CNN profiles Sondre Lerche
Lerche, who’s now enjoying considerable US attention, elaborates in CNN’s article why he doesn’t sing in Norwegian.
Sondre Lerche, a young, charismatic and energetic singer-songwriter who debuted with the acclaimed album Faces Down two years ago is now enjoying increasing media and public attention in North America. His album has been awarded rave reviews in publications such as Rolling Stone, the shows on his recent US tour were well attended and now media is picking up interest in the mature wunderkind from Norway’s West Coast.
The latest in a string of media appearances is a CNN profile on Lerche which in addition to covering his musical inspirational sources sees the artist elaborating on why he doesn’t sing in Norwegian: I was also not keen on singing in Norwegian because that felt really embarrassing. I tried to write a few songs in Norwegian and they didn't turn out too well. If I could translate the songs and lyrics to you, you would probably understand. All the music that I listened to when I grew up was in English. Growing up with MTV and Baywatch, all these American TV series, it really felt quite natural to sing in English.
When asked how he makes English language work so well on his album, Lerche replies: The English dictionary, the Oxford dictionary. But I've tried to use those as little as I can. I just use whatever I know about the language. I've come to terms with the fact that I don't speak the English language the way that people from America or England do. I speak it like a Norwegian. And I think that can be fun sometimes.
Read the full interview here.
MTV is another media giant focussing on Sondre Lerche. The MTV interview also revolves around inspirational sources as well as his perception of his own album: "It's kind of hard for me to put a label on it," Lerche says when asked to describe the sound of his debut album, Faces Down. "I really prefer when other people do that, especially people here in the States. They like to call it folkie lounge pop."
Read the full interview here.
Sondre Lerche also appears on the cover of Index Magazine’s latest issue.
Lerche’s Faces Down album has now sold more than 20 000 copies through his US label Astralwerks.
Lerche is currently in Bergen, mixing tracks and choosing tunes for his upcoming album. Lerche has chosen Bergen producer Jørgen Træen (also known as Sir Duperman) and his Duper Studios for the recording process that will lead to the follow up to Faces Down. Træen has produced a staggering amount of the most successful and acclaimed Norwegian releases of the last years, the ones that are best known internationally are probably Jaga Jazzist’s A Livingroom Hush and The Stix albums.
Sondre Lerche’s Faces Down album is currently listed as no. 7 on Amazon.com’s Best Of 2002.
Come May, Lerche will embark on a 14-date US tour with Nada Surf and a 7-date tour with Ed Harcourt.
Headlines:
Himmelkvad
Celebrated vocal ensemble Nordic Voices is currently out on its promo tour for their new outing ‘Himmelkvad’, a critically acclaimed album presenting Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen’s unique vocal universe. MIC Norway takes a closer look at the cutting-edge vocal ensemble and ground-breaking composer.
I was the devil in my younger years
Late Feb sees Enslaved heading out on a month-long European tour. MIC Norway hooked up with Enslaved’s Ivar Peersen to talk about musical cross pollination, inspirational sources, humour and his fascination for singer-songwriter Stein Torleif Bjella.
