Leisure Suit Larrikins

A shared love and nostalgia for the absurdity of Australian current affairs and pop vernacular jolted vocalist Monte Morgan and keyboardist/producer Harvey Miller together to form the electro-pop duo Client Liaison. The Melburnians, who met in high school, swanned into the music scene in 2012, penning boppy songs about corporate hustle, kitsch trends and leisurely pursuits. They’ve collaborated with Tina Arena and John Farnham and will support Kylie Minogue’s 2019 tour, in between running their fashion line and hatching other experiential ideas. VAULT spoke to them ahead of a big year.

written by Mariam Arcilla FEB 2019

Client Liaison could be described as the definition of dilettantish: you’re a band, fashion label, festival curators, limousine service, and ambassadors of Australiana culture. What’s your game plan?
Harvey Miller
Our goal is to tell stories and give experiences, and the fun part is finding creative ways to do so. We convey a sense of sophistication blended with Sir Les Patterson-style larrikinism, so the phrase ‘client liaison’ can feel like jargon, but it also evokes a corporate mythology that we happily explore. After writing our song, ‘Off White Limousine’, we continued the narrative by buying a real limo for fans to experience. We often joke that we should start selling financial products, like home loans, but we need to be careful sometimes, because our half-baked ideas could turn into reality. We put everything into our art, so our dreams are often bigger than life, which is a good thing, I think?

Certainly. Your live shows contain a bit of everything – musicality, costumes, dance moves, set design – they have this ‘dream big’ bodaciousness. What feeds your showmanship?
Monte Morgan
I was doing theatre at high school and became influenced by Prince. He was infinitely varied and prolific – he showed me that music was more than just sound. Many people hide behind their instruments and ignore the numerous facets a stage has to offer. An electric energy should happen between performer and audience; it asks to be harnessed and caressed. So, we want these shows to translate our music into cathartic, tangible moments that.. Subscribe to read this article in full