Liam Kazar

This Friday, Kansas City-based, Chicago-raised musician, songwriter and chef Liam Kazar will release his debut album, Due North, on Woodsist / Mare Records (Kevin Morby’s Woodsist imprint). Today, he reveals a new single/video, “No Time For Eternity,” following a string of previously released tracks. Though Due North is full of songs that act as a mirror to Kazar’s many talents, few sum it up as concisely as “No Time For Eternity.” On the song, he and Chicago country crooner Andrew Sa sing over James Elkington’s wailing pedal steel, taking stock of the most important things in life: “Making time to live my life / Making time for you and me.” Kazar further elaborates: “The reality of my life is that when I come home, and I’m talking with my partner, maybe we had a bad day, but we still are laughing and having a good time with each other at the same time. I had to make music that expressed that part of me that’s a person who genuinely enjoys themselves.” In the accompanying video, directed by Jesse Morgan Young, Kazar comforts a mourning Sa with a feast and a dream-like living room performance.

Throughout the last decade, Kazar has been recognized for his adaptability and deftness in the studio and on stage, leading to tours and collaborations with Jeff Tweedy, Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn, Daniel Johnston, amongst others. While Kazar has consistently been a dream bandmate over the past several years, making his own songs presented a chance to finally find his own voice. Due North is a personal revelation, where the more Kazar wrote, the more his songs showed what kind of artist he’s always wanted to be – one whose own joyous rock songs are so irresistible, full of charm, wit and heart, they feel timeless. Aside from Kazar’s incredible musicianship, he’s also a fantastic chef. He runs a restaurant, Isfahan, in which he makes gorgeous dishes that honor his Armenian heritage and his family’s journey to the United States from Iran, Syria, and Lebanon.

In support of Due North, Kazar will play across the Midwest, including two record release shows in Chicago. Tickets for all shows are on sale now. Yesterday, Kazar gave a look into his live show on WGN midday news performance, where he talked about both Due North and Isfahan. Watch it here.