Lemonheads guitarist claims he doesn’t regret decades of hard drug use: “I think some people were supposed to take drugs”
Lemonheads guitarist Evan Dando is no stranger to rock star excess. From the alt-rock heyday of the early 90s to periods of public absence (and misadventures), the Boston band’s frontman has long earned a reputation for living life on the edge.
In a new interview with The Guardian, the 58-year-old opens up about his past substance use, his current approach to sobriety, and the creative process behind Love Chant, the band’s first album of original material in nearly twenty years.
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These days, Dando considers himself “clean”, though his version of the word might surprise some: “I’ll take acid occasionally, maybe mushrooms and I’ll smoke pot.”
For the musician, being clean is about leaving heroin behind, which he claims he hasn’t used in nearly three years. The decision followed a disastrous gig at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in 2021, where he struggled to play through the set.
“I thought: ‘This is not good. The legacy will not bear this type of behaviour,’” says Dando.
He credits Laura Teixeira for helping him quit but stresses he has no regrets about his past: “I think some people were supposed to take drugs and one of them was me.”
Stepping back from substances (mostly) has also brought a new focus to his music.
“When you’re on smack, you’re all: ‘Oh fuck that, and that, and that,” he says. Now, Dando is finally releasing Love Chant, an album that revisits the lyrical and melodic strengths that propelled Lemonheads to indie stardom.
Formed in 1986, Lemonheads earned acclaim for their blend of punk energy and folk-pop melodies, scoring mainstream hits with songs like Into Your Arms and It’s a Shame About Ray. Despite lineup changes and long periods of inactivity, Dando has remained the band’s creative core, carrying its signature songwriting voice through the years.
“I’ve never really heard of this sort of dormancy period [between albums],” he admits. “This is some Rip Van Winkle shit. I do have integrity about what I put out. I wasn’t ready to do anything new until I was ready, and [now] I am.”
Love Chant will arrive on 24 October via Fire Records. Check out the latest single In The Margin below.
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