Lemuria was an American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band formed in 2004 and originally based in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
. After a series of singles and EPs, Lemuria released albums between 2007 and 2017, and toured both the U.S. and internationally. The band's most recent effort, "Recreational Hate", was recorded by four-time Grammy award-winning producer/engineer Chris Shaw and released on the band's own record label, Turbo Worldwide, licensed through
Asian Man Records
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
in the U.S. and
Big Scary Monsters
Big Scary Monsters Recording Company (often known simply as Big Scary Monsters or BSM Records) is an independent record label based in Oxford, England, UK.
Its releases include La Dispute, Beach Slang, Modern Baseball, Minus The Bear, mewitho ...
in the U.K. The album was announced December 11, 2017, and was simultaneously received by many of the band's fans as a result of a "secret LP" placed for sale on their website months prior. "Recreational Hate" was made available digitally on December 2017, with physical copies released in February 2018.
History
2004–2009
Lemuria was first established in the summer of 2004 by drummer/vocalist Alex Kerns, guitarist/vocalist Sheena Ozzella, and bassist Adam Vernick.
The trio began writing songs and released a five song
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
, recorded at
Watchmen Recording Studios
Watchmen Recording Studios is a music recording facility owned and operated by Doug White, located in Lockport, New York, U.S. The studio opened to the public in 1995, and as of 2013 over 4,000 bands and artists have recorded at the location. The ...
, which started a long term relationship with engineer Doug White.
After a handful of shows, and the release of the (now rare) Lemuria demo, the group parted ways with Vernick, and in March 2005, Jason Draper stepped in to join on bass.
The line-up of Lemuria featuring Alex, Sheena, and Jason went on to record many singles, splits, and 7" records.
The majority of the early releases, including the demo, s/t 7", Lemuria/Frame split, Art of the Underground Single Series, and "You're Living Rooms All Over Me", were all released (or co-released) by Art Of The Underground, an indie record label owned and operated by Alex Kerns.
In 2007, after years of touring,
the band remarked that never recording a full-length album had given them time "to grow and to "find our sound.""
The band once again returned to
Watchmen Recording Studios
Watchmen Recording Studios is a music recording facility owned and operated by Doug White, located in Lockport, New York, U.S. The studio opened to the public in 1995, and as of 2013 over 4,000 bands and artists have recorded at the location. The ...
and began working on their first record, later titled ''Get Better'' and released on
Asian Man Records
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
.
Lyrically, with the exception of the songs written by Sheena and Jason, the album took a much darker tone than previous works, as many of Alex Kern's lyrics were written dealing with the recent death of his father. Musically, however, the songs were bright and 'uplifting' as a result of the band and Alex's attitude. All these things led to and helped in titling the record ''Get Better''.
![Lemuria guitarist Sheena Ozzella 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Lemuria_guitarist_Sheena_Ozzella_2012.jpg)
The band began to tour on headlining bills as well as on tour packages. In the fall of 2007, Lemuria went on their first European tour, followed by the release of 'Get Better' in 2008. They continued touring throughout the US as well as Puerto Rico, the UK, and Canada in 2008, and were featured on the Asian Man Records tour alongside
The Queers
The Queers are an American punk rock band, formed in 1981 by the Portsmouth, New Hampshire native Joseph “Joe” P. King (a.k.a. Joe Queer) along with Scott Gildersleeve (a.k.a. Tulu), and John “Jack” Hayes (a.k.a. Wimpy Rutherford). With t ...
,
Bomb the Music Industry
Bomb the Music Industry! (commonly abbreviated as Bomb or BtMI!) were an American punk rock musical collective from Baldwin, Nassau County, New York, United States, led by singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Rosenstock.
...
, and
Andrew Jackson Jihad.
Lemuria also became a regular at the
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gaine ...
based festival,
The Fest
The Fest is an annual music festival in Gainesville, Florida, United States, organized by Tony Weinbender, formerly of No Idea Records. It is a predominantly punk rock and pop-punk festival, though there are also a good number of indie rock, h ...
, playing for the first time in 2006 and continuing to play every year since.
When asked about their touring schedule, members of the band often express an affinity for the lifestyle:
In the fall of 2009, Alex and Sheena parted ways with Jason, who went on to concentrate on his other project, Failures' Union. Kyle Paton stepped in and the band continued to tour, though song writing became the responsibility more so of the duo of Kerns/Ozzella.
