Welcome to the world of Client Liaison, a world unto itself which invites you inwards to question yourself, open your mind and think twice. It's a fabulous world where business is the new religion and absurdity the new norm. Where fashion is your liberator and music is the door to your salvation. No matter your frustrations, no matter your emotional state, it's a given that you have a permanent invitation to follow them and witness this transcendental search. They're ready to be your spiritual guides to a more positive and enlightened life, working off your collective energy, positivity, and pure expression. Quenching your insatiable desire for excess and leading you to a new way of living.
All jokes and promo hyperbole aside, the time is right (once again) for Client Liaison. Much the same way as their debut - Diplomatic Immunity - forced itself into the pop zeitgeist five years ago, armed with a gigantic grin, a cannon of perfect pop songs and fabulous AF hair.
Half a decade later, the world feels grim and Client Liaison's return couldn't feel more timely, almost as though they have something of a Bat Signal visible only to them.
At last, Divine Intervention is here, picking off exactly where Diplomatic Immunity left off but, this time, vocalist Monte Morgan and keyboardist and producer Harvey Miller are upping the ante for a new musical journey that touches on themes of love, connection, pleasure and fantasy by way of dancefloor-ready explorations of divine and higher powers.
"The body of work started with [NZ go-to producer and writer] Dann Hume in Byron Bay," explains Morgan. "We spent quite a bit of time there in 2018, we were staying on the beach and we were trying to write a song a day at Music Farm Studios. It was a really nice time, but we were writing all kinds of different songs, not knowing what the next one would be. But it somewhat came together with Nick Littlemore [PNAU, Empire Of The Sun] in L.A. and we wrote a song called 'House Of Holy' and we pulled together some older songs that had a cohesive theme and then we wrote some new ones. But, really, it became a lot easier when we came across the concept of a pseudo-spiritual record."
For Morgan and Miller, writing 'House Of Holy' must've been akin to unearthing gold. To call the euphoric anthem four-and-a-half minutes of relentless, superior hooks would still be an understatement. If it wasn't already one of the finest pop songs to emerge from an Aussie artist since their much-appreciated 2016 call-to-arms 'World Of Our Love', then a flute solo surely does the trick. They're the consummate hosts, the sophisticated and sharply-dressed party starters and the type to be the last one standing at said soiree still looking like a million bucks with outfits intact and hair still high and fabulous.
The album features a tidy 14 tracks and has been preceded by not only 'House Of Holy', but also 'The Real Thing', 'The Beat Supreme', 'Champagne Affection', 'Intervention' and 'Elevator Up.' Every single released has been better than the previous, but as good as the next - if that makes any sense at all - and are seemingly designed to spark the ears of modern music listeners, while coaxing '90's kids into letting go with a sly side-eye.
On the likes of 'The Real Thing', Monte unleashes his full George Michael for a proper uplifting, roller skate rink-jam, while 'Champagne Affection' is top shelf sophisticated pop, bird sounds, a deep understanding of songwriting and a deep groove that'd sit neatly beside Black Box's classic cover of Earth Wind and Fire's 'Fantasy'. And you'd certainly be forgiven for hearing cues from Prince, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Screamadelica-circa Primal Scream and M-People throughout the record.
[Sidenote : the lads have a rather outstanding playlist on their Spotify suggesting I'm not wrong. It's feel good and fancy free and you've a hankering to hear Dr. Alban's 'Sing Hallelujah for the first time in 20-something years, you can play it below and you will NOT hate it for a single moment.]
The references of inspiration might be largely be from the '80's and 90's, a noted superior time for pop music, but the duo update these sounds on Divine Intervention and have "Summer", "dancefloor" and "good times" written all over them. For Monte Morgan though, his personal 'moment' on the album comes on the track 'Prisoners Of The High Life'.
"That breakdown gives me tingles every time," he confesses. "I recorded the vocals with our mixer François Tétaz and he really brought out another side of me, kind of a Barry Gibb falsetto - "you can have a high rise lifestyle, but that ain't gonna make a home." It's got these very intimate and vulnerable lyrics, it shows the vulnerable side to my voice and our sound."
"The production value on some of the tracks like 'Cold To Touch' just hit hard in a way that some of our other tracks haven't before," Harvey continues. "It shows a maturity in the sound and it's cool to hear your tracks stand up sonically against other stuff you hear. The sonics and the way speakers drive that sound, it's cool to hear your sonics do that like other peoples'. That's something about this album that I'm into."
With over 80 million global streams and multiple ARIA nominations to their name, it's encouraging to watch the quality of Client Liaison bubble to the surface and cement themselves as one of Australia’s most celebrated pop acts and future household names. Their stage show is a whole other story, a force to be reckoned with (with a rabid following) that has seen iconic shows on some of the largest stages both at home and abroad; selling out shows on their 2019 ‘The Real Thing National Tour’ and continuing to cement themselves as festival favorites having played Splendour in the Grass, Groovin The Moo, Falls Festival, Field Day, Primavera (Spain) and Firefly Music Festival (US). To see them in their natural habitat on stage is pure, unadulterated joy and as natural, born entertainers, it's devastating to watch them (among a whole lot of others) unable to play due to national lockdowns.
"We had a tour planned," reveals Monte. "We were in the process of working with a magician, putting some magic tricks into our live show as well as some other costume and staging ideas. Lockdown's a funny one because certain things, like I enjoy writing lyrics but there's nothing quite like being in the same room for the singing and playing instruments."
"The Zooms are good," adds Harvey. "You save yourself having to travel across town for just a meeting. I mean, that's pretty groundbreaking and it's weird we didn't do that beforehand, but anyway - that's awesome. It is what it is and just all a bit of a blur really, this confused blur."
All in all, Client Liaison have proven that lightning does indeed strike twice, when it comes to album releases. At its crux, Divine Intervention is essentially just that - divinity in its purest form from a pair of disco cult leaders who Monte suggests should be experienced via a visual format.
"I would usually say that Client Liaison is best experienced in the form of a live show or a music video. I think the visual is super important to us usually. But I would say, I hope, we've drawn people in on the audio only, and if you listen on headphones you're greeted with an intro, immediately the concept of going to a club with a double meaning. We like using double meanings. Hopefully, there's a level of curiosity for us and we make them [listeners] think twice.
"I think the greatest hope would be for the sun to come out at the same time the album is coming out and for all of us to come out and hang with our friends at the same time," Harvey continues. "The best memories with music and songs that I love are formed with moments and friendships and places and environments, rather than just up in your own head or your phone. So if we could merge, and I think we're getting the timing with releasing this album right with us coming back to normalcy, with the summer coming as well - that would be the greatest hope and wish. That's how you set up for a good album - summer, friends and fun times."
CLIENT LIAISON'S SECOND ALBUM DIVINE INTERVENTION IS OUT NOW
AND IS A WAXX LYRICAL FEATURE RECORD.
Watch the full interview above, with bonus material about their thoughts on the importance of the vinyl format, bougey smoothies, haunted studios and what it was like working with super-producers Nick Littlemore and Dann Hume.