Exclusive Interview: The Lemons Squeeze Out Something New
Updated: Sep 15, 2021
Chicago-based indie crew, The Lemons, are back with a new project that's quite fitting for these strange times. At Home is a 20-track indie rock expedition that will have you coming to terms with the notion that "home" is a mind-set rather than a specific location.
Since 2013, The Lemons have been coasting on positive vibrations. In their eyes, being a lemon is all about having fun with friends. Anyone and everyone can be a lemon. It's not surprising that a professional musician's world can get a bit hectic and stressful at times with all the recording and touring that goes into making a band become a business, so why not try to make the good times last with a little help from your friends. With seven members, The Lemons have all the help they need to push a message of innocent happiness.
Well-received by their local following, The Lemons have stayed active in Chicago's DIY scene over the years. Chicago still stands as their own little sweet spot where they savor the local energy. In 2016, Burger Records boosted their overall reach by releasing their debut LP, Hello, We're the Lemons. A cult following quickly emerged after their initial release which drove them to take their music on the road for a few years.
Tired of life on tour, The Lemons scurried back to Chicago to rekindle the fire that they used to cook up their earlier tunes. Jamming and playing music with friends without the need to perform for an audience is what makes The Lemons feel at home. With that in mind, the group came together in 2019 to record their most recent project. So far they don't plan on venturing out of Chicago anytime soon, so might as well make the best of it and bump their tunes in the comfort of your own shelter.
I had the opportunity to catch up with the group while they're finishing up a new project.
Here's what they had to say:
Q: What was it like starting out in Chicago during 2013?
A: It was a wild time. Kelly ran a DIY venue out of her basement and we played a handful of our first shows there. We even played on the roof for the last show ever there.
Q: When did you all break out of the local scene? What was that experience like?
A: Our pals the Memories asked us to go on tour with them for the summer of 2014. It was great to get out of Chicago and play for folks who really dug what we were doing.
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