The Lemonheads shared their new single and music video, “The Key of Victory,” this Tuesday, the 5th. The track is part of their new album, Love Chant , which will be released on October 24th by Fire Records . The album is a bold and melodic reaffirmation from one of the most distinctive voices in alternative rock.
In contrast to the vibrant energy of previous singles, “Deep End” and “In The Margin ,” “The Key of Victory” is made entirely of soft shadows and slow-motion movements. It’s a meditative and modal track, anchored by Apollo Nove and Erin Rae’s spectral harmonies . Written in partnership with David Ashby ( Rum Shebeen ), the song had its vocals recorded at Abbey Road Studios.
Full of lightness and profound beauty, “The Key of Victory” indicates the compositional diversity present in Love Chant . Regarding the track, Evan Dando comments: “It’s quiet, it’s badass. It’s beautiful and modal. I was trying to do something in the vibe of Street Hassle, you know?”
The Lemonheads' new album
After years of writing, wandering, and starting over, Evan Dando returns with Love Chant , the Lemonheads' first studio album in nearly two decades. A project matured over time and shaped by geographical displacements and a network of loyal collaborators, the album represents a bold and melodic reaffirmation from one of the most unique voices in alternative rock.
Now living in Brazil, where much of the album was recorded, Dando has undergone a quiet shift in perspective over the past few years. It's a chance to start over, reconnect, and finally focus on these songs. The result is an album that sounds both new and familiar: rooted in the Lemonheads' trademark sound, but expanded by years of experience and new environments.
The album arrives in October alongside Dando's highly anticipated memoir, Rumours Of My Demise , to be released by Faber on November 6th. Love Chant is produced by Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Apollo Nove and brings together old friends and new allies.
J Mascis ( Dinosaur Jr ), Juliana Hatfield , and Tom Morgan (co-writer of “Deep End”) return to the lineup. They are joined by names like producer Bryce Goggin ( Pavement, Antony and the Johnsons ). In addition, Nashville singer Erin Rae, John Strohm (Blake Babies, co-writer and guitarist on “Togetherness”), and Nick Saloman ( The Bevis Frond , composer and performer on the psychedelic “Roky”) also appear. Adam Green , of the cult band The Moldy Peaches , also participates as a co-writer on the country track “Wild Thing”.
READ ALSO: The Lemonheads release single “In The Margin” and reveal details about new album