The Lemon Twigs, performing at Off Broadway STL on Oct. 22, are the most dynamic band I've ever heard. I discovered The Lemon Twigs through my Fiction 2 professor, Stephen Mortland.
"They're a mix of The Beach Boys and Greta Van Fleet," Mortland said.
I'm not terribly into music, but I knew and loved the unique sounds of both these bands. I was intrigued. The Lemon Twigs' music would end up changing my life. Their unique sound and lyrics gave voice to the Gen Z anxious feelings I could never quite give words to. Because of The Lemon Twigs, I don't have to.
The Lemon Twigs are constantly compared to older bands like The Beatles because of their melodic, retro '70s sound. Brothers and band leads Michael and Brian D'Addario record their songs on analogue tapes rather than more computer-based software.
"We've always just written what comes naturally. We've never made any conscious effort to appeal to modern sensibilities, only our own taste!" Brian D'Addario wrote in an email to Student Life.
Their soft, ballad-like charm feels like a last charge against the hyper-stimulating TikTok music of today. Yet their music still makes you want to jam out and bop your head.
"It never really feels like we're going against the grain. We just have total tunnel vision when we're writing and recording and don't typically stop and consider what other people might like us to do," Brian D'Addario wrote.
The most mind-bending thing about The Lemon Twigs for me is their relatability with today's Gen Z problems despite performing with nostalgic voices and tunes. It's an otherworldly experience. Specifically, their song "They Don't Know How to Fall in Place" feels like a take on the awkwardness of modern dating.
"That one's really open to interpretation. I imagine [dating] could be harder now, since it seems like most things are," Brian D'Addario wrote.
Speaking of otherworldly, their music sounds... out-of-country. Raised in Long Island, New York, it's almost eerie how much they resemble and sound like a retro British rock band.
"For whatever reason we seem to be more popular in England and Europe as a whole, but people are starting to catch on here. I don't think we could ever really move away from being American. We just got back after a month of being in Europe, and we felt so relieved. It's the devil we know!" Brian D'Addario wrote.