Newly signed to Claddagh Records, Lemoncello has announced the release of their eponymous debut album, to be released on Friday, May 3rd, 2024. The album announcement comes as Laura Quirke and Claire Kinsella share their new single, ‘Old Friend,’ and an accompanying music video directed by Quirke and inspired by the colours in the album artwork.
Most of us know the saying, ‘You always hurt the one you love’. With ‘Old Friend’, rather than accepting this as a given, Lemoncello challenges this behaviour we often exhibit that stems from familiarity and hurts those closest to us.
‘My mother helped me up / And I barely even noticed … But a stranger helps me up / And I send her flowers.’
It forms part of a larger theme they explore on the album, which tackles growth into adulthood, resilience, and the sacrifices made for love.
Director Laura Quirke says: “We wanted to create a simple and striking visual to represent the feeling of the song in a genuine way, without being overly sentimental. We ditched dancing and opted for a five-minute-long hug instead – a subtle yet straightforward reflection of the song’s meaning. The video was also in its own way a contemporary art experiment as we had to stand in a hug for 9 hours of the day to film it – with breaks only to check the smell of our armpits. The video starts abstractly, the close-ups on bodies and light both intimate and mysterious, creating an abstract, warm, human kaleidoscope, only revealing two bodies embracing at the end.”
Lemoncello have recently announced an extensive Ireland and UK tour (see dates below).
Lemoncello Tracklisting
- Always Neighbours
- Sunflower
- Michael Furey (I’ve Had Lovers)
- Mantlepiece
- Harsh Truths
- Dopamine
- All The Good Men
- Old Friend
- My Lagan Love
Lemoncello Tour Dates
Saturday 4th May – Dolans, Limerick
Thursday 9th May – Ulster Sports Club, Belfast (CQAF)
Friday 10th May – Cleere’s, Kilkenny
Wednesday 15th May – Whelan’s, Dublin
Sunday 19th May – Coughlan’s, Cork
Thursday 23rd May – Wexford Arts Centre
Sunday 26th May – Spirit Store, Dundalk
Wednesday 29th of May – The Hug & Pint, Glasgow
Thursday 30th of May – The Grove, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Friday 31st of May – Hallé @ St Michael’s, Manchester (with Caoilfhionn Rose)
Sunday 2nd of June – The Wight Bear, Southbourne
Monday 3rd of June – The Folklore Rooms, Brighton
Tuesday 4th of June – Moth Club, London
Tickets are on sale now via lemoncelloireland.com.