Carolina Liar

Carolina Liar’s path mirrors the plot of a feature film set inside the record business. At the heart of the post-punk outfit stands Charleston, South Carolina native Chad Wolf, who serves as singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Exposure to new wave arrived through his older sister’s record collection. At twenty-two he relocated to Los Angeles, supporting himself with assorted temporary work that included an uncredited appearance in a Celine Dion video, before securing an internship under songwriter Diane Warren, who sharpened his craft.

The chapter might have closed there if Wolf had not agreed to housesit for Alexander Kronlund, a childhood friend of famed Swedish record producer Max Martin. Martin listened to one of Wolf’s songs, requested more material, and soon Wolf was in Stockholm cutting an album with one of Europe’s most prominent pop producers. An all-Swedish lineup supplied the backing: Jim Almgren Gandara on guitar, Johan Carlsson on keyboards, Rickard Goransson on guitar, Max Grahn on drums, and Erik Haager on bass.

Dubbing themselves Carolina Liar and with Wolf on lead vocals, the band issued its debut album, Coming to Terms, on Atlantic Records in 2008.