Lior

e855Lior Attar, better known simply as Lior,[1] is an independent Australian singer-songwriter based in Melbourne. He is best known for his 2005 debut studio album Autumn Flow and for the song “Hoot’s Lullaby”.

Lior was born in Rishon LeZion, Israel and he and his family moved to Sydney when he was 10.[2][3] They made their first Australian home in Lane Cove, and Lior studied at Killara High School and the University of New South Wales.[4]

In 2000, Lior released his debut extended play The Soul Suicide EP.

In October 2004, Lior recorded his debut studio album Autumn Flow. He sent it to a number of record labels but failed to secure a deal, and released the album independently, late in 2004. In 2015, Lior recalled the first time he heard a song of his on the radio station, Triple J; “I’d just done the so-called tour to launch the album but it didn’t have any sort of exposure or radio play, so no-one really knew what it was. I went up and down the east coast with a band and lost all my money. I was feeling really defeated and quite sorry for myself, going ‘how am I going to do this’, and the song (“This Old Love”) came on.”[5] Autumn Flow made its ARIA chart debut in early 2005, peaking at number 45. Lior has toured with the WOMAD festival in 2005 to the UK, Singapore and Korea. Lior also performed at the Spiegeltent throughout the world, and the Make Poverty History concerts in Australia.[citation needed]

At ARIA Music Awards of 2005, the album was nominated for three awards; Breakthrough Artist, Best Male Artist, and Best Independent Release.[6] In 2005, the album was one of the fifteen nominees for radio station triple j’s inaugural J Award,[7] given to “an album of outstanding achievement as an Australian musical work of art – for its creativity, innovation, musicianship and contribution to Australian music.[8] Autumn Flow was certified gold by ARIA in 2006.

In February 2006, Lior released a live album, Doorways of My Mind, recorded at the Northcote Social Club. The album consisted mostly of tracks from Autumn Flow as well as some new material such as “Diego and the Village Girl”, “Burying Chances” and “Avinu Malkeinu” (a traditional prayer). At the ARIA Music Awards of 2006, the album was nominated for two awards; Best Independent Release and Best Blues and Roots Album.

Lior moved from Sydney to Melbourne in 2007.[9]