Amjad Mrad Gets Honest About His Upcoming Single "Liar"

Lebanese singer, songwriter, producer, and creative strategist Amjad Mrad has built an impressive career on both sides of the music industry. His independently released debut single, "sick of u", reached No. 6 on Anghami's charts, and he has since worked with some of the industry's most recognized songwriters, producers, and artists, while leading creative projects at Warner Chappell Music in Los Angeles.

As he prepares to release his upcoming single "Liar," we spoke with Amjad about his music, creative collaborations, and how his experiences as an industry creative and artist continue to shape one another. Read our interview below.

Photo by Michael Abounabhan

What is it like to work in entertainment and also be an artist?

At my core, I've always been an artist and a creative. I love writing, producing, and performing music, and I think that experience has shaped everything I do professionally. A lot of people in the music industry are creatives themselves, and I love being able to bring that perspective into my work. Whether I'm making my own music, developing creative projects, or working directly with other artists and songwriters, I'm drawing on the same creative instincts and experiences. I get to collaborate with some incredibly accomplished people, contribute my own ideas, and constantly grow as a creative person. To me, it's all part of the same career in music.

Do you think being a creative has made you better at your job?

Totally. A big part of my job is supporting artists and developing creative projects with them and their teams. I'm always speaking directly with writers, artists, and their managers. Knowing how I'd like to be treated as an artist has helped me better listen to creatives, earn their trust, and build meaningful working relationships.

Do you think your job has made you better at being creative?

I've learned so much from the writers, producers, and artists I work with every day. Being part of their creative processes, exchanging ideas, and seeing how they approach music has definitely influenced how I approach my own songwriting and production.

What was the first song you wrote and when did you realize music could be a career?

I've always been a songwriter. I remember being four years old, coming home from school, jumping on the bed, and making up songs about my crushes. I journaled and watched music videos. High School Musical was my favorite movie as a kid.

In middle school, I went through some bullying, and songwriting was the only place I could express myself. In a way, it saved me and held me through those difficult times.

At 15, I started posting my songs on YouTube, and they started getting a lot of attention. The response encouraged me to take music more seriously. I started performing around Lebanon, including at one of the country's major music festivals.

When COVID hit, I worked a lot on my production and produced my first song in GarageBand. It was called "sick of u," and when I released it, it went viral in Lebanon, reaching No. 6 on Anghami's charts and charting across the Middle East.

Growing up in Lebanon, you're not really taught that being a creative is a career. You're either a doctor or a lawyer. But I got a few record label offers, and that's when I realized I could realistically pursue a career in music. And so I moved to the US to study music.

You’ve built a huge community here in LA. How did you find your creative collaborators?

When I moved to LA, I won a songwriting competition hosted by Splice and LAAMP and got a scholarship to their program. The program was founded by Stargate, and we had incredible mentors like Benny Blanco and Emily Warren come speak to us. That program was my first entry point to meeting writers, producers, and artists in LA.

I ended up joining the LAAMP team and eventually became Head of Content, which gave me the opportunity to work even more closely with so many incredible creatives. I met many of my close collaborators through LAAMP.

The cool thing about LA is that if you go out of your way to meet people and are a nice person, you'll meet really cool people. I've built relationships and worked with writers and producers who have major cuts, and a lot of those collaborations came from putting myself out there and genuinely connecting with people.

Tell me more about your upcoming single, “Liar.” How are you feeling leading up to its release?

I'm really excited to release new music. I've spent the past few years growing so much creatively and personally, and I feel like my upcoming music reflects that.

I made "Liar" with one of my dear friends, Daniel Tayra, who produced it. It's actually the first time I've taken a step back from being the main producer on one of my songs, which has been really exciting creatively. It's also one of the most vulnerable songs I've written, and it allowed me to express myself more openly.

In hindsight, I don't actually think I'm a "liar." I'm actually a terrible liar. You would absolutely know if I were lying to you. It makes me so uncomfortable. I was always that kid who was terrified to cheat on a test or even do something slightly wrong. A bit of a goody two-shoes, I'd say.

But I do think there have been moments when I haven't been entirely honest with myself. The song is almost an exaggerated criticism of those moments. Something about calling myself something I dislike so much felt strangely freeing.

It is very honest for a song called “Liar.” Do you have a favorite lyric?

In the bridge and outro, there's a line that says, "People like me because I'm funny, but really all I am is a liar." I love that lyric. I also really like "The only truth you'll ever get out of me is that I'm a liar." When I wrote that, I was like, "I ate!"

I love the morning pages line. Did you do ‘The Artist’s Way’?

That's another thing I'm a liar about! I started it but never fully committed. I do morning pages occasionally, definitely not every day like you're supposed to. There are a few things in the verses that aren't entirely true on purpose, and that's one of them. So many friends have told me The Artist's Way changed their lives, so I definitely want to finish it at some point.

How did you know when the song was done?

We're actually putting the finishing touches on it now! There are still some backing vocals and little production details we're working on, but creatively, I feel like the song is exactly where I want it to be.

In general, I know a song is done because when I listen, there's nothing left I want to say. Other ideas might stem from it, but those ideas can be other songs. I'm really satisfied with "Liar," and I'm excited to finalize it, get it out there, and see how people react!