Lemon

Lemon close their ambitious #lemon12 series with “Love Thing,” a heavier, psychedelic twist on their signature Nedchester groove. We dive into its creation, the year-long challenge, and the emotion behind it.

1. “Love Thing” closes your #lemon12 project with a surprising twist—psychedelic, heavy, and definitely not a Christmas song. What drove you to end the series with this unexpected sonic shift?

We’re definitely not the Christmas-song type of band, and there has often been a psychedelic touch to our music. Check out “Shiiine On” and “Gimme Something True”, both featuring Cath Coffey from Stereo MC’s, for example! Music blogs have attached many different labels to our sound — from Soul Rock, Neo-Madchester, and Shoegaze Dance Pop to “Delightful fumes of indie funk and euphoric melodies infuse mesmerising psychedelia reminiscent of Talking Heads.” So yes, “Love Thing” is one of our most psychedelic tracks yet, but it’s not a big stretch for us.

2. This track is described as one of your most psychedelic yet still rooted in your Nedchester groove. How did you balance those heavier elements with your signature sound?

First of all, keep the percussion and groovy drum patterns in. The Nedchester blood runs through our veins, so even if we explore a heavier direction, that sound will always be there.

3. Unlike some of your socially reflective songs, “Love Thing” focuses on the overwhelming intensity of love. What inspired you to explore such a raw and powerful emotional space this time?

Our songs simply reflect life — life with worries about the current state of our world and planet, with loss and grief, with love, with letting yourself go, and so on. There’s no fixed agenda for our releases; what comes out at a certain stage is what comes out. “Love Thing” is me (Ralf) digging into that feeling of being overwhelmed by love — and taking it a step further, to the point where it even gets a bit creepy.

4. You’ve released a new single every month in 2025—an ambitious challenge. Looking back, how has the #lemon12 journey shaped you creatively and personally as a band?

The #lemon12 project is definitely a one-time thing — phew, what a challenge it was! “Love Thing” was finished just in time for the December release. It proved that we’re one of the tightest bands and one of the closest groups of friends. And it also showed that we can stray a bit, and the result still sounds like us.

5. Music press responses to the earlier #lemon12 singles have been incredibly positive. Did that momentum influence the direction or pressure you felt while crafting “Love Thing”?

It was a bit intimidating. On the other hand, since we’d already collected so many great reviews, we felt we’d made our mark — and that it wouldn’t hurt us too much if the twelfth one didn’t land quite as well as some of the previous releases. So the pressure wasn’t too high.

6. You’ve built a strong reputation for energetic live shows, including performances with icons like Primal Scream and The Charlatans. How do you imagine “Love Thing” translating to the stage, especially with its heavier, psychedelic edge?

Actually, last week we played “Love Thing” live for the first time at a show in Germany. The crowd’s response was great, though some of the other tracks are bigger bangers when it comes to dancing. But hey, our songs are about life — and that’s life: sometimes you dance, sometimes you don’t!

Cheers,

Ralf – Lemon www.lemon.amsterdam