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Back with a quick about turn for their new album ‘A Dream Is All We Know’, THE LEMON TWIGS are going – direct quote – “more bubblegum pop”. Read our latest Dork Playlist cover feature now.
Words: Stephen Ackroyd.
Photos: Stephanie Pia.
In the effervescent world of modern music, where the sparkle often fades as quickly as it arrives, The Lemon Twigs stand as a beacon of enduring flamboyance and musical ingenuity. Hailing from the suburban sprawl of Long Island, brothers Michael and Brian D’Addario have carved out a niche over the better part of the last decade that’s as much a nod to the past as it is a bold step into the future.
With their roots deeply embedded in the rich soil of music history, The Lemon Twigs have always been more than just a band. They’re a self-propelling musical odyssey, a two-man journey through the magpie-snatched shelves of the annals of pop, rock, and everything in between. Their sound, a kaleidoscopic fusion of genres and generations, has always been both timeless and utterly contemporary. From their debut album ‘Do Hollywood’, recorded when they were just teenagers, to their latest work, whenever the brothers make a new shift, it’s always worth extra attention.
Their latest single, ‘They Don’t Know How To Fall In Place’, is yet another testament to their enduring presence, and it’s just the beginning. It heralds an upcoming album, ‘A Dream Is All We Know’, set to arrive this May, a mere year after their last full-length ‘Everything Harmony’. The tracks, born from the thrill of venturing into new musical landscapes (“Trying something more bubblegum pop this time”), signal a relentless creative spirit that had the brothers diving into their next project before the ink on the last album’s liner notes had dried.
Brian, en route to a performance on the Tonight Show, introduces us to their new record with a sense of excitement. “We recorded a ton of material for our last album, ‘Everything Harmony’. We knew we had enough for multiple records, but we wanted the tone of this one to be more upbeat,” he explains. The new recording studio they moved into provided the perfect testing ground, and ‘A Dream Is All I Know’ was one of the first songs to emerge from this fresh space. “It felt like a good direction to go for the new album,” he reveals, “so in a sense, we built the whole album around that song.”
“I didn’t quite anticipate how frustrating recording all the strings and trumpets would be”
Brian D’Addario
The album’s evolution was a process of selection and creation, with the brothers choosing which songs from the ‘Everything Harmony’ sessions to complete and then recording brand new ones. “We were excited by the new studio. Michael was getting great sounds, and our recording process became more and more fluid as time went on,” Brian recalls. “We decided to record all the instruments ourselves on this record as opposed to the last one, where we used outside studios and outside musicians. Doing it ourselves sped up the process.”
When asked about his favourite track, Brian doesn’t hesitate: “‘My Golden Years’ is probably the best song on the record. It’s the most direct song but also well crafted.” Described on its release last month by the duo as a song for “Mark Ruffalo or people who hike”, he’s got more suggestions for the wider record. He also offers a whimsical guide to enjoying the album, suggesting that listeners might jump rope to ‘…Fall In Place’, slow dance to ‘In The Eyes Of The Girl’, or bob for apples to ‘A Dream Is All I Know’. Standard stuff, then.
The recording process wasn’t without its hurdles. Brian admits, “I didn’t quite anticipate how frustrating recording all the strings and trumpets would be, being an untrained player. The last time I had done it, it had been on our first record, and I was able to use the computer to piece multiple takes together.”
The album was recorded entirely to tape, eschewing computers for mixing or recording, which meant that Brian had to actually play the parts, at least for 20 seconds at a time. “By the end of the process, I had improved on the cello, but the trumpet parts were always a real challenge.”
The quick succession of ‘A Dream Is All We Know’ after ‘Everything Harmony’ was a result of inspiration striking hot. “Three songs on the album were recorded while we were working on ‘Everything Harmony’, but the rest were done as soon as we finished,” Brian shares. “We were excited about having a new direction, leaving a lot of the folk influences behind.”
Touring is definitely on the agenda to support the new album, with plans to visit the UK and Europe, tour the States, and hopefully more. As for any additional insights, we’ll have to wait. “You already know too much!”
In a world where so much can feel transient and ephemeral, The Lemon Twigs stand as a reminder of the power of creativity, of the enduring allure of a well-crafted song. With a touch of mystery and a sense of bravado, their dreamland awaits. ■
The Lemon Twigs’ album ‘A Dream Is All We Know’ is out 3rd May. Follow Dork Playlist on Spotify here.
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