We heard something on the radio about Liu Bei, a Chinese warlord who was known as an amazing strategist and a really caring, benevolent leader. He was also eight feet tall and had ears so big he could see them. Seemed like something to aspire to.” Liu Bei (“Lou Bay”) explains frontman Richard, was born out of a desire to move away from years of solo acoustic songwriting and embark on something entirely new. In August 2013, on the brink of retiring from live music and concentrating fully on an already successful career writing music for TV shows and ads, Richard embarked on a collaborative project with a few friends which eventually led to the full formation of a band. After falling in love all over again with the likes of Slowdive, Ride and Mazzy Star, he felt an urge to create something epic and timeless. The first song to come was Infatuation – a shimmering, reverb soaked lament charting “how dedication and unconditional love can so quickly turn into something dark and sharp toothed, an aggressive obsession.” You can hear the life cycle of the band within – it retains the reflective, introverted character of its early acoustic form, but builds those raw emotions into something more panoramic, a wash of delayed guitar and building drums reminiscent of the Cocteau Twins. Infatuation was recorded and mixed by James Kenosha (Pulled Apart By Horses, Rhodes, Dancing Years) at The Lodge studio in East Yorkshire during the first days of 2014.
Liu Bei – Infatuation (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Liu Bei – Infatuation Lyrics:
I was sane.
Until you came back again.
Fucking with my head.
We were simply lying.
And it’s aggressive love.
And that’s aggressive .
You’re in my HEART. You’re in my LUNGS.
You’re in my HEAD. You’re on my TONGUE.
You’re in my BOOKS. You’re in this HOUSE.
You’re everywhere. You’re everywhere.
I was sane.
Until you came back again.
Fucking with my friends.
Pouring everything out.
And it’s aggressive love.
That’s aggressive.
You’re in my HEART. You’re in my LUNGS.
You’re in my HEAD. You’re on my TONGUE.
You’re in my BOOKS. You’re in this HOUSE.
You’re everywhere. You’re everywhere.
You’re in my heart. You’re in my lungs.
You’re in my stone. My call, my tongue.
You’re everywhere. You’re everywhere.
Everywhere.
You’re everywhere.