Modey Lemon
Modey Lemon are a garage rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The project started in 1999 in the city’s South Oakland neighborhood, when guitarist Phil Boyd and drummer Paul Quattrone began playing shows after operating as a loose side project connected to the college basement circuit.
From basement sets to early recordings
Boyd and Quattrone first played out around Halloween weekend in 1999, and they also recorded a live set for WPTS 92.1 FM, the University of Pittsburgh’s college radio station. Pieces of that broadcast later surfaced on their early demo release House on the Hill, which first appeared in 2000 and was later tied into the band’s official catalog.
Self-titled debut and steady touring
By 2000, the duo had built a local reputation for loud, kinetic shows. Their debut full-length, Modey Lemon, arrived in early 2002. After its release, they toured in the United States and Europe, using the road to broaden the band’s profile beyond Pittsburgh.
Label changes and the Thunder + Lightning era
After the self-titled album, the band spent a short stretch working with In the Red Records, including a double 7-inch release. They were then recommended to Birdman Records owner Dave Katznelson, who signed the group. Ahead of the next album, Boyd and Quattrone expanded the live lineup by adding Jason Kirker on guitar and Moog synthesizer.
The second full-length, Thunder + Lightning, was released in mid-2003. Not long after, Mute Records licensed and released the album in the UK and Europe, and it was issued in Japan through EMI, Mute’s parent label at the time. Two singles from this period, “Crows” (2004) and “Sleepwalkers” (2005), each appeared for one week on the UK Singles Chart.
The Curious City and high-profile bills
The band’s third album, The Curious City, came out in August 2005 on Birdman/Mute. Around this stretch, Modey Lemon shared stages with a wide range of artists and bands, including the White Stripes, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Oneida, Dinosaur Jr., and Arctic Monkeys, and also appeared at festivals such as Glastonbury (2005), Meredith Music Festival (2003), and Transmusicales (2004).
On screen, then toward a pause
In 2006, Modey Lemon appeared in a punk-club scene in the film adaptation of Michael Chabon’s The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, performing two original songs written for the film along with two covers.
The band’s fourth album, Season of Sweets, was released on May 12, 2008, followed by touring in the US that summer and dates in the UK and mainland Europe that fall. In August 2009, they supported Arctic Monkeys in New York City, Boston, and Chicago. Later that year, “Become a Monk,” from Season of Sweets, was announced for inclusion on the soundtrack to the video game Tony Hawk: Ride.
In 2010, the band recorded and released the single “Wandering Eye b/w Cheetahs for Chariots” on These Are Not Records and played once at the University of Pittsburgh’s William Pitt Union in spring 2010, before going on indefinite hiatus.
Reissues and later activity
In 2015, the first two releases, House on the Hill and Modey Lemon, were reissued on vinyl for the first time through A-F Records, Mind Cure Records, and Omentum Records. After the last group performance in 2010, members continued making music through other projects and collaborations.
Members
- Paul Quattrone
- Phil Boyd
- Jason Kirker
Discography
- House on the Hill (2000)
- Modey Lemon (2002)
- Thunder + Lightning (2003)
- The Curious City (2005)
- Birth of Jazz EP (2008)
- Season of Sweets (2008)
Related projects after the hiatus
After 2010, the members stayed active in other bands and recordings. Boyd and Quattrone formed Shockwave Riderz in 2012 with singer Sara Mac, releasing several singles and touring before disbanding. Quattrone also played in multiple projects, including time with !!!, later relocating to Los Angeles and joining Thee Oh Sees, while also forming Warm Drag. Boyd and Kirker formed Old Head in 2012 with Bill Wehmann and Mike Layton, releasing an album titled Old Head in 2015. Boyd has also released solo work as Hidden Twin and collaborated on recordings with other artists, while Kirker has remained based in Pittsburgh.
