Words by Hannah Powell

Yo Vocal had a chat with Lime Cordiale, the band from across the ditch making it big. On the phone with Louis Leimbach, we talked their upcoming album, the beginning of Lime, and their plans for a New Zealand tour.

With their album 14 Steps to a Better You coming out on July 10, there’s much to get yourself excited about. Self-described as “a parody, self-help record”, the new album is gonna be one hell of a bag of tricks. Inspired by Tony Robbins 12 Steps strategy to be better in life, and other such things, Louis says “we feel like there’s people who bully people into shaping them to be better people. I think it sounds bullshit”.

“[The album is] our own opinions, whether they’re good or they’re bad; if they’re right or they’re wrong. We’re just sort of yelling at people and complaining,” he laughs. Louis says that the album will be much of Lime’s well-known sound – “silly”.

“A lot of things just chucked in the pot. [We’ve] let it boil and chucked the lid on.” Comparing it to their last album Permanent Vacation, and their debut EP Faceless Cat, Louis says 14 Steps to a Better You is different, but it will have a similar melodic sound. It’s a “funner album, less serious, a good time,” he says. “As much as it sounds like 14 Steps and pointing fingers, it’s fun.”

Don't forget to pre-order the upcoming album "14 Steps To A Better You" out 10 July

As for recording, they did it all over the place. Much was at Golden Retriever Studios in Sydney, but most of it was recorded at a family friend’s farm, north of their hometown. A farm that they’d been going to ever since they were little kids, they took up their producer and a few van loads of gear to a place of no reception. “We’d always wished we could’ve done an album up there,” he said.

Having begun in the northern beaches of Sydney, just to the right of the peninsula tip, Lime Cordiale began when brother Oli dragged Louis into a band. In 2009, Oli was running the mill and starting and ending relationships with bands; getting amongst the punk-hardcore scene. Not really into music, “I was sort of twiddling my thumbs and not doing anything,” Louis said. Tired of on again-off again bands, Oli took the reins and got his brother in the band. “[He thought] ‘he can’t really go anywhere’. He dragged me into it; I wasn’t that keen, really,” he laughs. “I’m pretty into it now.”

Louis describes the local scene back then as “definitely better than it is now”. “It was the best music scene in NSW,” Louis explains. “Bowie would play there, Radiohead would play there.” Having transformed into an affluent area in New South Wales, many of the bars the boys began in have closed due to noise complaints. “It’s turned into a bit of a shithole, to be honest,” Louis says. “It’s very sad.”

From humble beginnings, they’ve made it big. Having just had to postpone two US tours and one in Europe, Lime Cordiale is doing well. What about NZ? Well, “we love [it]”. With a big New Zealand tour booked for September 2020, we have our fingers crossed the borders will open up. “Might be too soon. But keep your hopes up,” Louis says.

Their first tour here began at Raglan’s Soundsplash, but since then, Lime Cordiale has played many an O-Week, as well as Electric Avenue, this year. As lovers of the New Zealand sound, Louis says how he and his brother were only talking about it the other day. “It definitely has a lot of soul in it.” Explaining that Australia has more of a political element, he tells me the story of when his Hamilton-born producer – upon buying his first Australian record – put it on to play and said “what is this shit? It’s shocking”.

“The [NZ] people are more eloquent than Australians,” he laughs. “Smarter.” With their album only days away from release, they’re currently writing content for the next one down the South Coast of NSW. “We haven’t been home for this long,” Louis says.

“It’s pretty nice, doing domestic chores, and like, [to] raise some chickens, and make a vege patch that will soon wither and die.” When asked what’s next after the release of 14 Steps to a Better You, Louis replies, “I don’t know. Probably just tour the shit out of it”. Look out for a new music video, directed by their good mate Jack Shephard, to be released very soon.

“[We’ll] just release some more music,” he says. “And write something good.”

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