The musicians who inspire The Lemon Twigs
The Lemon Twigs are something of an enigma in modern indie rock. Seemingly taking more influence from 1960s pop and glam-rock than any of their indie contemporaries, the band offer a unique voice, becoming a rarity among the oversaturated indie scene.
Fronted by brothers Michael and Brian D’Addario, the band have been active for the past decade. Releasing four studio albums to date, their ever-changing style has often been the subject of scrutiny. When The Lemon Twigs were announced as the support for Arctic Monkeys on their highly publicised 2018 Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino tour, many criticised the brothers for offering a lacklustre show. However, the Lemon Twigs were the perfect support slot for that tour. Their 1970s-influenced, often mellow brand of rock blended perfectly with the lounge-era Alex Turner that the world was introduced to via Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino.
Boasting a fanbase riddled with musical icons like Iggy Pop, Laura Marling and Elton John, the Twigs have managed to successfully toe the line between mainstream success and underground indie credibility. Staunchly committed to independent record labels, the brothers released their latest effort, Everything Harmony, on Brooklyn’s Captured Tracks label last year. Further exploring their 1960s influences on the album, the brothers told Far Out that they took inspiration from the pop giants The Beatles. “In terms of arranging a pop song,” Michael revealed, “The Beatles are one of the best at it – if not the best.”
The band have always had a clear appreciation for the Fab Four, particularly evident on 2016’s Do Hollywood, but they managed to incorporate more underground influences, too. For example, both brothers have a profound love of Dee Dee Ramone. Asked by Hero to select their most influential tracks, both brothers spoke about the iconic bassist, famed for his ability to count to four very quickly. Picking the controversial Ramones track ‘Warthog’ and Dee Dee’s solo work ‘Baby Doll’ as some of their favourite tracks, the brothers noted, “He really was a great songwriter and a gentle soul. Brian’s favourite Ramone.”
Elsewhere within their catalogue of inspirations, you can find more obvious influences on their sound. The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and the King himself, Elvis Presley, crop up in their shared list of influences. Unsurprisingly, given the eclectic nature of their sound, there are some curveballs in there too. Brian selected ‘Mary France’ by Jean Jacques Perrey, a pioneering voice in electronic and avant-garde music. “I love his stuff cause it’s super poppy and over the top, with a lot of classical influence as well. Very different from other more avant-garde electronic music of the time,” he explained.
Unsurprisingly, the brothers also list their father as an inspiration. A successful folk musician in his own right, Ronnie D’Addario was active in New York during the 1970s. Michael selects his dad’s track ‘Nice Meeting You Again’ as one of the band’s most loved songs, saying that it is “the perfect introduction to Ronnie D’Addario’s music. He is our father, and he’s made some great music in his lifetime. We recommend you listen to all of his albums.”
Among The Lemon Twigs’ further picks include the likes of Leonard Cohen, The Who and Foxygen. Their wonderfully eclectic range of influences can be heard clearly in their own musical material, which appears to be going from strength to strength since the release of Everything Harmony. The New York indie rockers are sure to continue delighting audiences with their genre-bending sound for years to come.
