The Hummingbirds Gave the Lemonheads Their Biggest Hit

Returning Dig Me Out Union patron Josh Page is back from Australia with his second pick, and this one is geo-locked to his home country for most of the world. The Hummingbirdsformed in Sydney in 1986, signed to rooArt Records (the label founded by INXS manager Chris Murphy), and recorded their debut loveBUZZ in 1989 with producer Mitch Easter, the same man behind R.E.M.'s Murmur and Reckoning. The album hit ARIA #31, the single "Blush" reached #19, and they went Gold in Australia. Outside Australia, almost nobody has ever heard it.

Jay, Tim, and Chip dig into the record with Josh, covering the intricate boy-girl vocal harmonies that draw comparisons to early R.E.M., The Lemonheads, Throwing Muses, and Belly; the punchy drumming that gives jangle pop some actual weight; and the Lemonheads connection most fans don't know: Robin St. Clair and Nic Dalton co-wrote "Into Your Arms" during this era, Evan Dando recorded it, and it became the biggest hit of the Lemonheads' career.

Timestamps: 5:05 Band history and Mitch Easter connection | 6:09 The Lemonheads origin story | 14:19 "Alimony" | 19:17 "Get On Down" | 28:51 "House Taken Over" (and the unauthorized house remix) | 38:48 "If You Leave" | 42:08 Verdicts

The hosts split 2-1, and the community voted 80% Better EP. Head to digmeoutpodcast.com to listen to the full episode and share your take.

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Episode Highlights

Intro: Blush: loveBUZZ opens the episode exactly how it should, no preamble, just the single.

1:11: Josh Page returns from Australia: back with his second patron pick, and this one isn't on US Apple Music.

2:37: The album title before Nirvana: loveBUZZ got its name before Nirvana broke, then the Australian industry came knocking for "the next Nirvana."

5:05: Band history: from Bug-Eyed Monsters to a Gold record: started in 1986, signed to rooArt (INXS manager's label), Mitch Easter producing, "Blush" hit ARIA #19, 40,000+ copies sold.

6:09: The Lemonheads connection: Robin St. Clair and Nic Dalton co-wrote "Into Your Arms" while he was filling in for her; the Lemonheads turned it into their biggest hit.

9:03: Into Your Arms (The Lemonheads): clip played to illustrate the co-writing story; this is a Lemonheads track, not a Hummingbirds song, written by St. Clair and Dalton.

13:08: What works: the harmonies: three to four interlocking voices, women singing low, men singing high, more complex than The Bangles and closer to the Mamas and the Papas.

14:19: Alimony: originally an EP single smuggled onto the full album; Chip and Jason both flag it as a standout.

19:17: Get on Down: aggressive rhythm and hooky drum fills give this jangle pop record some actual weight underneath.

22:52: Hollow Inside: multiple hosts call it a keeper; plays during the open what-works discussion.

28:51: House Taken Over: called a "shoegazy dirge" by Jason; Josh reveals a rooArt executive secretly remixed it as a house track for the UK market without telling the band.

33:27: Miles to Go: Chip calls it "half a song"; it builds to a cinematic crescendo and just stops; all four agree it is the wrong album closer.

38:48: If You Leave: deep, moody female vocal with a Stevie Nicks vibe; Josh and Tim agree this should have closed the album instead.

42:08: Verdicts: the hosts split 2-1; the community voted 80% Better EP; the minority position won the popular vote by a wide margin.

Outro: Blush: loveBUZZ opens the episode, and it closes it the same way.

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