Music

Evan Dando is alive and well and living in Brazil

The Boston native-turned-São Paulo resident is back with a memoir, a new Lemonheads album, and a Boston show Wednesday night.

Evan Dando. Antonia Teixeira

November 24, 2025

6 minutes to read

I hate to use clichés, but if the shoe fits … (I’ll show myself out.) That said, Boston native Evan Dando of The Lemonheads unmistakably presents as an indie rock Zelig and/or Forrest Gump in his recently published memoir, “Rumors of My Demise” (Simon & Schuster).

From opening for the Ramones to hanging at an A-list movie star’s mansion to being in the presence of rock ‘n’ roll’s most celebrated (living) guitarist at his granddaughter’s christening, Dando can upstage pretty much any of his peers in terms of life experiences.

Of course, he worked his way up to these worldwide luminaries via his association with local ones. Many of the latter feature on the new Lemonheads album, “Love Chant” (Fire Records), including J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.), John Felice (The Real Kids), John Strohm (Blake Babies), and former Lemonhead (and Blake Baby) Juliana Hatfield.

Co-writing credit for the memoir goes to Jim Ruland, who has also shepherded memoirs of Black Flag’s Keith Morris and fellow hardcore punks Bad Religion.

The Lemoneheads — Dando, bassist Farley Glavin, and drummer John Kent — are currently on an extensive tour in support of “Love Chant.” Appropriate for Dando and all of his hometown fans, the Boston date is the day before Thanksgiving at The Wilbur. Boston.com recently caught up with him to find out where he’s been (mostly in Brazil, where he moved in 2023), and where he’s headed.

Interview has been condensed and edited.

Boston.com: You write early in the book, “I loved music … but I wanted to be a writer.” How does it feel to be one?

Evan Dando: I feel like I’m halfway there, to being a writer. Jim Ruland did a better job than I could. I want to do an authorized biography of him. I did write some chapters, but not all of it. So you know what, I’m a published author. And not just on Facebook.

When did you start writing the book and what motivated you to do so?

It was started during COVID, because I was like, “I’m f—ed” because I couldn’t tour. [The Netflix animated series] “Big Mouth” saved by ass once. They bought a song “My Drug Buddy” for 20 grand (season 2, episode 6). Then I was like, what if this s— goes on for years and years? I gotta make money. So I got a book deal.

What was the Boston scene like when The Lemonheads started out?

It was like, is life really this good? We were sharing practice space with the Pixies, and were like, “There’s no f—ing way that it is.” So we were in an exceptional situation and it was really inspiring.

As opposed to in England, where bands are all against each other, everyone helps each other out in America. Like, a lot. Except one time Urge Overkill decided not to do that anymore. That’s another story. Lyres, Gang Green, just knowing all these f—ing people. Boston was just amazing.

My dad used to go see Jonathan Richman play at lunch down by Government Center. His wife was a big fan of the band [Lemonheads]. She went out with “Hippie Johnny” [referenced in Richman’s Modern Lovers song “I’m Straight”], John Felice [of The Real Kids], who’s at the end of the first side of our new record. That’s him playing that riff with me at the end of “Cell Phone Blues.” That’s him teaching me how to play a riff.

Every Gen X-er knows Polly Noonan’s face — if not her name — from the end of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Her voice is heard on the last track of “Lovey” and at the beginning of “Bit Part,” and her face is on the cover of “It’s a Shame About Ray.” How did you meet her?

My girlfriend from Commonwealth [his high school in Boston] went to Vassar and so did Polly Noonan. And I’d be going out there every weekend to visit my girlfriend, and I met a lot of really cool people there. Polly came on tour with us to sell t-shirts and stuff. We had a lot of fun.

And Vassar is in Poughkeepsie.

Yeah, I have a song called “Poughkeepsie.” We’re playing a bunch of old songs on this tour, like “Mallo Cup,” we’re playing “Don’t Tell Yourself It’s OK,” “Pittsburgh,” and “Hate Your Friends.”

How were you approached to record “Mrs. Robinson” for the 25th anniversary VHS edition of “The Graduate”?

I think it’s possible that [Atlantic Records president] Danny Goldberg cooked that up in his head, and I don’t even know if we got paid for it. I think they were trying to get the kids into the movie. We never could have guessed [that it would be so successful]. We did it in three hours and whatever, people liked it. And Marty Scorsese saved my ass on that one! How many people can say that? [“Mrs. Robinson” is on the soundtrack of the 2013 movie “The Wolf of Wall Street.”]

You write in the book about skiing (including with J Mascis), surfing, and fishing. I know that you did not write the lyrics, but you clearly are “The Outdoor Type.”

My friend Tom Morgan wrote that. But it’s not the truth. I’m all about the outdoors. So I’m lying about lying about being the outdoor type. But a lot of people identify with that song.

Interestingly, The Lemonheads had a less unfortunate version of the problem Spinal Tap had when it came to percussionists. Why was that?

It was just general instability. It got down to the point where I learned how to play the drums. Somebody’s gotta do it. But I got to play with Murph from Dinosaur Jr., Ben Daughtrey from Squirrel Bait, Bill Stevenson from Descendents, and the Zero Boys drummer [Mark Cutsinger]. It’s been awesome. It’s been really cool. And then the Radish drummer [John Kent] is our drummer now. I think I can say I’ve played with more legendary alternative drummers than any person on earth. I may be in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Are all of the songs on “Love Chant” relatively new, or did you write some of them less recently?

I had songs from like 2011 that I forgot about on my I Claudius, you know, iCloud. Like “Cell Phone Blues.” Even the riff for “Deep End” was written ages ago, and there’s probably more stuff to mine from the past. That riff from “The Key of Victory” has been going around for years. That’s one of my favorite songs on the record.

Is having so many musicians write songs about you a mixed blessing?

I love it. I love it. It’s great. I love it. I love it. “Skull” [by Sebadoh] is great. “How Much Is Enough?” by You Am I is great. All of Juliana’s ones. And then there’s passing mention in “The Beer” by Kimya Dawson from The Moldy Peaches. So I love it all. It’s great. It’s awesome.

And Television Personalities, of course.

MUSIC:

Oh yeah, “Evan Doesn’t Ring Me Anymore.” That was so awesome. Oh, you gotta check out [sings “Forward Defensive” by The Humdrum Express]: “I know this may sound like an unlikely tale but, I once spent Christmas Day on Bondi Beach with Evan Dando.” It’s a really funny song. And “I Wish I Was Him” by Ben Lee.

You and Juliana Hatfield have both recorded covers albums. Would you ever do one together?

No. [laughs] A flat no on that one. We’d both rather just do it ourselves. Especially when it comes to other people’s stuff. I think Dylan called his record of covers “Self-Portrait” because you see him even clearer with the songs he didn’t write. That’s the clearest way to see somebody — what they’re really like —when they’re singing someone else’s songs.

The Lemonheads, with Erin Rae, will appear Wednesday, Nov. 26, at The Wilbur, 246 Tremont St., Boston. Doors at 7/show at 8. $47-$64.90.

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Evan Dando is alive and well and living in Brazil