By Hanna Wilson
The Lemon Twigs — a reimagined, modern inspiration of 60s and 70s icons such as Todd Rundgren, Wings, The Beach Boys, and a multitude of other baroque, pop-sounding influences — are an exceptionally talented, upbeat duo of Long Island-raised brothers. Michael and Brian D’Addario lead the band, with supporting members Reza Martin on drums and Danny Ayala on keys. Having grown up in an art-centric home and becoming involved in acting and music in their early teenage years, this emerging duo of brothers exude such profound passion and talent that can be recognized by just about anyone.
Following the release of their most recent album A Dream Is All We Know, the band kicked off their 2024 North American tour in Boston, Massachusetts, at the beginning of October. The tour features supporting artists including Slugbug, Milk N’ Cookies, Brower, Soup Activists, Tele Novella, Slippers, and The Umbrellas.
I recently saw The Lemon Twigs perform at their Montreal show that took place in the beautiful Mile-End-based venue called The Fairmount. Unlike most live-performing bands, both their album and show started with their hit single, “Golden Years.” This song is popular for very good reasons, but especially due to all of its contrasting yet melodic segments, and excellent vocals with slight raspy tones. Each of the four band members’ voices dance around each other, scattering harmonic subtleties throughout the song, ultimately creating a beautifully unique sea of music. Every time I hear that song’s opening riff, I enter such a euphoric state, and hearing it live exceeded my expectations. Their professionalism, comfortable stage presence, and excellent musicianship were truly captured — with certain band members even switching instruments throughout the performance. Michael jumped from lead guitar to the drums at one point, and drummer Reza Martin replaced him on the electric guitar.
Moments before the band’s encore showcased Brian D’Addario’s solo performances. He effortlessly sang acoustic tunes from their previously released album Everything Harmony, where the slower-paced songs “When Winter Comes Around,” and “Corner of My Eye” appeared for the first time. This served as a brilliant break from the preceding higher-energy portion of their setlist. As the emotional person I tend to be, hearing the sentimental crowd sing along to these beautifully crafted songs made me tear up and rounded out the entire show perfectly.
I would highly recommend taking the time to listen to this up-and-coming talent that is The Lemon Twigs, especially if you care to expand your Beach Boys and Beatles-loving hearts. However, I do have to admit that there are a handful of songs that I favour over the others, especially in their A Dream Is All We Know album, but all-in-all, every song on that album complements one another, and in my opinion, solidifies the band’s success in crafting a sensational album.