By Jonathan Brenneman
Back in 2009, when brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach decided to start a pop rock band together—just the two of them playing a mixture of unusual instruments including the trumpet, clarinet and even a kazoo—they could not have anticipated just how far this musical journey would eventually take them. With a line-up that has since expanded to five touring members, the past 15 years have seen them release two studio albums, multiple EPs, and a mini-album with Hollywood royalty Idris Elba (2022’s Cordi Elba). All of this, while regularly touring sold-out shows at venues worldwide.
The moment they realized they’d become a big deal came at a sold-out gig in Vienna, Austria, remember Oli and Louis Leimbach.
“It was our first European tour and we didn’t really have high hopes,” Oli Leimbach said. “We just wanted the experience. But when we got over there, we already had an audience, everyone was already singing all of our lyrics. And that set the tone for the tour. We got such a kick out of it.”
Already an insider’s tip in alternative music circles, in 2017 they hit the mainstream with the release of their acclaimed debut album, Permanent Vacation, a record as noteworthy for environmental, sustainability and conservation themes as for its infectious melodic hooks.
“We really care for our environment,” said Leimbach, “and flying all around the world, we realized we had a pretty large carbon output. I think the first thing to do is just recognize those issues, and then act on them. Musicians can be role models in things like this.”
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Their 2020 sophomore effort, 14 Steps to a Better You, explored darker emotions such as heartbreak and self-loathing; a winning formula, as the album went on to win multiple awards, including Breakthrough Artist at 2020’s ARIA Music Awards and Australian Album of the Year at the J Awards.
2022’s Cordi Elba, meanwhile, was an outlier: a fascinating collaboration with Idris Elba of TV series Luther and The Wire. The way Leimbach told it, they were busy reworking their track Unnecessary Things, when Elba expressed interest in contributing a rap verse. Before they knew it, they had a chart-topping mini-album and even a Fat Boy Slim remix.
With a sunny sound, shifting seamlessly between genres as diverse as surf rock, alternative pop, and jazz, Lime Cordiale provides the perfect soundtrack for dispelling the last vestiges of a long, cold winter. Now with a forthcoming third album planned for release in—when else?—summer, the boys are touring with some brand new material.
You can find the boys rocking out at Victoria’s Capital Ballroom on April 13 and 14. Tickets are available at thecapitalballroom.com.
