Lemontrip

When you’re asked to do a photoshoot for Subbacultcha!, you generally don’t expect an endurance test. But that’s the turn things took for Lemontrip, as we submerged him in a freezing lake. Why, you ask? Because this is the Cold Comfort issue. After watching him almost drown, we called him up for a chat about all things cold

Interview by Koen van Bommel, photos shot by Isolde Woudstra with assistance from Kiri Pruntel in Utrecht, NL

What went through your head when you found out you’d be swimming in a freezing lake?

Well, I knew beforehand so it wasn’t a surprise or anything. When I heard, I probably thought something like, Whatever – I’d do anything for art! And I suppose I hoped it would be a nice, warm lake. But no; it was freezing cold.

The photos turned out great. How’s that for cold comfort?

I wouldn’t call that a cold comfort, though, because that expression has such a negative connotation. I didn’t need any comfort, it was totally worth it!

How far would you go for a good photograph? Would you pose nude?

Sure, if I had to I’d be willing to do it. I draw the line at ‘stuff with dead animals’. I would not do that. Wait, are you seriously asking me to pose nude?

No, don’t worry. I don’t even know how to hold a camera. I’ve got this question for you, though: if your music was a temperature, how many degrees would it be?

Hmm… let me think. I’d definitely say not too cold. But not too hot either. How about 21 degrees celsius? Still warm enough to be comfortable in just a T-shirt, but not scorching hot.

What makes your heart melt?

Good music and good food. And occasionally I look after a friend’s cat. And yeah, sometimes when I look at that little animal, my heart melts.

Would you rather freeze to death or burn alive?

Surely freezing to death would be better? I guess you’d become numb after a while anyway, so you wouldn’t really feel it any more. And I know from experience that burning your hand with boiling water is a lot worse than holding an ice cube.

What’s the coldest you’ve ever been?

I’m pretty bad at judging what the weather will be like. I’ll think it’s summer when it’s actually still winter. So one time I thought the weather would be really good, and I went to school in just a T-shirt. A 45-minute bike ride in zero-degree weather is not something I would recommend.

What about the coldest thing someone has ever said to you?

Well, it’s hard to think of something specific, but I guess when I’ve worked on a song for a really long time and I let someone listen to it, and they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, nice.’ Nice? I’ve worked on this for months! To me, that’s cold.

Your new album comes out in October. When that happens, it’s out of your hands, people will have opinions and they might not consider all the hard work that went into it. Does that scare you?

In a way, yes. Of course you can’t please everyone, and I guess I’m not trying to either. But on the other hand, it would really suck if someone completely shits on one of my songs and it’s a song that I’ve made for someone special in my life, you know?

Do you think music that took a lot of effort should be praised accordingly?

Not automatically, no. I mean, you could also make something really sick in a week. But yeah, when you’ve really put a lot of energy and time into it, it would be nice if the reactions reflected that. But a lot of people don’t know about those things, so I’d forgive them for not understanding.

Lemontrip releases his latest Fog Mountain record Hollow at OT301, Amsterdam on 23 October. Joining him are fellow label mates ZES and Oaktree & Avondlicht. The show is free for Subbacultcha! members. You can also stream Hollow in full here.