Liam Hayes, professionally known as Plush since 1992, is an American songwriter and performer, originally from
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, United States.
His discography includes three critically acclaimed records: ''
More You Becomes You'' (1998), ''
Fed'' (2002), and ''
Bright Penny'' (2009). In 2000, Hayes appeared as himself performing "Soaring and Boring" in the film ''
High Fidelity
High fidelity (hi-fi or, rarely, HiFi) is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) ...
''.
Early recording years, ''More You Becomes You'' (1994-1998)
Between 1994 and 1998 Liam Hayes recorded and released two singles, 1994's debut single "
Found A Little Baby", and 1997's "No Education".
1998 saw the release of Hayes' debut solo album, ''
More You Becomes You''.
''Fed'' (1999-2002)
After the release of ''More You Becomes You'', Hayes began writing and collecting songs for his second studio album. The album combined rock arrangements with big band instrumentation and full string sections. The end result was ''
Fed'', which was released in 2002.
''Bright Penny'' (2005-2009)
Around 2005, Hayes began to work on his third proper studio album. The sessions were spread between L.A., New York, Michigan, and Chicago and involved numerous musicians including
Brian Wilson
Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
's rhythm section and legendary
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
Blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
and
Jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
drummer
Morris Jennings
Morris Jennings was an American drummer and musician from Chicago. He recorded as Moe Jennings, M. Jennings, Maurice Jennings, Morris "Gator" Jennings, and Morris Jennings Jr.
Jennings played drums on the ''Electric Mud'' album by Muddy Waters, ...
.
Almost a year to the day of the belated UK release of Plush’s ''
Fed'', Broken Horse Records announced the release of its follow up album, ''
Bright Penny''.
Although
Bright Penny appeared relatively quickly after the UK release of ''Fed'', its roots go as far back as the initial release and subsequent non-release of ''Fed''. Whilst dealing with the frustrations that accompanied this situation, and dealing with profound personal loss, Hayes managed to maintain his love of music and his craft of songwriting that had been at the centre of his life since he was a child. As recording began and the album’s track listing began to take shape by selecting songs both old and new from his expanding songbook, a narrative of hope, loss and the love of music began to emerge as the record’s theme.
”Music has defined me and it has always been there with me. I have had a lifelong relationship with it. It pretty much saved me when nothing else could. It has also, at points, pushed me close to the edge. That’s the kind of friend it is.”
The idea of music being one’s greatest ally is explored in “ So Much Music”. Other songs such as “Take A Chance”, present a theme of self transformation, while “Look Up, Look Down” offers a picture of the struggle to survive.
''
Bright Penny'' was released in 2009.
Current activities
In 2013, Hayes scored the soundtrack to the
Roman Coppola
Roman François Coppola (born April 22, 1965) is an American filmmaker and music video director. He is the son of Francis Ford and Eleanor Coppola, and is known for his film collaborations with Wes Anderson.
Coppola serves as president of fi ...
film ''
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III''. “It was surreal,” says Hayes about appearing in the film as an actor.
“I haven’t played any gigs on a beach with a Hammond organ, you know?” Hayes, who has made music under the name Plush since the early ’90s, was contacted by Coppola after the director became a huge fan. “I just got so absorbed by his music,” Coppola told ''
GQ'' (UK) about Hayes and Plush.
The result of this appreciation was Coppola approaching Hayes when writing the script for the film. “It evolved over time,” says Hayes. “When we met to discuss the project we talked about possible songs.
After some time had passed, we talked some more, I added a few more songs, and I ended up doing the entire score.” Hayes also appears in the film performing the tune “So Much Music.”
It was not his first time onscreen: In 2000 he appeared in ''
High Fidelity
High fidelity (hi-fi or, rarely, HiFi) is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) ...
'', performing his song "Soaring and Boring". His imaginative, atmospheric,
cinematic style is well suited to movie soundtracks, and his Charles Swan soundtrack is made up of songs from ''Fed'', ''Bright Penny'' and the
forthcoming ''
Korp Sole Roller'' along with music and symphonic underscore written specifically for the film.
In 2014, Hayes toured as support act for
Christopher Owens, utilizing a new three-piece version of Plush with John San Juan of
Hushdrops on bass and Eric Colin on drums.
Discography
Singles
*"
Found A Little Baby" (1994)
*"No Education" (1997)
Studio albums
*''
More You Becomes You'' (1998)
*''
Fed'' (2002)
*''
Bright Penny'' (2009)
*''
Korp Sole Roller'' (2014)
*''
Slurrup
''Slurrup'' is the fifth studio album by American artist Liam Hayes, released in January 2015. It is full of short and tight songs with searing double tracked guitars and odd keyboards, which contrasts with the expansive, ornate pop of his previ ...
'' (2015)
Soundtrack albums
*''
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III (Music From the Motion Picture)'' (2013)
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Liam
Living people
Songwriters from Illinois
American rock musicians
Fat Possum Records artists
Year of birth missing (living people)