The band continued to write and be active, and in April 2010 announced that they had signed to
Bridge 9 Records
Bridge 9 Records is an American hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Nine is owned by Chris Wrenn of Salem, Massachusetts, who began the label in 1995 and produced its first release in 1996. The label is name ...
.
Signing to the Bridge 9 label, traditionally releasing albums for
hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
bands such as
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore punk band from New York City. Founded in 1980, the band is considered an important influence on the New York hardcore scene, as well as a pioneer of the crossover thrash genre.
History First era (1980–19 ...
and
Slapshot
A slapshot (also spelled as slap shot) in ice hockey is a powerful shot. Its advantage is as a high-speed shot that can be taken from long distance; the disadvantage is the time to set it up as well as its low accuracy.
It has four stages whi ...
, brought up many questions for both Lemuria as well as Bridge 9 as to the future of the two entities.
In part, the connection to the label was due to a famous fan of Lemuria, Paramore's
Hayley Williams
Hayley Nichole Williams (born December 27, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Paramore.
Born and raised in Missi ...
, who had gone to see them play and connected the band with her then-boyfriend, Chad Gilbert, from
New Found Glory
New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing vocal ...
, which had released an album on Bridge 9, according to an interview in ''Dying Scene''.
2010–2016
In July, 2010, Lemuria made another big change and went in to record their debut full length for the label with
J. Robbins in Baltimore, MD at Magpie Cage. However, during the mixing process of this recording session, bassist and Canadian citizen Kyle Paton ran into legal issues at the American border and as a result had to part ways with the band. In order to perform a show scheduled for later that week, Lemuria added the new bass player Max Gregor, who flew from Texas and began rehearsing in the studio.
The lineup of Kerns/Ozzella/Gregor has continued to tour as well as write and record music since that time.
![Lemuria - July 17 2014 - Live in Raleigh NC - by Will Butler](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Lemuria_-_July_17_2014_-_Live_in_Raleigh_NC_-_by_Will_Butler.jpg)
In early 2011, Lemuria released the digital single, "Chautauqua County", and a subsequent album, entitled "Pebble." The trio played a month of headlining shows to correspond with the release, followed by consistent shows through the year in the U.S. and Europe along with acts such as
The Thermals
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
,
Screaming Females
Screaming Females is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey comprising Marissa Paternoster on guitar and vocals, Jarrett Dougherty on drums, and Mike Abbate on bass. They released their debut album ''Baby Teeth'' in 2006. The band h ...
, and
David Liebe Hart
David Nkrumah Liebe Unger Hart, also credited as D. L. Hart, (born April 19, 1957) is an American musician, painter, puppeteer and actor. He is best known for his appearances on Adult Swim's ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'', performin ...
.
The band closed out 2012 by again recording with
J. Robbins. The result became its third full-length studio album, ''
The Distance Is So Big
''The Distance Is So Big'' is the third studio album from American band Lemuria. It was released in June 2013 under Bridge 9 Records
Bridge 9 Records is an American hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Ni ...
'', released June 2013 on Bridge Nine. With the most consistent line-up in the band's career, Lemuria spent 2013 supporting "The Distance Is So Big" with shows across Canada and the U.S., including a week at Austin's
SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
festival. 2014 tours brought the band across the U.S. a few times, with a notable stop at Chicago's
Riot Fest
Riot Fest is an annual three-day punk rock music festival based in Chicago, Illinois, at Douglass Park. It is known for booking reunions, guest performances, and full album performances. Riot Fest remains one of the largest independently owned m ...
, and before crowds in Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines. During this time, the band has shared the stage and tours with
Ted Leo
Theodore Francis Leo is an American singer and musician. He is the frontman and lead guitarist of the rock group Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and in 2013, he and Aimee Mann formed the indie rock duo The Both.
Early life
Born in South Bend, I ...
,
Aimee Mann
Aimee Elizabeth Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums as a solo artist and with other musicians. She is noted for her sardonic and literate lyr ...
,
Tigers Jaw
Tigers Jaw is an American rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2005. Their first album, ''Belongs to the Dead'', was released in 2006. They released a 7-inch single, "Spirit Desire", in 2009, on Tiny Engines. They released two more a ...
,
Kind of Like Spitting
Kind of Like Spitting is an American indie rock band. They formed in 1996 in Portland, Oregon. The band is led by singer-songwriter Ben Barnett, whose work has drawn comparisons to Elliott Smith, Mark Eitzel, Billy Bragg, and Robert Pollard.
