Inside Lior’s World of Song and Story
Published on 21 April 2026
ARIA Award-winning Israeli/Australian singer-songwriter, Lior has a vocal quality so pure, soulful and honest, it’s practically transcendent. “That connection to the divine is what drew me to music. I see music as a source of spirituality.” Like all the most talented people, he has a grounded humility which adds to his ample dose of charm.
Lior spent the first nine years of his life in Israel in what he describes as an idyllic childhood playing street soccer and dipping in and out of the neighbours’ houses as was the norm in Mediterranean culture. He remembers first being touched by music when he saw a singer on TV. He was about seven. Lior was struck by how much the music moved him. He describes it as a pin drop moment.
Lior was just feeling the urge to pick up a guitar when the family moved to Australia. It was very different to what he was used to. Australia was very Anglo compared to his multi-cultural homeland. There was an odd formality to it. He found it strange that he had to call and ask to visit with friends unlike Israel where he’d just show up.
Having spent a few years living in Boston in early childhood, Lior was also teased at his new school for his distinctive Boston accent, but after a while, he found his groove. It wasn’t until his teens that he thought he might be able to make a career in music. By then, he had been singing and playing guitar for several years.
When Lior sets about song writing, it’s the music that comes first informing the feeling of the words. He finds it hard writing the other way around. “I always want my songs to be about something meaningful to me. It started out as a kind of diary. Once I have the music, I find the lyric writing easy.” When he’s really into it, he goes into a flow state and can just let go.
“To be a good songwriter, you have to live – to let go, embrace life, capture the intensity of emotion - seize that, channelling the feeling into thought through music. I am captivated by the efficiency of a song. It can break you down in a few minutes. Nothing else can do that.”
Both intention and inspiration inform his song writing. “A songwriter is always song writing. If you’re waiting for inspiration, you could be waiting a long time. You can get inspired by doing. The other important thing is curiosity.”
Lior has done some amazing collaborations over the course of his career. The one that really stands out was with Australian composer Nigel Westlake in a project called Compassion. “I was terrified. I wasn’t sure I was worthy as a vocal soloist in front of an orchestra. It was overwhelming, but Nigel had complete faith in me.”
Lior enjoys collaborating with composers and orchestras. “The best singing happens in front of an orchestra. The power and richness are extraordinary. The music becomes something greater.” He feels humbled and grateful when a composer views his work as different and worthy.
There have been a few unexpected projects across his career. After one of his Shadows and Light concerts, which included shadow puppetry, two ladies from the ABC approached Lior asking him to write the closing theme song for a new show called, Giggle and Hoot. In terms of audience engagement, it’s the most popular song he’s ever written.
In another unexpected pivot, Lior was asked by a theatre director to play Motel in Fiddler on the Roof. “I’d never been on stage as anyone but myself before, but I’d love to do it again. I experienced that same sense of flow I get in music – at one with my character.” His performance was praised by critics.
Lior feels what connects him to live audiences is his authenticity. He views the stage as a sacred place. In an intimate gig, he can share stories about his songs offering a unique personal insight in a one of a kind performance. Sometimes he’ll talk to members of the audience. His current show, Lior with String Quartet, is that kind of performance. He partners with violins, viola and double bass. It’s one of his favourite show formats.
While immensely proud of his ARIA award nominated debut studio album, Autumn Flow, it was an album he made in his 20s. The album that most resonates with him now is Scattered Reflections. He feels it’s his strongest complete album. That said, his work is always evolving.
Lior likes to jump from one end of the spectrum to the other – from the large sonic of an orchestra to an intimate night of music. At the moment, he’s recording a series of singles sourced from older demos. He’s enjoying the freedom to do different things.
If he could have chosen something entirely different, it would have been medicine. He feels it’s a noble profession. Fortunately for his audiences, the pull to music was stronger. He knew he had something unique and individual to offer. He certain does. Don’t miss Lior at Frankston Arts Centre on Thursday July 2nd at 7:30 pm.
By ANDREA LOUISE THOMAS, Feature Arts Writer
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