NEWS
The wife of The Lemonheads’ Evan Dando has spoken publicly about the singer’s recent “meltdown”, saying he was “out of his mind” while recording a Tiny Desk performance that has since been scrapped.
The artist is currently undergoing psychiatric care in hospital after allegations surfaced that he sent an explicit video to a fan without her consent.
His wife, Antonia Teixeira, has now shared details about the chain of events that led to his hospital admission. She said the problems began earlier this year when the couple travelled to the United States to tape an instalment of NPR’s Tiny Desk.
According to Teixeira, that session will never see the light of day because of Dando’s condition during filming.
In an interview with Billboard on the same day he was admitted for treatment on Friday February 13, she said he had battled excessive alcohol use and misuse of prescription medication throughout their five years together.
Teixeira said his latest mental health decline began weeks before he sought help. The pair had flown to New York City from their home in São Paulo so that The Lemonheads could perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 20.
After that television appearance, the group travelled to Washington, D.C. to record their Tiny Desk set.
Teixeira said she grew increasingly alarmed as his conduct became more unstable during the trip. “That day, he was totally out of his mind,” she said. “So out of his mind, that the Tiny Desk won’t be aired.”
She explained that his erratic behaviour continued after they returned to Brazil. Recalling a recent incident, she said “everything went to hell” when she claims Dando consumed significant amounts of Adderall, THC and mushrooms at once and began sending explicit videos to several women on X formerly known as Twitter.
It was after discovering those videos that she brought him to the treatment centre where he is now staying. Teixeira also told him that she would pursue a divorce if he failed to complete the programme, which she expects will last at least 30 days.
“You can’t imagine how mad I was when I saw that he was sending messages to girls,” Teixeira said. “I’m very mad, because he betrayed me.”
She added that she believes the video sent to the woman may have been shared unintentionally. “From what I’m looking at now, it wasn’t … he doesn’t remember what he did. He was in a mental meltdown.”
Teixeira said Dando felt “very embarrassed” once he understood what had happened. She described the relapse as an act of “self-sabotage”, especially given that he had just completed a new album and was preparing for a summer tour that has since been called off.
Speaking about his recovery, she said: “If he’s really, really committed, he can do it.”
She continued: “I feel like this is a second phase of his healing, you know? It’s him actually taking into his own hands, his responsibilities, the consequences, and not blaming other people and just trying to be better because he wants to be better himself … I’m very hopeful that things will get better.”
In 2025, The Lemonheads put out their first album of original material in 19 years, titled ‘Love Chant’. Dando also released a memoir, Rumours of My Demise, in which he wrote candidly about his long struggle with addiction.
The woman accusing Dando of sending the unsolicited explicit video has been identified only as Dawn in reporting by journalist Tony Ortega on his Substack, The Underground Bunker. She said she had messaged the frontman privately on social media to congratulate him on The Lemonheads’ latest release.
Dando allegedly responded, “Cool I’m sorry I’m an exhibitionist”, before sending her a video of himself masturbating the following day without her permission.
“It’s him sitting in a basement or something, and he’s fully masturbating,” Dawn said in her account to Ortega. “You can see his penis, and his face. It’s definitely him. He’s filming it from a weird angle.”
She added: “It’s so gross. I don’t want him to do this to anyone else. It’s just a gross feeling.”
In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, Dando’s representative said: “Evan Dando has long struggled with mental health issues dating back to his childhood. He’s been admitted to a local hospital where he’s receiving comprehensive help from experienced doctors and mental health professionals.”
In one section of Rumours Of My Demise, Dando reflected on that period of his life, writing: “Most of my real friends retreated, hoping things would change. The rest got a kick out of watching me unravel. I was in horrible shape, losing teeth, and living off cheeseburgers … and a $200 daily drug habit.”
NEWS
Fontaines D.C. members Carlos O’Connell and Tom Coll have been behind the production of the forthcoming second album from French indie outfit Film Noir. To introduce the project, the band has unveiled the paired singles ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ and ‘VEGITA’, which you can listen to below.
The Fontaines D.C. guitarist and drummer worked alongside Film Noir at La Frette Studios just outside Paris. The renowned recording space is also where Arctic Monkeys created their two most recent albums, ‘Tranquillity Base…’ and ‘The Car’.
O’Connell is partnered with Film Noir vocalist Joséphine de La Baume, who is also known for her work as an actor, filmmaker and model. Together, they share two children, with their first child serving as the inspiration for Fontaines’ 2025 track ‘It’s Amazing To Be Young’.
