Lime Garden are Chloe Howard, Annabel Whittle, Leila Deele and Tippi Morgan and they formed in Brighton a few years ago and since have had a stellar run of singles and non-stop touring, gaining nominations and endorsements along the way. With each release Lime Garden are furthering their reputation as one of indie’s best newcomers and it’s absolutely no question as to why.
One More Thing, Lime Garden’s first full-length LP, produced by Ali Chant (Perfume Genius, PJ Harvey, Yard Act) is the culmination of the previously mentioned singles, touring and more and Oh My God is it a lot of fun.
This album takes us everywhere as we get an inside report on the diary of four best friends as we get to listen to them blossom together. “I feel like you can hear us growing up in the songs,” says Howard. Navigating the intricacies of womanhood is no easy feat, yet Lime Garden are able to make a good go of it through their music.
Upon listening to One More Thing, it’s simply an indie-pop album, fizzing in and out of your ears. However, it’s not a particularly joyful album. While, yes, the instrumentals are and the overall feel creates a light and hopeful sound, the lyrics are downright miserable. It’s that age-old juxtaposition of a danceable beat with lie in bed and stare at the ceiling lyrics and Lime Garden just do it so well. The stark reality is that while they want to fully commit to being musicians, they can’t as it’s not always sustainable, admitting that they live double lives and working those odd-jobs to keep on top of the bills.
Taking on these troubles between the four friends is how Lime Garden are able to make it work for them. There is an almost familial bond at the heart of this record, which can be felt weaving its way into every nook and cranny of each second. Created by lived experiences, this album lays a foundation of hope for women in the music industry, especially when even today it seems so male-dominated. Hoping to encourage the next generation of female artists, Howard adds, “You don’t have to be born into a crazy life for it to work out for you, I’ve had a very normal working-class upbringing and realistically I’m actually quite boring. What I’m trying to say is that you don’t have to be this extraordinary person to make something that really connects with people.”
Lime Garden: One More Thing – Out 16th February 2024 (So Young Records)
Garden – I Want To Be You (Official Video) (youtube.com)
Meg is a proud Mancunian and Music Journalist. She started out by writing press releases for bands in her free time, but now runs her own website Dyrti which she plans to expand in the near future. She loves Lester Bangs and Tony Wilson and has interviewed bands such as Cabbage, Oceans On Mars and Adult Cinema. You will more often than not find her somewhere in the Northern Quarter.
