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Adrianne Lenker

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Adrianne Lenker
Lenker performing with Big Thief in 2024
Background information
Birth nameAdrianne Elizabeth Lenker
Born (1991-07-09) July 9, 1991 (age 33)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
GenresIndie folk
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active2006–present
Labels
Member ofBig Thief
Websiteadriannelenker.com

Adrianne Elizabeth Lenker (born July 9, 1991) is an American musician. She is the lead vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter of the band Big Thief, as well as an established solo artist. She has released several solo albums, including Abysskiss (2018), Songs and Instrumentals (both 2020), and Bright Future, the latter of which earned her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.

Early life and education

[edit]

Lenker was born in Indianapolis and was raised in a Christian cult until the age of four,[1][2] but primarily grew up in Minnesota.

When Lenker was 5 years old, she was hospitalized after a railroad spike fell from the roof of a makeshift treehouse located in the yard of her family's rented home in Nisswa, lodging itself into her skull, nearly killing her.[3][1][4] She recounts the incident in the song "Mythological Beauty" from Big Thief's second album Capacity.[5]

After leaving the cult, the family began living out of a large blue van. They moved frequently, renting homes throughout the Midwest. They lived with a Russian couple and their five children in a two-bedroom apartment in Coon Rapids. They also lived with two women who were living an Amish lifestyle. They lived in a total of 14 different houses by the time she was 8 years old. Around this time, her father became disillusioned with the religion and they bought a house in the Minneapolis suburbs.[1]

She spent winters at her grandparents' house in Andover.[6] Her grandmother is a watercolorist and the former owner of an antique store in Andover.[7]

Lenker was homeschooled. Her parents divorced when she was 12, and she began experimenting with substances in her mid-teens.[8]

She began learning music from her father, a musician and songwriter who played guitar and piano. He taught her basic chords as well as unconventional chords and melodies on guitar. She and her siblings took voice lessons. When she was 12, her father sent her on a bus through the Twin Cities to spend time with a musician who was a stay-at-home dad. He introduced her to different albums and worked with her on songwriting. Her father would also bring her to open mic nights, and she would play bars when she was 12.[1] She taught herself to play guitar by writing her own music; she wrote her first song at the age of eight, and recorded her first album at age 13.[9][8] She also studied martial arts extensively, and was state karate champion three years in a row.[10][11]

At some point, Lenker eventually enrolled in public school, but was not successful. She recounts that she would intentionally show up late for school in order to get lunch detention to avoid social alienation in the lunchroom.[12] She did not attend high school and instead received her GED at the age of 16.[9][12] She attended the Berklee College of Music on a scholarship provided by Susan Tedeschi of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and started her first band.[13][8]

Career

[edit]
Lenker in 2017

On February 28, 2006, when Lenker was 14, she released her first solo album, Stages of the Sun.[14] On January 9, 2014, Lenker released her second solo album, Hours Were the Birds.[15]

On May 1, 2014, Lenker, together with future bandmate Buck Meek, released the LP records a-sides and b-sides.[12] In 2015, Lenker and Meek, alongside Max Oleartchik and James Krivchenia, formed the band Big Thief. Their first album, Masterpiece, was released in May 2016 to rave reviews.[16] The band has since released four more albums, and has been touring every year since their formation.[17]

Lenker performing with Big Thief in 2018

Lenker released her third solo album, Abysskiss, on October 5, 2018.[18][19] The album consisted of songs Lenker wrote while touring with Big Thief, and two of the songs received full arrangements, which were rereleased on the band's album U.F.O.F. a few months later.[20]

While in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lenker wrote and recorded two albums, Songs and Instrumentals, which were released on October 23, 2020.[21] The albums focused on less production and a more acoustic sound with traditional folk songwriting and improvisation. Both albums were recorded without any digital processes, utilizing an analog-analog-analog (AAA) recording method.[22]

In January 2024, Lenker partnered with School of Song to teach a four-week course on songwriting, which focused on ways to expand creativity through different guitar techniques and lyrical focuses.[23] In the same month, Lenker also announced her sixth studio album, Bright Future, which was released on March 22, 2024.[24]

On March 11, 2024, Lenker released an EP, I Won't Let Go of Your Hand, exclusively on Bandcamp with proceeds going to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.[25]