O ...
, and
The Menzingers
The Menzingers are an American punk rock band from Scranton, Pennsylvania, formed in 2006. The band consists of Greg Barnett (vocals, guitar), Tom May (vocals, guitar), Eric Keen (bass) and Joe Godino (drums). To date, the band has released sev ...
.
2017–present
In 2017, Lemuria revisited their 2007 debut release, ''Get Better'', with a limited reissue as well as US and UK tours performing the album from start to finish. Simultaneously, they prepared to release their latest record, "Recreational Hate", on their own label, Turbo Worldwide. The album was released in a unique way, summarized in this letter included with each order, and also posted on the band's website:
"Thanks to everyone who took a gamble and purchased the "secret LP" we put up for sale back in August. We're excited to unveil that the LP you ordered is our new studio album, "Recreational Hate". Your trust and subsequent purchase enabled us to achieve some great feats with this release, including working with the 4-time Grammy winning producer and engineer Chris Shaw. We chose to work with him, in part, for his very eclectic discography, including the Weezer
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing v ...
"Blue" album, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
, Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
, Ice Cube
An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...
, Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently dur ...
, Public Enemy
"Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe p ...
, Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American rock band formed in 1992 in Issaquah, Washington, and currently based in Portland, Oregon. The founding members are lead singer/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. Strongly influenced ...
, A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,[Q-Tip](_blank)
, Ween
Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, the band are ...
and Lou Reed
Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
. You also gave us the opportunity to launch Turbo Worldwide, our new record label and home base for all things Lemuria. As a "thank you", you are receiving the LP approximately the same time as this announcement, 2 months before the album reaches the shelves of your local record store.
A few years back, we thought it would be fun to place some very old songs (our CD-R-only demo) on an LP, and put it up for sale as a mysterious "Secret" release. Whoever bought this wouldn't know what they ordered until it arrived in the mail and they spun it on their record player. We held no expectations as to what the response would be, however it was overwhelmingly positive, and the folks who received this special item seemed to enjoy the fun and mystery as much as we did. We tried various iterations of this in years to come, and we noticed that, each time we did, it was a similar group of friends and supporters who jumped on the opportunity. It's the same group of folks who tirelessly support our shows, support our releases, and are our motivating force that inspire us to keep actualizing our passion. We don't, not even for a second, take this amount of trust and support for granted. As a thank you, when we were planning the release for "Recreational Hate", we decided to go this secretive route once again in hopes that a similar investment from you would turn into an even bigger reward of a full-length studio album.
These songs represent our next step forward. It has been a wild adventure for us to arrive to this moment of releasing the album. Thank you for traveling with us."
The band toured briefly in support of ''Recreational Hate'',
including a week opening for
Jeff Rosenstock
Jeffrey Ernest Rosenstock (born September 7, 1982) is an American musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter from Long Island, New York. He is known for his former bands Bomb the Music Industry! and The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, as well ...
. On October 17, 2018, however, Lemuria announced that they would be cancelling their ''Recreational Hate'' fall tour with
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For most of the 20th century, it was one of the world's largest steel producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its succe ...
. The band stated: "We’re unable to go on our upcoming tour...Some of us are dealing with personal matters, making touring not possible at the moment."
Lemuria has been inactive since 2018, not releasing any new music or playing any shows. Kerns and Gregor have focused on their solo careers, while Ozzella began an a cappella trio with Anika Pyle and Augusta Koch entitled Sheena, Anika and Augusta. Their EP, ''Simple Pleasures'', was released in 2019.
Members
;Final line-up
*Sheena Ozzella - lead and backing vocals, guitar
(2004–2018)
*Alex Kerns - lead and backing vocals, drums
(2004–2018)
*Max Gregor - bass, backing vocals
(2010–2018)
*Tony Flaminio - lead guitar, backing vocals
(2017–2018; touring musician)
;Former members
*Adam Vernick - bass, backing vocals
(2004-2005)
*Jason Draper - bass, backing vocals
(2005-2009)
*Kyle Paton - bass, backing vocals
(2009-2010)
Discography
Albums
*''Get Better'' (
Asian Man Records
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 2008)
*''Pebble'' (
Bridge 9 Records
Bridge 9 Records is an American hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Nine is owned by Chris Wrenn of Salem, Massachusetts, who began the label in 1995 and produced its first release in 1996. The label is name ...
