LIME FOREST
Indie jams with a trippy twist.
Meet Richard Raymond II, the brains behind the modern-psychedelic project Lime Forest. Since 2016, Lime Forest has created inventive music that is simultaneously complicated, and easy to listen to.
Basement: How did this project get started?
Lime Forest: Lime Forest started as an online radio show in the fall of 2015. It was something I would do on a weekly basis with my friends. Eventually, I was regularly doing the show on my own, and focusing much more on the intro song than the show itself. I decided to drop the radio show, and to use the Lime Forest moniker for my personal recording project. The first record, "Like Liquid", was released in September of 2016.
Basement: What influences your sound?
Lime Forest: In the early days, groups like Tame Impala, Queens of the Stone Age, My Bloody Valentine, Stereolab, Interpol, & Air were on constant rotation. I would consider those groups the primary influence on "Like Liquid". LP #2, "Welcome to Lime Forest", was an attempt to channel the vibe of the crunchier groups I grew up on, like Nirvana, Weezer, and Smashing Pumpkins. LP #3, "The Little Things", was inspired by the groups and production of the 60's. I was working at a record store at the time...being that most of our records were sourced from peoples' collections they no longer wanted to lug around, we didn't have much past 1990. So, naturally, I got heavily into The Beatles, The Doors, Donovan. All the groups everyone had in their collection back in the day. Towards the end of my tenure at the record shop, our turntable pooped out. My coworker flipped to 90.9 WDCB, the local jazz station. I didn't know we had a jazz station in the Chicagoland area. Ever since, my car radio is fixed on 90.9. In short, LP #4, "Big Hits", was very inspired by the swing of jazz. It was also inspired by the atmospheres of Brian Eno, the jamminess of Grateful Dead, the reverbs of reggae/dub, the twang of country, and the lo-end of classic hip-hop. As far as non-musical influences go, my experiences with psychedelics have been a primary influence in my desire to create transportive music that can kinda "get you high without needing to get high". Lyrically, love, or its absence, always seems like the most important subject to address.
Basement: You’ve been doing a series of live streams throughout quarantine, can you tell me a little bit about the streams and what’s been happening with those?
Lime Forest: Everything's about to switch from "I" to "we". You may have inferred I'm incapable of performing everything I've recorded on my own. In short, I've got a backing band comprised of my best friends:
Lead Guitar/Vocals: Giovanni Marrari
Bass/Vocals: Larry Sheridan
Keys: Drew Stump
Drums/Vocals: Nate Hockenberry
Rhythm Guitar/Lead Vocals: Richard Raymond II
Basement: What does your songwriting process look like?
Lime Forest: My songwriting process varies from tune to tune. In the past, I would write completed songs on the acoustic guitar, and build everything around that. Lately, songs are typically inspired by a genre or a groove. "Let's write a reggae tune". "Let's write a waltz". That sort of thing. I'll whip up the chords on piano and guitar, usually switching back and forth, and then demo everything out in Logic. Once I've got a full demo going, I'll usually ad-lib a melody, and put words to it at a later date. When I've got 5 or 6 completed demos that have aged well, I'll set up time to go track drums and build from there. The process has become much slower, as I've become harder to please. I've never been too interested in repeating myself, so time is a crucial element. Time is required for growth, and growth is required for change. Change is required for things to excite me again.
Lime Forest: Together, we re-work the recorded material so that it plays to everyone's strengths. This makes it more fun for everyone involved, which leads to a better product overall. We did one live stream concert to celebrate the release of the latest record, "Big Hits", in late September. Aside from that, we've been releasing videos from our live album, which was recorded at Wholesome Studio-B3 in Chicago on July 12th, 2020. We broke the performance up into seven different videos. We've been releasing one video each friday since October 2nd. The seventh video will be released on Friday, November 13th, followed by the full 45 minute clip on November 20th. These are available on instagram TV (follow @welcometolimeforest) and youtube. The audio from the entire performance is also available on all streaming services.
The video was shot on a single handheld camera. We also "overdubbed" a liquid light show to avoid having one camera running for 45 minutes straight. It's not meant to be a cinematic masterpiece. We just wanted video to go along with the audio, so people can get a chance to see what's happening. Much of the performance is improvised, and it's always fun to watch people's faces while they collectively work through the unknown.
Basement: What narratives do you hope come across in your music?
Lime Forest: I hope the most consistent theme of all the music is to keep fighting. Whether you're struggling with love, addiction, existentialism, or depression, just know that you're the one in charge of initiating change. This is likely best portrayed in the tune "Sea Miner", which is about a ship captain who realizes he has the ability to alter his perspective, and to lead a happier, healthier, and overall better, life.
Basement: Why is Chicago a special place to be a musician?
Lime Forest: As time goes on, I identify more with nature and history than I do with other bands in the area. I'd prefer trees and birds opposed to buildings and sirens. I think this sentiment has been influenced by being unable to perform alongside groups since COVID, but I do feel it's honest nonetheless. I'm working towards acquiring a small house/recording studio somewhere more remote in the future. It's been proven that it's still possible to connect and share with people via technology, so that's what I hope to do once Lime Forest is no longer located in Chicago proper. We plan on consistently releasing live albums for the foreseeable future, even when venues open back up.
Basement: What’s next for Lime Forest?
Lime Forest: We're all set to record our second live album, featuring tunes new and old, on December 18th at The Cooley Underground, a DIY spot with a killer basement setup in Winfield, IL. The show will also be streaming live on YouTube. As far as recordings go, I'm looking to start recording a new record at the end of 2020, or beginning of 2021. I'm looking to write happier material with more uplifting grooves, and I want the production to be top notch. Aside from that, we'll be continuing to grow our online presence in the hopes connecting with like-minded folks all over the globe.