Lime Cordiale are hitting the road in October, touring their third album Enough of the Sweet Talk, which features already-released hits Pedestal and Facts of Life. Brothers Oli and Louis Leimbach grew up on the Northern Beaches and when they’re not touring, they’re living the good life: surfing, drinking coffee (“better than you can get in Italy”), cruising op-shops for stage outfits, and sinking beers in the sunshine. (Celebs, they’re just like us). Broadsheet caught up with Oli to find out what the duo loves most about being home.

Hey Oli! Tell us a bit about you and Louis.
Louis and I have lived together our whole lives up until very recently. We’re now 15 minutes away from each other on the Northern Beaches, where we grew up. We also share a farm on the mid-north coast. We’re away so much that being at home starts to feel like a holiday. Putting out the recycling or doing the dishes is mad fun. We come home to surf as much as possible, eat fresh veg and spend time in nature before going away again for months on end.

What do you love most about Sydney?
It’s an obvious answer: the beaches. I’ll go to any beach in the world and I still don’t think they live up to ours. I mean, Bondi is our city beach and it’s crystal clear most of the time. Walk up the beach and grab a cappuccino better than you can get in Italy. That’s livin’.

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Do you have any go-to places to eat?
When we lived in Newtown we’d go to Shenkin for the best Israeli breaky. That was our hangover cure. Being vego, Golden Lotus is another one of our regulars. The deep-fried mushrooms served like soft-shell crab is my current fave.

Where do you go for coffee?
Australians are such coffee snobs, it’s so great. Get served a bad coffee and it’s like someone’s insulted your own mother. I like Zubi in Narrabeen, a simple cafe down the road from me. Elsewhere, I like The Grounds of Alexandria and Camperdown Commons – little farms in the city.

If you want to impress someone, where do you take them?
Probably for a day on our little run-around boat in Pittwater. Or a walk up to the lighthouse at Palm Beach. If I’m around the city, I’d do a picnic at Gordon’s Bay on the rocks and an evening beer at the Courthouse.

What’s underrated in our city?
Sticky-floor pubs, Italian food and a movie in Leichhardt. And walking through Chinatown (it could be even better with a small music venue), and seeing weird and wonderful live music in Marrickville at Camelot Lounge or Lazybones.

Where do you like to shop?
I’m into second-hand, vintage and op-shops. There’re so many good ones in Sydney. The (not so) secret (anymore) trick is to go through the ladies’ blouses. That’s pretty much where all of our stage outfits come from.

Where do you go to escape the city?
Being a northerner, the way to escape is to go bush. We have the great Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park with mad walks and caves to hide away from your friends. Find a friend with a boat and go out on Pittwater. What’s better than owning a boat? Having a friend who owns a boat.

Who makes Sydney a better place?
The LGBTQIA+ community are keeping Sydney’s nightlife alive. After so many music venues closed down due to curfews and the itchy cough, I was worried that nights out had gone stale. But The Imperial at 3am or weeknight at Tranny Bingo, that’s where our late-night personality is.

Lime Cordiale released Enough of the Sweet Talk on July 26. The band is touring Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane from October 3 to 13.

limecordiale.com/ontour

“My Sydney” is a regular column discovering the places and spaces that captivate and entice Sydney’s well-known residents.