017-2018 when I started playing drums, and I was a big fan of Twenty One Pilots. They were the first huge band I got to see coming out of my state that were really doing their own thing, and it really inspired me to pursue it more. Around that same time, I ended up getting a drum kit and my cousin Justin got a guitar. We would spend all of our time in my old barn doing punk covers like Nirvana and Green Day and just have a blast.

I kept played drums all the way through high school and eventually started to learn guitar around my junior/senior year, and then towards the end of my senior year I really started to figure out how to use my voice. It was around that time that I knew I wanted to try to make a career out of music or at least follow it throughout my life. Since then I have bought any instrument I could get my hands on, from bass to piano, to random instruments from thrift stores and garage sales. It was in April of 2022 though when I started to write songs that I was actually stoked about. I ended up putting out my first song “Beach Bum” around that time, and since then I’ve just been taking it in stride and it’s been a lot of fun.

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Who are your favorite artists and who are some of the main influences on your sound? 

Growing up with bands like Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Nirvana, I pull a lot of my inspiration from that 90's grunge and rock sound. When I first started putting out music, though, I ended up getting really into bands like Sun Room and Foxtide with more of a California sound that influenced a lot of my early work. Right now I’m really into Arcy Drive who I’m about to open for in Kansas City, but other than that, bands like The Rosies, Skegss, and Hockey Dad are some of my other biggest influences.

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What’s it like opening for groups like Arcy Drive, and how has performing been for you in general?

Playing live is always super cool. I actually opened for Arcy Drive last year the night before my 21st birthday (which felt kind of like a birthday present to me), and now I’m playing with them on the 8th which is my Dad’s birthday so it all feels really full circle. I only started performing in April of last year so it's been a little over a year of doing this, but it's been the most fun I’ve ever had. Up until then all of my music only existed digitally, so playing shows has been great for me to see my music connect with people face to face and make it more of a communal thing. It’s definitely my favorite thing about music, stemming all the way back from playing drums live as a kid in my barn. 

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What was it like making “Burnt Away” and what does the song mean to you?

This past October I went on a roadtrip with my best friend all around the county for about three weeks. Being from Ohio, you don’t get exposed to much, but you’re born with a natural pull to see what’s out there. Going on this trip opened my eyes to how much more there is to grow and experience in life. The song is kind of about being on that fence between staying or going, being comfortable or leaping into the unknown. It’s basically a representation of how that trip made me feel. 

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How has your sound progressed from more of a surf rock to a folk feel, and where are you planning on taking it in the future? 

I think the trajectory of everything is up in the air, but it was definitely an intentional move to switch away from the surf rock stuff last year. I really enjoy the surf rock genre, but I also enjoy too many other types of music to stay only in that pocket. Especially writing songs in late fall, the folk vibe just fit how I was feeling a lot more. There will be both types of songs in the future from me, but right now I’m just trying to figure out how I’m gonna walk that line between the two. 

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What do you have coming up in the near future? Anything specific you could hint at?

The music video for “Burnt Away” shot by my good friend Will Wark is coming soon, and beyond that I have an EP on the way this summer. It’s probably gonna take a step back into that indie rock vibe, which is definitely refreshing for me with the change of the seasons. That’s all I can say at the moment. 

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Lastly, what are some of your long-term goals and dream collaborations?

I’m not really sure what my relationship is with collaborating yet. I don’t know if I’m ever gonna have features on my tracks or anything, but I have a lot of goals in terms of playing shows. I really want to play with or open for Briston Maroney, he’s been a huge inspiration for me over the years. I’d also love to play at Red Rocks, that’s always been my dream venue. For the super long-term, I think I want to take steps into other creative fields, whether it’s film, creative design or other lanes. I'm really excited to explore what's out there.