Reflecting on the project while announcing his role in the album, O’Connell shared on social media: “In early 2020 I walked into a gig in a club in Paris and was introduced to a band called Film Noir. I fell in love with the singer, I went on to make babies with her to to fall in love twice again with them.
“A little while back myself, [Coll] and @filmnoirmusic went to La Frette and recorded their upcoming record.”
The guitarist continued: “Producing this record was one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had. Blessed to have so many. This album means the world to me & I hope it’ll mean something to many more.”
Film Noir have offered an early look at the still untitled album through the release of ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ and ‘VEGITA’. O’Connell handled production duties on both tracks, while Coll contributed drums. O’Connell also took care of mixing on ‘VEGITA’.
Opening with a light acoustic arrangement, ‘VIENS TIENS TOI’ gradually unfolds into a dreamy sound shaped by shoegaze influences. In contrast, ‘VEGITA’ leans into a brighter, surf inspired feel that complements de La Baume’s floating vocal performance.
The group has also released a behind the scenes video capturing moments from the recording sessions for their sophomore album, which can be viewed below. At this stage, no official release date has been announced.
Back in spring 2020, O’Connell collaborated with Film Noir on a rendition of Lee Hazlewood’s ‘For A Day Like Today’ (via LiveForever). When the track arrived, the band described the guitarist as “a great supporter of the European rock scene and a common friend”.
Film Noir first emerged with their debut EP, ‘Vertiges (Men Of Glory)’, in 2019, followed by ‘Tendrement’ a year later. Their first full length album, ‘Palpitant’, arrived in 2022.
Outside of music, Joséphine de La Baume portrayed Marie in the 2011 film adaptation of One Day alongside Anne Hathaway. She has also appeared in Apple TV’s The New Look and the Polish period feature Chopin, a Sonata in Paris.
O’Connell also produced the self titled debut album from Dead Dads Club, the new project led by former Palma Violets singer Chilli Jesson. Released in 2026, that record was also created at La Frette Studios.
Speaking with NME earlier this year, O’Connell explained that the French studio “feels like a home”. He continued: “There’s nothing about it that feels corporate or constrained by time. My mind goes into this creative mode in which I can hear things in a certain way, and it doesn’t stop until I leave the building.”
Jesson also spoke about the experience, saying: “It was really organic. Carlos, on one of the tours we were on together, was working on a Film Noir album, and he was always mixing it and playing around with sounds. He’d just come out of the studio at La Frette and to see that process, with the production, I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ I’d been in a world where it was all on the computer, and then suddenly he’s talking about a fucking bass drum that’s two metres long.’”
More recently, Fontaines D.C. contributed music to the soundtrack for Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. The band also appeared on the collaborative charity release ‘Help(2)’, which supports War Child.
The group are preparing to return to the stage this summer for their first performances in nearly a year, beginning with three headline concerts in Spain before taking on their first ever top billing appearances at Reading & Leeds 2026.
Their schedule also includes a headline performance at Electric Picnic in Ireland, alongside appearances at European and American festivals including Frequency, La Route du Rock and Shaky Knees.
Discussing new material with NME at the beginning of the year, O’Connell revealed: “We’ve been writing, it’s been fun. We’re at [Reading & Leeds] and there are a couple of shows before that. I think if the music is there, it could get busy.”
Asked whether any fresh songs could appear during the Reading & Leeds performances, he responded: “I’d say so. If there is stuff written, then I would say so, yeah. That’s what we used to do all the time, play the new stuff live, songs that weren’t even finished. It’s a good way to test the songs.”
O’Connell was also asked whether elements of the visual production from the ‘Romance’ era might carry over into the band’s 2026 shows. “I think ‘Romance’ was so intense in every [way]… the visual, the production, the setlist… It wasn’t just about the music,” he explained.
“It’s almost a bit of the identity of the band now, but I guess that’s the decision to make. Does that become the identity of the band, or actually, it’s just a phase and you reinvent it? I don’t know.”
He went on to add: “I personally like the idea of revisiting some old stuff at Reading & Leeds, making the setlist maybe a bit more ‘Dogrel’ heavy. I’m excited about that. I’ve been listening to music like that much more. This morning I was listening to Sonic Youth. I want to go [in] that direction, but we’ll see, because anything could happen now, literally anything.”
‘Romance’ ultimately secured the Number Two spot on NME‘s list of the 50 best albums of 2024, finishing just behind Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’.
