Liam Kazar

Liam Kazar, a onetime Kids These Days participant and longtime collaborator with Tweedy and Steve Gunn, issued his debut solo album Due North in 2021, channeling the sharper, more refined qualities of 1970s rock in the vein of Steely Dan and Todd Rundgren. Among those lending their talents were Spencer Tweedy, Ohmme, and Sam Evian.

Also known as Liam Cunningham, Kazar helped launch the playful, cross-genre hip-hop outfit Kids These Days in 2009 alongside Macie Stewart, Lane Beckstrom, Vic Mensa, Greg Landfair, Jr., Nico Segal, J.P. Floyd, and Rajiv Halim. The group captured that year’s Next Big Thing competition at Chicago’s Congress Theater and made early festival appearances at South by Southwest and Lollapalooza in 2011. After several shorter releases, the ensemble performed live on Conan in June 2012 during a week of broadcasts from the Chicago Theatre. Their first album, Traphouse Rock, arrived that October on the Save Money label, produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy with portions tracked at the Wilco Loft. The eight-piece collective disbanded the next year.

Kazar (vocals, guitar), Macie Stewart (keys, vocals, guitar), and Lane Beckstrom (bass) subsequently formed the indie rock band Marrow with drummer Matt Carroll. Their debut EP, Two, came out in December 2013, followed by the full-length The Gold Standard in September 2015. Stewart meanwhile started Ohmme with fellow singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sima Cunningham, Liam’s older sister. Sima and Liam both toured as members of Tweedy, featuring Jeff and son Spencer Tweedy.

While maintaining a sideman career that includes work with Chance the Rapper, Steve Gunn, and Daniel Johnston, Kazar assembled his first solo project after relocating from Chicago to Kansas City, Missouri. Due North featured Beckstrom on bass, Spencer Tweedy on drums, co-producer James Elkington on pedal steel, and Dave Curtin on keyboards, with background vocals from Ohmme and Andrew Sa. Mixed by Sam Evian, the album appeared on Woodsist/Mare Records in August 2021.