Connect with us

Interviews

Don’t Get Lemon Open Up About Debut Album ‘Hyper Hollow Heaven’

Published

on

Don't Get Lemon

Don’t Get Lemon is a Texas-based trio whose music spans Heatwave, Post-Punk, New Wave, and beyond. These guys have a chat with Electro Wow about their debut album ‘Hyper Hollow Heaven,’ which is available in multiple formats (vinyl/digital/cassette/VHS) through à La Carte Records.

1 — First of all tell us about the start of Don’t Get Lemon as a trio?

We were all in a previous post-Black Metal band called funeralbloom, but we’re all really into Post-Punk and English Pop music. We wanted to avoid the traditional Hardcore/Black Metal/extreme music to the traditional spooky Post-Punk pipeline, so we actively avoid making anything that sounds remotely Darkwave even though we still get labeled Darkwave by people who associate synths and baritone vocals with Darkwave.

We also wanted to call ourselves “Lemon” for a while as a nod to The Stone Roses/’68 protests in France that included many situationist theorists, but once we searched the name we found out that we’d be grouped together with countless other bands. In order to stand out a little bit, and at minimum get us onto our own artist’s page on Spotify, we changed our name to “Don’t Get Lemon” which is a line from The Football Factory starring Danny Dyer. It’s a phrase that essentially means “don’t get smart”. Aside from contrasting this aggressive connotation against our upbeat music, we liked this change since it gave us an opportunity to use an acronym, DGL, where appropriate.

2 – Today’s music scene is constantly evolving and changing. What are some of the current trends that you find interesting?

Shoegaze is back!

3 — How does your homeland’s culture influence your music?

There is a song on our album called “D.I.E.I.N.T.H.E.U.S.A.” that is about not wanting to die in the USA because we’d find that depressing- so at least in the content of our music we are influenced by being disillusioned with our surroundings.

We find ourselves drawn more to the music culture of England or to Danish Synthpop. Music-wise this album was heavily influenced vocally and lyrically by Pulp, Echo and the Bunnymen, David Bowie, and The Cure among many others. Non-musically T.S. Eliot, Adam Curtis, and football (soccer) were all influential in various ways. Most of which is not really traditionally the culture of where we reside.

4 — How would you define your music style or genre?

The music is light because we like Pop music. We like fun songs. We don’t want to be labeled as just being a darkwave band or spooky post-punk, we actively try to create and carve out our own existence. The lyrics have dark and serious subject matter at times, but I don’t think they are deliberately dark or depressing. Yes, they can be tinged with a certain sadness, but there is also humor and beauty in the grotesque. We’ve jokingly called it heatwave because it has a more tropical and warm sound (like the climate we come from) compared to contemporary bands we may be grouped with that are icy and distant.

We’re big fans of the New Wave genre, more specifically Synthpop/Post-Punk and we enjoy the lore that comes with the pioneers of these genres, but we also don’t want to be confined by any one label. We try to experiment as all the great New Wave bands did, and along with any inspiration we find from modern bands we end up with what we think is a unique sound. We also achieve this through quite literal use of some vintage equipment, vintage synth models in newer synths combined with modern synths, and experimental ways of attaining the drum sounds we are looking to create.

5 – You have just released your new debut album ‘Hyper Hollow Heaven’ on à La Carté Records. What’s the concept behind this material?

Fear and anxiety about the future of Earth. Thinking about the reality we’re inevitably headed to can be debilitating, and the album is self-aware that art and individual creativity and freedom are helpless in changing anything. That change can only come through collective action, which is tough to commit to because it’s a form of self-sacrifice and goes against our own self-preservation. Which is ironically what we need to survive on this planet. Some of the images created can be dark and surreal but there is also tongue-in-cheek black comedy and humor to the absurdity of it all and in a twisted way there’s a seduction in seeing the end… The lyrics are conscious of the futility of art in saving us. That’s not to say art isn’t a reason for living or isn’t beautiful, but it in and of itself cannot bring widespread change.


It’s an 8 track, 34-minute album titled ‘Hyper Hollow Heaven.’ It’s our debut full length after a couple of EPs, singles, remixes, and a cover over the past couple of years. It was released on A la Carte Records on March 29th and will be available on both vinyl and cassette, as well as a limited VHS visual album.

6 – What kind of response have you received from the release so far?

Too early to really tell but the response has been great so far. Many people have told us they think if every world leader heard this album that they’d solve climate change.

7 – What is something about the recording process that might surprise listeners?

Reign energy drinks fuel most of the time we are in the studio- keep us awake with no sugar and no crash.


8 – Which music festival would you love to perform live?

SXSW, we all met in Austin and think it is still probably a good place to be exposed to new music. Or Glastonbury Festival where we could headline in the mud.

9 – Are you currently working on music videos?

Not right now!

10 – Finally, what attributes do you believe contribute to being a successful music group?

The three of us have bonded over Bar Rescue with Jon Taffer and like his drive and standards. He is quick to shut things down that won’t be beneficial to the bar or won’t draw people in. We try to apply that kind of thinking to our work as well, and in fact, more people should watch Bar Rescue with Jon Taffer and pay attention to how he can revitalize bars and how that can be applied to revitalizing genres.


CONNECT WITH DON’T GET LEMON NOW!

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Hi, my name is Erick Ycaza. I have a BA in Advertising & Graphic Design. This blog is to provide you with daily music news and share my personal style.

Don't miss out!
Subscribe To Newsletter
Invalid email address

Copyright © 2007 Electro Wow - New Music Releases, Interviews, News