‘It’s a strange place’ – The Beths’ singer Liz Stokes on US tour

Lead singer Liz Stokes tells RNZ’s Afternoons, she’s pleased to be back in Aotearoa, and excited to perform their fourth album Straight Line Was A Lie, to family and friends.

The band recently wrapped up an epic 70-show run which saw them travelling around the United States in a bus with 12 “coffin-sized beds” to enjoy, Stokes says.

“[The US] it’s a strange place… it’s a hard place at the moment… we’re seeing it as tourists where we go from music venue to music venue which are spaces where you know, it’s lovely people who are just wanting to support the culture…

“But obviously there is a lot of ugliness there, but we don’t see it…”

“When it got taken off the air we were like ‘never mind’, but when it was brought back it came through too.”

Stokes says it was cool being able to see the “movie magic” behind the scenes.

Actress Tessa Thompson was on the show the same night, Stokes says, but the band was shot earlier in the day before her or the audience came in.

The band performed the title track from their latest album Straight Line Was A Lie, an album Stokes says encapsulated a lot of her life over the last few years.

“I’ve been going through some big emotional and health journeys over the last few years and it’s really put all of that into the music that I’ve made… a lot of my life encapsulated in this album, like a horcrux or something.”

“I have a tendency to overshare, but it feels better to talk about it than be vague about it.”

She says she’s looking forward to finally doing a New Zealand tour.

“We’ve played this album now so much, but haven’t played it to New Zealand yet.”

But first, The Beths will be heading off to Japan on Monday, playing a sold-out show in Tokyo and another in Osaka.

“There’s definitely a big guitar music and alternative music scene in Japan.

“People there still buy CDs which is really lovely. “

The Beths will be playing shows throughout Aotearoa from 13-28 March.