Lemuria is an indie-pop/rock band that draws influence, musically and ethically, from the punk community that they’ve been a part of since they formed nearly a decade ago. In spite of their punk connections, people are still often surprised to find a band like Lemuria signed to noted hardcore label Bridge 9 Records, home of bands like Agnostic Front, Sick of it All, and Death Before Dishonor.
Lemuria is an indie-pop/rock band that draws influence, musically and ethically, from the punk community that they’ve been a part of since they formed nearly a decade ago. In spite of their punk connections, people are still often surprised to find a band like Lemuria signed to noted hardcore label Bridge 9 Records, home of bands like Agnostic Front, Sick of it All, and Death Before Dishonor. And yet it’s true; in fact, their latest album, The Distance Is So Big, which was released last month, is the second full-length the band has released on Bridge 9.
Lemuria was formed in Buffalo, New York in 2004 by guitarist/vocalist Sheena Ozzella and drummer/vocalist Alex Kerns. Since then, the band has toured as a three piece with a variety of different bassists. Their current bassist, Max Gregor, has been with the band since 2010. Lemuria started their career by touring extensively and releasing a number of singles, EP’s, and splits through Kerns’s own label, Art of the Underground. This led to the band signing to Asian Man Records, who released their debut full length, Get Better, in 2007. In spite of their pop-oriented sound, the band’s DIY punk ethic and split releases with well-respected bands like The Ergs and Kind Of Like Spitting caught the attention of Bridge 9, who signed Lemuria in 2010 and released their second LP, Pebble, the following year. Now, Lemuria and Bridge 9 have followed that up with their brand new third album, The Distance Is So Big. Here’s a stream of the album’s first single, “Brilliant Dancer”:
Principal songwriting duties are undertaken by both Ozzella and Kerns. The dueling vocal lines that are found in most Lemuria songs show off the chemistry between the two singers, with their vocals contrasting between candy-crush sweet and deadpan, downcast delivery. When the vocals aren’t trading off to create tension, the harmonies are pretty and lifting. Think of other female/male fronted bands, such as Rainer Maria or Tigers Jaw, and you’ll get a sense of what to expect. In addition to the captivating pop melodies, the band also has some neat riffs, which are just as catchy as the vocals and have a crunchy low-end tone that betrays their punk sensibilities.
In spite of the new album’s title, the musical distance between albums isn’t as large as the title could lead you to expect. The same emotionally charged catchy pop-rock style, with a bit of a seething side, can be found in nearly all of the songs on their new album. You could perhaps say the band’s matured a bit, with all the songs being a bit shorter and more refined; they’re all right around 3 minutes long, and the complex time signature and key changes that are found in some older songs are less in evidence. However, anyone who enjoyed Lemuria’s previous work is bound to be satisfied with the material on The Distance Is So Big.
You can catch Lemuria this Thursday night at Strange Matter, along with pop-punk fiends The Haverchucks and Richmond dream-poppers Positive No. Strange Matter is located at 929 W Grace Street. The show starts at 5pm and admission is $8. Advance tickets can be ordered at lemuriapop.eventbrite.com. For more info, click here. See you there.
