Citrus Too Good To Be True

There’s a sticker attached to every copy of Lemon Jelly’s latest album, ’64 – ’95, which reads: "This is our new album. It's not like our old album."
Darker, edgier and more up tempo than 2002's critically applauded Lost Horizons, '64 - '95 kicks aside associations with the chill-out genre, packing more venom and punch than its predecessor.

“It is a rockier record”, acknowledges Fred Deakin, “but if you look for it you’ll find that there has always been a rock element to our music!”
A successful graphic designer, vinyl junkie and one half of Lemon Jelly, Deakin laughs to himself in stating the duo’s rock influence. He’s always wanted to use that line. Many rock acts have talked of a dance element to their music and now he’s pleading the reverse.
“The revenge of rock”, he says with a smile. This playfulness and trainspotter humour mirrors some of the elements many associate with Lemon Jelly. Previous recordings have been noted for their nonchalant musings and irreverent sense of fun, resulting in the duo’s music becoming the soundtrack of choice for dinner parties and television advertisements.
It’s not something that impresses Deakin and fellow cohort Nick Franglen. Fed up with hearing their music on DIY shows, and sparked by a desire to show another side to their creativity, they consciously decided not to make Lost Horizons 2.
“Every act that I’ve ever had any respect for has evolved,” says Deakin. “We made the decision not to duplicate our sound but to try and naturally progress, which I feel we’ve done. We haven’t really lost our sound. It's a natural progression rather than a great leap sideways.”
You might think differently when the Justin Hawkins in a meatgrinder guitar sample lunges out of the speakers at you.
“We had this premise that it was going to be a very eclectic album so we lifted from a variety of genres”, says Deakin. “Our manifesto was basically to integrate and add something to each sample.”
Known for their unique take on the live experience, Lemon Jelly appear in Dublin, Cork and Belfast later this month. For Deakin taking to the stage is a particular high.
“It’s going to be a full on live extravaganza with our own unique blend of jelly sprinklings over the top,” he enthuses.
We’ll see you down the front.

’64 – ’95 gets a live airing at The Savoy, Cork (February 25); Ambassador, Dublin (26); and Mandela Hall, Belfast (27).