Kimm Rogers’ “Lie” Is an Unapologetically Political Tune (premiere)

San Diego-based Kimm Rogers offers a new single with animated video for the track, “Lie”. Produced by Julian Coryell (guitarist with Alanis Morissette), the track arrives in the midst of one a politically charged moment in time. It’s a no-holds-barred look at the current climate and arrives just ahead of the 2020 presidential election as banter about the fate of a nation and the future of the American political system are very much in the air. Discussing the track, Rogers is frank about “Lie’s” origins.

“I wrote the beginnings of ‘Lie’ not long after the [2016] presidential election. While on the campaign trail, it was troubling how the lies became ‘normal’ for the president-elect. Watching the inauguration with the less than a capacity crowd, doctored photos, and ‘alternative facts’,” she notes. “‘Lie’ began to take on a life of its own. What I found most frustrating was that no one would utter the word ‘lie.’ There were falsehoods, false claims, misleading statements but no one would call any of them a lie until the last year or so. It was that frustration that led to the writing of this song.”

She adds, “I had written the first two verses, chorus and bridge, but felt like it needed a little something more so I sent the song to Kelley Ryan to see what she might add to the mix.”

Ryan offers, “As soon as I heard the lyric, ‘the sky was green,’ I was inspired to make a list of all of the rationalizations a liar would make to justify the untruths from their perspective. Gaslighting, covering up the lies, and then doubling down. I’d say it’s much more a laundry list than a rap.”

Rogers notes, “Kelley’s laundry list perfectly underscored what I was trying to say with her clever play on words.”

Producer Coryell adds, “The first time Kimm played me ‘Lie’, I knew it was an important and timely offering the world needed to hear. The goal was to retain an indie production aesthetic to match the integrity and honesty of her words and music. Finding just the right balance between bitter and sweet was key.”

Rogers points to a few things that complicated the timeliness of the tune. “The death of my brother not long after the recording process and then the onset of COVID-19 put things on pause with everything moving haltingly at its own pace. But here we are, days away from our presidential election and this song feels just right for the moment. Cathryn Beek’s imaginative video is the icing on the cake. I hope people will enjoy the uplifting vibe of the recording with the straightforward, to the point, message.”