Meet Lemonade Shoelace: The "psychedelic sundae" coming out of Northern Ireland

Think of sunbursting psychedelia and the coastal town of Newcastle in County Down probably isn't your first port of call. But solo tripper Lemonade Shoelace is here to change all that. Having just won Vans' Musicians Wanted campaign, the Tame Impala nut is gearing up to play alongside YUNGBLUD in Mexico and take the next step in his Technicolor career so far.

Describing his brand of music, Lemonade Shoelace says, “It’s some sort of psychedelic sundae, I guess! It’s an explosion of melodies with a sprinkle of synths, and a warm, pulsing drum and bass section, which I suppose is the custard that glues it all together.

"There’s also the cotton candy guitars that float around like clouds, and some sort of rainbow vocal harmony in between. I’m not too sure if that’s music I’m describing or a sunny afternoon at an ice cream shop, but it’s probably the same thing anyway.”

So grab a spoon and tuck in to the music of the latest Musicians Wanted champion.

What is your earliest musical memory?
"I remember hearing music by Morcheeba and Portishead as a child and really liking it. My parents played a lot of trip-hop back in the day and it definitely seeped into my brain in some way! I have a lot of memories of Ministry Of Sound’s 2003 Karma Collection, it featured music from Lemon Jelly, Moby, Bonobo and more and is super chill. I heard a lot of Air as well.”

What music did you listen to growing up?
“It’s a bit embarrassing but I was a huge Robbie Williams fan at one stage. My dad played him a lot during the younger stages of my life and I became accidentally obsessed. His first couple of albums still slap as well – some hidden gems are buried in there for sure. After getting into skateboarding my music taste changed and I started listening a lot to Nirvana and the Chili Peppers, as well as a lot of rap. I was also a huge Gorillaz fan growing up, and I really loved Alt-J’s first two albums.”

Who are some of your key influences?
"Tame Impala is an obvious influence for me, but I listen to artists such as Elliot Smith and Radiohead, while also drawing a lot of influence from house and techno music. Anything that can hypnotise you through rhythm and frequency is an influence of mine. Super Furry Animals, Pond, Temples are names to mention as well. More recently, I’ve been listening to bands like The Lazy Eyes and Kikagaku Moyo. If you’re a fan of [Tame Impala album] Innerspeaker then these bands will be a treat for you.

"In a non-musical way, I’m influenced by thinkers such as Alan Watts. Last year a lot of my music was influenced by the thoughts and ideas presented in a YouTube channel called After Skool. On the channel they get speeches from great minds such as Eckhart Tolle, Aldous Huxley and Graham Hancock, and have hand-drawn bright and colourful animations to them. It’s really interesting and has some great ideas that definitely influence my lyric writing.”

How did growing up/living in Newcastle affect the music you make?
“Living so close to both the sea and the mountains is an absolute treat, and it has definitely seeded its way into my music in many forms. There’s something magical about the place and I love exploring the nature that the place has to offer. There’s these really cool sand dunes there, you can see the Isle Of Man on a clear day, there’s thick forests, rivers, and amazing trails you can walk. The beautiful nature, vivid colours and happy atmosphere has influenced all parts of my being as well as music. Oh, there’s also too many ice cream shops, but I’m not complaining!”

Where did the name Lemonade Shoelace come from?
“So it actually came from a lyric I wrote a few years ago, which was ‘cigarette shoelace’. I had a few names with ‘lemon’ in it as I wanted the project to seem fresh and juicy, and ended up with Lemonade Shoelace. As soon as I thought of it, I knew it’d be the one.”

How did it feel to win the Vans Musicians Wanted competition?
“It feels amazing, I still can’t believe it! I’ve been a skateboarder for many years so to be involved with one of the earliest skate companies is pretty nuts. The local support has been amazing as well, something that I’m also super grateful for. I’ve been putting in a lot of effort behind the scenes for the past two years for this project, and to see it pay off in a way like this feels incredible. I never thought an opportunity like this would come my way, and it’s great that Vans and the judges vibe with the music I make!”

How do you feel about sharing a stage with YUNGBLUD?
“That’s going to be pretty mental. It’ll be in Mexico as well, which is nuts – I had no idea that we’d be flying over there for a show with him until the day of the finals, and I’m super grateful that the opportunity is there to do that! He brings a very electric atmosphere to his shows from what I’ve seen, so I hope the band and I can bring some sort of similar vibe on stage. He seems super cool and laid back, and is definitely a rock’n’roller!”

What is next for Lemonade Shoelace?
“I’ll definitely have some more tunes out soon! My first and only release so far was back in March, but there’s plenty of material to be heard yet. There’s no release date as of yet, but you’ll definitely see an EP and three singles out by next summer. I’ve had the EP recorded for over a year now and I’m itching to get it out. I’m actually working on EP number two at the moment, so you’ll be sure to hear some tunes in the next year. For now though we’re going to play as many shows as possible and get ready for Mexico!”

Is there a particular career goal on your hitlist?
“I’d love to start making funky merchandise or start a clothing brand. Recently I’ve been painting a lot and I’d love to see the art on T-shirts, and branch Lemonade Shoelace out to a project that doesn’t just revolve around rhythm and sound.

“Putting a positive or trippy message into my music is a constant goal, but a career goal for now is to make the best music that I can.”

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