Lemuria

by Corey Apar
 
Sheena Ozzella and Alex Kerns had already known each other for several years (including a spell where they were a couple) before forming Lemuria together during the fall of 2004 in Buffalo, NY. The group looked to bands like the Lemonheads, Superchunk, Jawbreaker and Husker Du for influence in crafting their own punky and melodic indie rock. With Ozzella on guitar, Kerns on drums and Adam Vernick on bass -- all three shared vocal duties, though Ozzella took the lead on most songs -- Lemuria got busy recording a bunch of demos. Vernick didn't stick around long, however, leaving the band during the writing phase of their first EP. Bassist Jason Draper, who had previously played with Kerns and Vernick in local hardcore outfit StillxIll, quickly stepped in to take his place in 2005, and a four-song eponymous EP appeared that same year via Kerns' label, Art of the Underground. A string of seven-inch and split releases followed over the next few years; this included a split with New Paltz, NY's Frame, one alongside Portland's Kind of Like Spitting entitled Your Living Room's All Over Me, and a 2007 release with New Jersey pop-punkers the Ergs!. Germany-based Yo Yo Records then took the liberty of gathering most of the band's demos and seven-inch recordings since their inception, and releasing them as The First Collection. Lemuria's first full-length record, Get Better, was handled by Asian Man Records and appeared in February 2008 to considerable praise and positive reviews.