Irish folk duo Lemoncello have announced details of their eponymous debut album which will be released on Friday 3rd May 2024 via Claddagh Records. The 9-track album features the singles Harsh Truths and Always Neighbours and new single Old Friend which is accompanied by a video directed by Lemoncello’s own Laura Quirke.
“We wanted to create a simple and striking visual to represent the feeling of the song in a genuine way, without being overly sentimental. We ditched dancing and opted for a five-minute long hug instead – a subtle yet straight-forward reflection of the song’s meaning.
“The video was also in its own way a contemporary art experiment as we had to stand in a hug for 9 hours of the day to film it – with breaks only to check the smell of our armpits. The video starts abstractly, the close-ups on bodies and light both intimate and mysterious, creating an abstract, warm, human kaleidoscope, only revealing two bodies embracing at the end,” explains Quirke of the song which examines our innate ability to underappreciate those closest to us.
This sentiment is perhaps best exemplified in the line: ‘My mother helped me up / And I barely even noticed … But a stranger helps me up / And I send her flowers.’
Lemoncello’s unique approach to creating music chemistry was captured by producer Julie McLarnon (Brigid Mae Power, Lankum, Junior Brother) at Analogue Catalogue Studios where the band both recorded and mixed the album to 2 inch tape.
“Recording the album on tape felt like the right way to capture the energy between us as a band. You don’t record to tape to make a really clean product – and that’s not what this album is – it’s an unfiltered document of a place and time. It was such a joy working with Julie. We didn’t look at a computer screen the whole time making the record. The best part of recording to tape is the limitations that it brings. – so in this way we benefited from having to make choices quickly and trust instinct and feeling more than technical ‘correctness’. The magic comes when you put your trust in it.’
Track Listing
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Always Neighbours
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Sunflower
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Michael Furey (I’ve Had Lovers)
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Mantlepiece
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Harsh Truths
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Dopamine
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All The Good Men
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Old Friend
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My Lagan Love
Pre-order/save Lemoncello – here
Tour Dates:
Saturday 4th May – Dolans, Limerick
Thursday 9th May – Ulster Sports Club, Belfast (CQAF)
Friday 10th May – Cleere’s, Kilkenny
Wednesday 15th May – Whelan’s, Dublin
Sunday 19th May – Coughlan’s, Cork
Thursday 23rd May – Wexford Arts Centre
Sunday 26th May – Spirit Store, Dundalk
Wednesday 29th of May – The Hug & Pint, Glasgow
Thursday 30th of May – The Grove, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Friday 31st of May – Hallé @ St Michael’s, Manchester (with Caoilfhionn Rose)
Sunday 2nd of June – The Wight Bear, Southbourne
Monday 3rd of June – The Folklore Rooms, Brighton
Tuesday 4th of June – Moth Club, London