Lime Garden return with ‘Nepotism (baby)’
The Brighton quartet step into the shoes of someone who doesn’t have to work for ‘fame’.
Photo: Kalisha Quinlan
Lime Garden are back, returning with their signature dizzy and dazed sound with their new hit Nepotism (baby). Brimming with surf-esque hooks, it is touted to be but a taster of their greatly anticipated larger project that will be realised next year.
The Brighton four-piece that has been making strides in the past few years – it’s hardly a surprise. Their go-with-the-flow vibe and easy sound have quickly made them one of the hottest upcoming bands around and have seen them support some of the major players in the scene today such as the likes of IDLES and The Big Moon.
Nepotism (baby) is another delightful lo-fi treat for the ears. It’s a song that doesn’t feel the need to overcomplicate itself – keeping it as minimal as it wishes itself to. Lead vocalist Chloe Howard is almost entirely on her own as this song begins with all but the faintest of riffs behind her. This is before the twang of guitar strings suddenly fills the chorus, changing the song almost immediately into a dreamy, folkish and even surf-ish woozy haze of a sound; then it’s taken back to Howard’s vocals, like snapping out of a surreal daydream.
Commenting on the release, Chloe Howard said “‘Nepotism (baby)’ was written as a commentary on modern society, imagining my life as if I was someone born into fame. Writing the track gave me the feeling of being a teenager again, writing songs in my bedroom using three chords or less. The sound of this song pays homage to the beginnings of this band as four angsty teens who love guitars.” Its tongue-in-cheek lyrics certainly don’t beat around the bush in pushing this point across, with the mighty chorus of ‘To be the IT girl is to be it, and that’s what I plan to do / To have a face like an angel, with enough money to do whatever the fuck it is they do’.
The band is having a strong year on the festival circuit, which will see them perform at End of The Road, Float Along Festival and Live at Leeds later in the year, so there are plenty of opportunities to catch this bunch in action this year. Nepotism (baby) feels like the first foot down in what could be a landmark release in their artistic vision for 2024.