Liberty, breakout singer-songwriter, is making a strong mark in the music industry. Her debut single, "I Wanna," has already racked up over 65,000 streams in just two months, setting the stage for what’s sure to be a remarkable career. Following this success, Liberty’s highly anticipated second single, "Are We Dead," is set to drop on February 21st, through UK-based B-Unique Records (James Bay, Kodaline, Snow Patrol).
Co-written and produced in a collaborative session with the talented Aubrie Mitchell, "Are We Dead" is a powerful follow-up to Liberty’s debut. Reflecting on the experience, Liberty shares, "I was so excited coming into this session—it was the first time I got to work with another female producer, and the energy was incredible." In August last year, Liberty gave fans a sneak peek of the track by leaking it during a TikTok live session, and the response was overwhelming. Since then, "Are We Dead" has become a fan favorite and a regular request on her livestreams.
With a rapidly growing fanbase, Liberty has over 350K followers and 7 million likes across Instagram and TikTok. Her captivating online presence has helped her connect with fans from all corners of the globe.
The new year kicked off with a bang for Liberty as she opened for American band Sublime at their sold-out Hawkes Bay show on January 1st. The momentum from the release of "I Wanna" continues to propel her career, landing her on the front page of local news paper Hawkes Bay Today, and securing appearances on The Hits and The Breeze. She was also featured in NZ Herald and was included in NZ on Air’s “New Tracks” compilation. Liberty reflects, “I’m beyond excited to see where this next song will take me, especially after the incredible success of ‘I Wanna.’”
Liberty’s rise on social media and her unique, creative lyrics quickly caught the attention of B-Unique Records, who invited her to their Los Angeles studios to collaborate with their US-based writers. Reflecting on the experience, Liberty shared, "It really sparked my love for writing with others and how that can bring out ideas I wouldn’t have come up with on my own."
Less than a year later, Liberty was back in New Zealand when she flew to Auckland for a few writing sessions, one of which led to the creation of "Are We Dead." Liberty recalls, "I came into the session and played Aubrie the first verse to see what she thought. She loved it, and within the next hour, we had pretty much finished writing it."
About an hour into the session, Liberty and Aubrie encountered some technical issues with the equipment, forcing them to drive across town to finish the track at Big Fan studios. Liberty reflects, "In hindsight, I think this actually shaped the song’s production. We bonded over a shared love for Gracie Abrams at the start of the session, and during the drive over to Big Fan, we listened to her album The Secret of Us. I think you can definitely hear that influence in the finished track."
The inspiration for "Are We Dead" struck Liberty as she drove through her hometown and noticed that both of the places where she had gone on dates with a guy had closed down. Still thinking about him, she came up with the opening lines: "The places that we dated have both since closed, Like the door to your room, like your eyes in your tomb, And I know that I should even notice, But I can’t seem to lose focus."
Liberty describes the song as a reflection of her own experience with delusion in relationships: "It's about holding onto that tiny bit of hope—that maybe the relationship isn't really over. It's not ‘dead.’"