One of the most exciting bands on the scene right now, LIME GARDEN have just announced their debut album ‘One More Thing’ with brand new tune ‘Love Song’ – and invited Dork to see through “the eyes of Lime” as they talk us through the process of creating the soundtrack to their formative years. Read our latest Hype playlist cover feature now.
Words: Rebecca Kesteven.
Photos: Jono White.
“It’s crazy because it feels like we’ve all been talking about this for so long – ever since we’ve been a band,” says Leila Deeley, lead guitarist of Lime Garden. The band have just announced their debut album ‘One More Thing’, out early next year, as well as releasing a wonderful new tune called ‘Love Song’. A mixture of nervousness and excitement can be felt as Leila, drummer Annabell Whittle, and bassist Tippi Morgan explain how they navigated the intimidating task of writing their first full-length record and how their debut will offer a thrilling insight into life through, as Leila calls it, “the eyes of Lime.”
The four-piece, hailing from Brighton, have had a whirlwind of successes since their pre-lockdown beginnings. Their fun, witty edge, combined with their thoughtful and introspective songwriting, makes them stand out from the rest. Having released single ‘Nepotism (baby)’ back in July, as well as enjoying a summer of numerous festival appearances including Glastonbury and, most recently, End Of The Road, the announcement of their debut album feels like a long-awaited and exciting piece of news. “It’s overwhelming because you’ve got the pressure of thinking, ‘This is our debut album – don’t fuck it up!'” explains Annabel. But under pressure is how the band works best – coming up with ideas for some of the songs as little as two weeks before heading into the studio.
“It felt like we were in our own world, just going to the studio and back on repeat every day”
Leila Deeley
“It always felt like an impossible task, but now we’ve done it!” says Annabel excitedly. It’s perhaps unsurprising that the idea of creating an album was a daunting one for the band, especially since they haven’t even released an EP before – just stand-alone singles. “There are so many people who are involved with everything to do with it, so there’s pressure from all areas not to let it crumble,” Tippi explains. “I definitely didn’t think it would be this much work,” laughs Annabel. “I thought the hardest part would be the writing of the songs, but there’s so much stuff you have to think about.”
Indeed, from the artwork to limited edition versions to the order of the songs – even the tiniest of details have to be thought through and worked out. “And you have to listen to the whole thing front to back, and then think, ‘Oh shit, maybe we should switch these two around!’ or, ‘What should this side [of the vinyl] end on?'” laughs Tippi. But despite the stresses, the band look back on the chaos of it all with a real fondness – it was a chance for them to live in their own creative bubble, away from the outside world. Leila remembers, “We just entered this little capsule thing, and now we have an album! It felt like we were in our own world – just going to the studio and back, on repeat every day. Afterwards, normal life was really odd.”
Since their inception, the band’s range of influences as well as their tendency to steer clear of any sort of generic boundaries has meant that releases up to this point have been excitingly unpredictable – from the energetic, synth-led dancefloor filler ‘Marbles’ to the darker, more guitar-heavy ‘Clockwork’. The common vein that runs through all their releases so far has been their indie, ‘wonky’ sound, which has come into being by pulling inspiration from genres ranging from indie to disco to 80s ballads to country music and beyond.
You can certainly hear this mixture in the new single ‘Love Song’ – which incorporates lots of different elements, including synths, distorted guitars, and dance-worthy drum beats. Destined to become a Lime Garden classic, the rest of the tracks on ‘One More Thing’ will be just as sonically diverse. Tippi explains, “You can definitely hear that there are lots of really different influences,” and Annabel agrees – adding that the album is “a mishmash, and unpredictable. I mean, there’s one song on it that was written like four years ago that we’ve completely changed!” Spanning years of writing and rewriting up until the very point of recording, Lime Garden have put the work in to hone their craft – and ‘One More Thing’ is an album that’s very much been a long time in the making.
“You can definitely hear that there are lots of really different influences”
Tippi Morgan
Performing live has also been fundamental to the band (and indeed, they’ve also just announced a headline tour happening next year, too) – so they wanted to make sure that the album itself would match up to their already floor-filling set. “I think, in many ways, we’re a live band. We love doing the live stuff, and I think that’s where our personalities shine through. So, we wanted to make sure the album hit live,” Annabel says.
Aside from their sound, perhaps one of the most defining features of Lime Garden as a band is their observational and sometimes existential songwriting – which makes for songs that are relatable and, in a way, often quite nostalgic. Take recent single ‘Nepotism (Baby)’ – written as a commentary on modern society and inspired by vocalist Chloe Howard imagining herself as someone born into fame – which pays homage to the band’s beginnings as just angsty teens who loved guitars. Their debut album, the band explain, will traverse similar terrain. “It’s about young adulthood, growing up, being a woman, friendship,” says Leila. “A little bit of love as well, and a bit of heartbreak,” chime in Annabel and Tippi.
As four young women experiencing life together, navigating the highs and lows of growing up in these uncertain and often pretty turbulent times, their approach to musicianship and songwriting is unpretentious, down to earth, and honest – and their music creates relatable and often quite witty snapshots of what it means to come of age in the modern world. “We often say our sound is sort of bittersweet,” Leila says. “You can hear all the excited growing pains, and the conflict between that, on the album – which is quite fun.”
Annabel sums up what’s to come with ‘One More Thing’ nicely. “It’s not a concept album; it’s more just life. We’ve all been in this band from the age of nineteen to now, so it’s been with us while we’ve been growing up and figuring out who we are. I feel like a lot of the songs are just soundtracks to that and all the stuff that’s happened along the way.” ■
Lime Garden’s debut album ‘One More Thing’ is out 16th February. They play Manchester’s Gorilla alongside The Mysterines and Hannah Grae on 12th October as part of WarChild UK’s Day of the Girl series. You can get tickets here. Follow Dork’s Hype Spotify playlist here.