Artistry

[edit]
Lenker performing at the Barbican Centre in London, April 2024

Lenker's lyrics have been described by NPR as "unequivocal", "instinctive" and "deeply personal". Many of Lenker's song titles are names of people, though some are actually written about herself. She explained, "Sometimes I need a name for themes in my songs, but oftentimes they're just about me or directed to myself".[12]

Lenker elaborated on her mindset and approach to songwriting in an interview, where she likened her process to a "collaboration with the universe or a higher power". She said:

"It doesn't feel like it's just originating from my brain. It feels like I'm following an invisible thread of intuition, from one choice to the next [...] maybe I don't even fully understand once I've written it, but it just feels right. And I just trust that. And then over time, it reveals its layers of meaning to me. That's a mark of what I feel is a good song. It keeps me wanting to play it."[26]

Personal life

[edit]

Lenker met the future Big Thief co-founder Buck Meek at a concert when she lived in Boston. She then re-encountered him at Mr. Kiwi, a small grocery store in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the day she moved to New York.[27][12] The pair began to play together, and married when Lenker was 24.[27] They divorced in 2018, remaining in Big Thief as "deep friends".[27] She later spoke of continuing to work with Meek in the band following the divorce:

"It's felt sustainable because there's an extraordinary amount of love. Bucky and I are like family and we fell in love, we were together for seven years. We got married, we got a divorce, all while still being on tour. We figured out our way through it day by day. I know that for all of us, it's not about maintaining a career or about continuing to have income. What I really have that doesn't come and go is my love for the craft and for my loved ones. Those are the things I need to nurture first and foremost"[28]

In 2019, Lenker was in a relationship with the artist Indigo Sparke, and the two separated sometime in 2020.[27][29][30]

While Lenker is comfortable with the label "queer", she has expressed a desire not to define her sexual orientation beyond that.[27] Her lyrics often contain discussions of gender and the gender binary. In an interview with The Brag, Lenker said of those lyrics, "I feel within myself a constant dialogue between my masculinity, my femininity and the part of me that is neither of those things. I'm just trying to talk about it because I feel like I'm something that is very ambiguous."[31]

Lenker enjoys visiting breakfast diners and swimming holes while on tour.[32]

Discography

[edit]
See also: Big Thief discography
Adrianne Lenker discography
Studio albums5
EPs3
Live albums1
Compilation albums1
Singles1

Studio albums

[edit]
Title Details Peak chart positions
US
Folk
[33] 		US
Heat
[34] 		US
Indie
[35] 		US
Sales
[36] 		AUS
[37] 		NZ
[38]
Stages of the Sun
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: LucidTunes
  • Formats: CD
 — — — — — —
Hours Were the Birds — — — — — —
Abysskiss
  • Released: October 5, 2018
  • Label: Saddle Creek
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital download, streaming
 — 10 39 — — —
Songs
  • Released: October 23, 2020
  • Label: 4AD
  • Formats: LP, CD, cassette, digital download, streaming
 12 11 — 43 — —
Instrumentals
Bright Future
  • Released: March 22, 2024
  • Label: 4AD
  • Formats: LP, CD, cassette, digital download, streaming
 18 5 40 28 53 28

Live albums

[edit]
Title Details
Live at the Southern
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: LucidTunes
  • Formats: CD

Compilation albums

[edit]
Title Details
a-sides and b-sides (with Buck Meek)
  • Released: November 16, 2018
  • Label: Saddle Creek
  • Formats: LP, CD

Extended plays

[edit]
Title Details
a-sides (with Buck Meek)
  • Released: May 1, 2014
  • Label: Saddle Creek
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
b-sides (with Buck Meek)
  • Released: May 1, 2014
  • Label: Saddle Creek
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
I Won't Let Go of Your Hand
  • Released: March 11, 2024
  • Format: Digital download

Singles

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As lead artist

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Title Year Album
"Cradle" 2018 Abysskiss
"Symbol"
"From"
"Anything" 2020 Songs
"Dragon Eyes"
"Ruined" 2023 Bright Future
"Sadness as a Gift" 2024
"Fool"
"Free Treasure"
"Once a Bunch"[39]
(Bonus track)
[edit]
Title Year Album
"Carousel"
(Ginla featuring Adrianne Lenker) 		2022 Everything
"Dresser Hill"
(Mary Elizabeth Remington featuring Adrianne Lenker) 		2023 In Embudo

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2020 Grammy Awards Best Alternative Music Album U.F.O.F. Nominated [40]
2021 Best Rock Song "Not" Nominated
Best Rock Performance Nominated
2023 Best Alternative Music Performance "Certainty" Nominated
Best Alternative Music Album Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You Nominated
2025 Best Folk Album Bright Future Pending