, 2011)
*''
The Distance Is So Big
''The Distance Is So Big'' is the third studio album from American band Lemuria. It was released in June 2013 under Bridge 9 Records
Bridge 9 Records is an American hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Ni ...
'' (
Bridge 9 Records
Bridge 9 Records is an American hardcore punk record label located outside Boston, Massachusetts. Bridge Nine is owned by Chris Wrenn of Salem, Massachusetts, who began the label in 1995 and produced its first release in 1996. The label is name ...
, 2013)
*''Recreational Hate'' (Turbo Worldwide, 2017) (
Big Scary Monsters
Big Scary Monsters Recording Company (often known simply as Big Scary Monsters or BSM Records) is an independent record label based in Oxford, England, UK.
Its releases include La Dispute, Beach Slang, Modern Baseball, Minus The Bear, mewitho ...
, UK & EU)
EPs
*''Self Titled 7"/CD'' (Art of the Underground/All Things Ordinary - 2005)
Compilation albums
*''The First Collection'' (Yo-Yo Records, Asian Man Records, 2007)
*''Companion'' (Turbo Worldwide, 2018)
7" singles and split releases
*"Frame" - Split 7" (2005, Art of the Underground)
*"Your Livingroom's All Over Me" - Split CD/LP with Kind of Like Spitting (2006, Art of the Underground)
*"Art of the Underground - Single Series Volume 10" 7" (2007, Art of the Underground)
*"The Ergs" - Split 7" (2007, Art of the Underground, Yo-Yo Records)
*"Ozzy" b/w "Expert Herder" - 7" (2009, Hex Records)
*"Under The Influence Volume 7" - Split 7" with Off With Their Heads'' (2009, Suburban Home Records)
*"Chautauqua County" b/w "They Are Who I Say They Are" - 7" (2010, Bridge 9 Records)
*"
Cheap Girls
Cheap Girls were an American rock band from Lansing, Michigan. The band consisted of brothers Ian Graham (guitar, lead vocals) and Ben Graham (drums, back-up vocals), Jason Draper (Bass) and Adam Aymor (guitar). Formed in 2007, the band quickly ...
" - Split 7" (2011,
No Idea Records
No Idea Records is an American independent record label based in Gainesville, Florida which focuses on punk rock and its sub-styles and produces both vinyl records and compact discs. The label also organizes The Fest, an independently operated ...
)
*"Varoom Allure" b/w "Cannonballs to Hurt" 7" (2012, Bridge 9 Records)
*"Brilliant Dancer" (2013, Bridge 9 Records)
*"Turnstile Comix #3 - 7"" (2014, Silver Sprocket)
*"Wanted to Be Yours" b/w "Utah" 7" (2017, Turbo Worldwide)
Music videos
* ''Wise People'' (2012)
* ''Pleaser'' (2012)
* ''Scienceless'' (2013)
* ''Oahu, Hawaii'' (2014)
* ''Brilliant Dancer'' (2014)
* ''Christine Perfect'' (2018)
* ''Kicking In'' (2018)
Compilation appearances
*''Art of the Underground Sampler CD'' - Art of the Underground, 2005 (song: "Getting Over Ourselves" - from 2004 demo)
*''NY vs. NJ'' - Crafty Records, 2007 (songs: "Beespit", "Origamists Too")
*''Insubordination Fest 2008 CD/DVD'' - Insubordination, 2008 (song: "Mechanical" - live recording)
*''Insubordination Fest 2009 CD/DVD'' - Insubordination, 2009 (song: "Hours" - live recording)
*''IndoorShoes'' - Adopted Friends Vol. 1, 2010 (Song: Hours)
*''Invisible Children Benefit'' - Robbed the Bank, 2012 (song: "Wise People")
Demos
*''2004 Demo CD'' (2004, self-released)
References
External links
Lemuria in Buffalo Risingin ''Jersey Beat''.
Punknews.org "Get Better" reviewLemuria in Rochester City NewspaperSound As Language interviewLemuria Tour Photo Essay Series
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemuria (Band)
Musical groups from Buffalo, New York
Musical groups established in 2004
Asian Man Records artists
Bridge 9 Records artists
Watchmen Recording Studios
2004 establishments in New York (state)
Big Scary Monsters Recording Company artists