The Lemons

While numerous acts evolve substantially from their initial independent outing to a debut on a major imprint, few transformed as radically as the Lemons. The musicians responsible for 1993’s Marvel bore almost no resemblance to those who inked a deal with Mercury Records the following year, and the earlier configuration proved markedly stronger.

The band’s original roster coalesced in 1991 around guitarist and chief songwriter Greg Lovell, singer and lead guitarist Jimmy Paulson, bassist Brent Saunders, and drummer Rob Cunningham. They performed regularly throughout Seattle in the years immediately after grunge peaked, ultimately issuing their first full-length, Marvel, via the hometown independent Macola Records in 1993. Brisk and drawing primary inspiration from the irreverent 1980s pop-punk of the Descendents and All rather than prevailing murky grunge textures, the album offered a welcome contrast, yet the lineup fractured almost at once after its appearance. Paulson accepted a short-term role as lead guitarist with the Best Kissers in the World before launching the hard rock outfit New American Shame. Lovell assumed lead vocals and brought in Jeff Hiatt as lead guitarist. The revised ensemble secured a contract with Mercury Records in 1994 and put out a self-titled EP. They tracked an initial version of their follow-up album in Memphis under the production of the Descendents’ Bill Stevenson, only for the label to reject the recordings. After Cunningham departed for Flake, the group installed Nabil Ayers on drums, revisited the Stevenson sessions, and delivered Sturdy in 1995. By then the Seattle scene had cooled considerably, and sales remained modest. Mercury dropped the band, which disbanded the next year.