SPILL FEATURE: IT’S A LIVELIER RECORD THAN OUR LAST ONE – A CONVERSATION WITH BRIAN D’ADDARIO OF THE LEMON TWIGS

IT’S A LIVELIER RECORD THAN OUR LAST ONE

A CONVERSATION WITH BRIAN D’ADDARIO OF THE LEMON TWIGS

Consisting of brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario, The Lemon Twigs capture the musical styles of the ‘60s and ‘70s, like power pop, glam rock, and jangle pop among others, in an exciting and unique way for a new generation to hear. Their newest album, Look For Your Mind! continues to see the band putting a spin on music of yesteryear, and is an album that fans of The Beach Boys and The Beatles will especially love. Brian D’Addario shares the story and creative process behind the music of Look For Your Mind!

“Each record seems to become more direct in a way, less elusive in terms of what the songs are about and the clarity of the arrangements,” he states. “I guess in a sense we’re not looking to challenge the listener, but we are looking to surprise them. It’s a livelier record than our last one, but parts of it are more intimate.”

Previously, the two brothers handled everything in the studio themselves. Look For Your Mind! marks a significant change for the band, including live members Reza Martin and Danny Ayala, as well as Eva Chambers of Tchotchke, in the studio. According to D’Addario, this new approach to working in the studio was “really necessary.” Reflecting on the experience, he says, “Having recorded the last record just the two of us, it was really important to get a fresh perspective on some of the tracks. In the case of Eva, we had played a show of Michael’s songs a few years ago as a trio, so it was just a case of getting the arrangements onto tape. Same with the songs we did with Danny and Reza. We wrote and arranged those tracks on the road last year. Then we did some songs with just Michael and I. When Reza came by for another round of recording, we really needed him for his enthusiasm and playing style, and we recorded the rest of the basic tracks as a trio.”

The incredibly catchy Beatlesque title track opens the record. This track helped push The Lemon Twigs toward the direction they ultimately took for the album. “It was the first song recorded for the album, and it really set the tone for the rest of the record,” D’Addario states. “The guitar sounds and vocals are cool. I love the guitar solo Michael did.”

One of the standout songs on the album is the charmingly stunning ‘60s-style sugary-pop tune “I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You.” The Beach Boy-besque vocal harmonies on this track are spectacular, and the chorus is highly memorable. “Michael wrote it a few years ago,” D’Addario says. “He opened a show in New York for Uni Boys and Brower with me on drums and Eva from Tchotchke on bass. This was one of many tracks he had lying around that we arranged as a trio for that show. A few years later, we finally got around to recording that arrangement. It was cool because we had the added texture of Eva’s voice for the harmonies, which was pretty exciting for us, as well as being able to capture the sound of a band playing at the same time.”

PURCHASE LOOK FOR YOUR MIND

“2 or 3” is a terrifically crafted pop song, with the standout being its dreamy melody. Recalling what led him to write the song, D’Addario says, “I woke up with the melody and lyric in my head one day and tried to figure out what it could mean. It was sort of a backwards way of doing it. I was just thinking of a guy who wasn’t as worldly or cultured as his girlfriend.”

The bright and joyous “Nothin’ But You” is an absolute earworm, featuring some outstanding musicianship, infectious energy, sensational vocal harmonies, and a cheerful summertime vibe. “In some of the overdubs, I was thinking a bit of the guitar sounds on some Dwight Twilley recordings,” D’Addario says. “In general, it’s a style that’s in our DNA at this point, and we weren’t thinking of anyone in particular. It was more about presenting a three-dimensional recording that had spirit and dynamics.”

Initially, the highly energetic surf rock tune “Bring You Down” had a much different sound. “It was originally written as more of an Eddie Cochran or Wanda Jackson early rock ‘n’ roll type thing,” D’Addario recalls. “It might’ve been all the Heinz Eddie Cochran covers that Joe Meek produced that led me to go back to some more of that original rock ‘n’ roll stuff, and it made me want to write something with that spirit. But once I brought the song to Michael, he suggested those harmonies, and then I brought it to the band, who brought their own playing styles to it.”

The beautiful melody and soothingly hypnotic atmosphere of “I Hurt You” can easily put listeners in a trance. “It had a half Carole King with a bossa nova feel in the chorus chords, but I wanted to make something more in line with the record we were making,” D’Addario reflects. “That’s where those sharp guitars came in. The synths were essential to add some depth to those musical passages in between verses. The different influences converging give the track a unique feel, which I’m interested in exploring in more songs.”

Look For Your Mind! ends with the psychedelic tinged “Your True Enemy.” The song is a bit of a curveball, with plenty of fascinating experimentation in the production. “We planned on keeping that one sparse, but it really needed some elements that fit the vibe of the lyrics,” D’Addario explains. “The churchy organ was the first element that opened up the arrangement. Then some intense cellos. We wanted it to feel like you inside the singer’s head, so we added those Leslie vocals and some backwards elements. And we had that long intro where we wanted the song to gradually break up, so we used a few ring modulators on each channel of the stereo mix, as well as flange with help from Paul Millar. Michael wanted the effect of the record turning off like a TV, so Paul manually slowed the tape down with his hand to achieve that final effect.”

Look For Your Mind! drops on May 8. “I just think it’s a nice record!” D’Addario exclaims. “I feel proud of it, but as always, we’re always more focused on what the next one’s gonna be! We’re excited to play it live, though.”

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Photo Credit: Eva Chambers