Rock bands throughout history have gone by a variety of colorful names; some so absurd you can't help but laugh, and others so meaningful that you pause to consider the band's brilliance.
When it comes to naming a band, the rule is simple: there are no rules. However, pick a wrong name and it'll follow you everywhere. The founders of Lime Cordiale, Oli and Louis Leimbach, realized this early enough, and thankfully didn't come up with a band name like impotent sea snakes.
Admittedly, it took a while before their band evolved to be called Lime Cordiale. Once the brothers started accepting small gigs on Sydney's Northern Beaches and its vicinity, there was the urgent need to choose a befitting band name—and so they did.
But what's the rationale behind the band's beverage-y sounding name? If you're curious about why they're called Lime Cordiale, keep reading to find out.
Although it's tempting to think of the popular Aussie fruity cordial when you come across an Australian band called Lime Cordiale, this pair has nothing to do with the beverage. Rather, they intrigue with the pleasant melodies of summer, surf rock, and the best aspects of the northern beaches.
As it turns out, the Leimbach brothers have a thing for puns, so they initially went by The Lime (derived from their last name, Leimbach). Later, the term "cordiale" was added to the band's name while the team—Louis and Oli Leimbach, with additional members James Jennings, Felix Bornholt, and Nick Polovineo—were on vacation in the south of France for a festival. You'd find it amusing to know that the said festival was appropriately called "Music Cordiale."
Cordiale (from the term cordial) is an alluring word that translates to mean "beautifully, sweetly, or gracefully" - perfect embodiments of a Lime Cordiale concert. It also indicates an amicable gathering. Unsurprisingly, the musical brothers felt a connection to this word, and so the band's name evolved from The Lime to Lime Cordiale—a respectable transition in our opinion.
Despite being a pop rock band, Lime Cordiale's forte is always experimenting with new sounds and working with artists from all different genres. Over the course of its 12-year career, Lime Cordiale has explored indie, pop, rock, folk, and psychedelic styles. This trait was on display when the band worked with Idris Elba on the mini album, Cordi Elba.
Lime Cordiale is a stand-alone band, and Chugg Music, the group's manager (which also serves as their label), allows the Leimbachs liberty to experiment with new and refreshing sounds, if and when they choose.
In all, Lime Cordiale has released thirty-two singles, two box sets, two extended plays, and two studio albums.
After releasing their debut EP, Faceless Cat, in 2012, the group came out with Falling Up the Stairs, their sophomore EP, which was produced by Daniel Denholm. They split their time between studio recording and a rigorous traveling schedule over the following years.
2017 saw the release of Lime Cordiale's first full-length album, Permanent Vacation—also produced by Dave Hammer—which effectively put the band on the road to worldwide recognition.
In 2019, the catchy single "Robbery" was released, paving the way for the band's second album, 14 Steps to a Better You. The CD also included the Dave Hammer-produced songs "On Our Own" and "Addicted to Sunshine."
The record "14 Steps To A Better You" from their 2020 album is a social critique: Every one of the 14 songs served as a mini-lesson—an admonishment for improvement. That didn't imply that they were flawless; "we’re far from perfect," Oli admits, "And we like to tell people what to do in our own stupid way."
When Hollywood celebrity Idris Elba, decided to lend his voice to the Cordi Elba EP, it produced refreshingly boasty songs like "apple crumble" and "what's not to like".
The hit singles "Robbery" and "Temper Temper" by Lime Cordiale were certified Platinum, and the group has also amassed 7 Gold singles. The band is one of the hottest in Australia with over 1.5 million monthly listeners, well over 265 million streams on Spotify, more than 22 million streams on Apple Music, and upwards of 15 million YouTube views.
Talking about feats, Lime Cordiale was the only group to have four songs in the top 40 of the Triple J Hottest 100 poll in January 2019.
Also, 14 Ways to a Better You witnessed Lime Cordiale smash the record for the most singles on Triple J's Hot 100 list and has had nine songs reach Gold or Platinum, while also winning Lime Cordiale an ARIA award for Best Breakthrough Act at the 2020 ARIAS.
On the Cordi Elba mini-album, the singles "Apple Crumble" and "What's Not To Like" went on to clench the number 14 and 41 spot respectively on the Triple J's Hottest 100.
Overall, Lime Cordiale has had a pretty good run - and the future looks even brighter.
