LEMON: NEDCHESTER
Music blogs say Lemon makes Soul Rock, a concoction of euphoria and Indie Funk, the best of what Shoegaze Dance Pop has to offer, Neo Madchester and the future of Indie Music. As a band from The Netherlands we like to call it Nedchester. Yes, influenced by the Madchester sound and the vibe of the Second Summer of Love, but with a Lemon twist. It is no coincidence Lemon was support act for The Charlatans, Primal Scream and Stereo MC’s.
October 2023 London indie label The Animal Farm released a first single from the band. After the release RGM Press wrote “They’re shaping the future of indie music”. Lost In The Manor wrote “Lemon has knocked it out of the park with this one”. After the release of Before We Fade To Grey (September 2022) Fruitsonic wrote “Everything about it stuns” . According to Plastic Magazine it was “another stellar single from a band at the top of their game.” About Shiiine On (May 2021), Talk About Pop Music wrote “a great Summer festival anthem”. Last Day Deaf called it “a euphoric, psychedelic hymn”. “Lemon could quite be one of the biggest hidden gems within the kingdom of The Netherlands” said weblog It’s All Indie after the release of Lemon’s single Love Can Take You Places (May 2020).
All of these singles feature guest singer Cath Coffey of the legendary Stereo MC’s from London. They follow up the release of Lemon’s fifth album (April 2019) simply titled ‘The Fifth Of Lemon’, that – like their previous albums – collected raving reviews. Their fourth album ‘Perfect It Will Never Be’ was ranked #6 in the Top-10 of best albums of the year of famous Dutch music journalist Swie Tio. About their third, titled NEDchester, Netherland’s number 1 Music Magazine OOR wrote: “The best songs on the album are as great as Stone Roses or Happy Mondays work”.
Just like their albums, Lemon’s intense live shows have received four-star ratings, but even more five-star ratings from music programmers. ‘Like fireworks on stage’, wrote a German programmer. Check out the reviews (most in Dutch, some in English) on Gigstarter.nl.
Lemon are Mark ‘Bong The Bass’ Bongers (bass, vocals), Paul Hesen (drums, vocals), Ralf Hesen (guitars, vocals) and Thomas Gense (guitars, keyboards, percussion, vocals).