Lemon Knife, Chicago, IL
Lemon Knife is a Chicago-based hard rock duo with punk edges, classic rock sensibilities, and literate lyrics on a wide variety of topics. Formed by kindred nerds Mia Blixt-Shehan (bass, vocals, guitar) and John Retterer-Moore (drums, vocals, lyrics) in the spring of 2017, they have since played 50+ shows at a variety of Chicago venues, including Beat Kitchen, Cubby Bear, and Reggie's, alongside several memorable DIY shows. Their tracks have received radio play by stations such as WKQX's Demo 312, WIIT, and WRSE, the band has appeared for live sessions on WHPK and WZRD, and their song Cold Burn has received 2000+ streams on Spotify after resonating with the asexual community.
They released their first album, Songs About Water and Death, in April 2018, their second album, I Know That This is Vitriol, in December 2019, and their third album, Endlessly Expanding, in May 2021, which also saw the release of their first music video for the song Two Atomic Heroes. Their latest album, Ignite!, which was released in January 2023, is their most sonically varied to date, including the dancey garage punk of the title track, the haunting folk of Kirkwald in a Day, and the southern rock of Grow Old in Maine.