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Mapes, Jillian (April 6, 2017). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker Is One of a Kind". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  2. ^ Pollard, Alexandra (May 2019). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker: 'We're all brainwashed'". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  3. ^ "Life and Death: Adrianne Lenker's journey into nature | Interview". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  4. ^ Rinn, Natalie (June 12, 2017). "Catching up with Big Thief After Their Very Big Year". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  5. ^ Tolentino, Jia (November 18, 2019). "The Ordinary Brilliance of Big Thief". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  6. ^ Naddaff-Hafrey, Benjamin (May 31, 2017). "Big Thief's 'Mary' Is A Meditation On Resilience And Recovery". All Songs Considered. NPR. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (April 24, 2022). "Big Thief's Minnesotan singer savors 'healing through the music' ahead of St. Paul concert". The Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Bromwich, Kathryn (March 17, 2024). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker: 'I hit a wall – I had just been going in survival mode'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Schonfeld, Zach (October 10, 2018). "Adrianne Lenker on Big Thief's Success and Her Intimate New Solo Album, 'abysskiss'". Newsweek. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  10. ^ Stamp, Tony (March 30, 2024). "Review: Bright Future by Adrianne Lenker". RNZ. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  11. ^ "Adrianne Lenker: Five Key Records".
  12. ^ a b c d e Naddaff-Hafrey, Benjamin (November 9, 2017). "The Lore of Big Thief". NPR. NPR Music. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  13. ^ Tedder, Michael (September 24, 2019). "Big Thief's Big Year". Stereogum. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  14. ^ Dwyer, Michael (December 18, 2016). "Stealing destiny, Big Thief trust the music and themselves". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  15. ^ Turner-Heffer, Adam. "Adrianne Lenker: abysskiss". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  16. ^ O'Neill, Lauren (May 2019). "A Pensive Trip to the Museum with Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker". Vice. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  17. ^ "Big Thief Concert History". Concert Archives. 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  18. ^ Claymore, Gabriela (September 24, 2018). "Adrianne Lenker Leans into The Abyss". Stereogum. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  19. ^ Boilen, Bob. "Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief On 'abysskiss' And How Songs Can Heal". NPR.org. NPR Music. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  20. ^ "Album Of The Week: Big Thief 'U.F.O.F.'". Stereogum. April 30, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  21. ^ Martoccio, Angie (September 2, 2020). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker Announces Two Solo Albums Made in Quarantine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  22. ^ "The official website for independent record label 4AD". 4AD. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  23. ^ "Songwriting Workshop with Adrianne Lenker (of Big Thief)". School of Song. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  24. ^ "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker Announces New Album and Tour, Shares New Song "Sadness as a Gift"". Pitchfork. January 17, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  25. ^ Corcoran, Nina (March 12, 2024). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker Releases New Songs to Benefit Palestine Children's Relief Fund". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  26. ^ "Adrianne Lenker's Songs Are Never Done: "It's a Collaboration with the Universe" │ Exclaim!".
  27. ^ a b c d e Petrusich, Amanda (October 12, 2020). "Adrianne Lenker's Radical Honesty". The New Yorker. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  28. ^ Zhang, Cat (March 22, 2024). "Adrianne Lenker Wants You to Cherish Your Heartbreak". The Cut. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  29. ^ Barlow, Eve (May 1, 2019). "Big Thief's exploratory folk is alternately intimate and expansive on 'U.F.O.F.'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  30. ^ Boilen, Bob (February 26, 2020). "Indigo Sparke: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  31. ^ Quinn, Belinda (August 1, 2018). "With Capacity, Adrianne Lenker is challenging what it means to be human". The Brag. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  32. ^ Zhang, Cat (March 22, 2024). "Adrianne Lenker Wants You to Cherish Your Heartbreak". The Cut. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  33. ^ "Adrianne Lenker Chart History: Americana/Folk Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  34. ^ "Adrianne Lenker Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  35. ^ "Adrianne Lenker Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  36. ^ "Adrianne Lenker Chart History: Top Album Sales". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  37. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 1 April 2024". The ARIA Report. No. 1778. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 1, 2024. p. 6.
  38. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 1, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  39. ^ Adrianne Lenker – Once a Bunch, retrieved October 30, 2024
  40. ^ "Adrianne Lenker | Artist". grammy.com. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
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