Sondre Lerche | |
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.jpg) Lerche performing in 2022 | |
| Born | Sondre Lerche Vaular (1982-09-05)5 September 1982 (age 42) Bergen, Norway |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
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| Partner(s) | Linnéa Myhre (2013–2020) Hilde Solli (2023–present) |
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| Website | www |
Sondre Lerche (Norwegian pronunciation:[ˈsɔndrəˈlærkə];[needs pitched IPA] born 5 September 1982) is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, musician and actor. Hisdiscography includes ten studio albums and multiple EPs.
Growing up in a suburb ofBergen, Lerche was heavily influenced by 1980s pop.[1] Lerche was fascinated by bands such asthe Beatles,A-ha,the Beach Boys, andPrefab Sprout, and began formal guitar instruction at the age of eight.[1] Not being satisfied with classical lessons, Lerche's teacher introduced him toBrazilian music, such asbossa nova, and thus formed the foundation of Lerche's vast array of complex melodies and chords throughout his music today. At the age of fourteen, Lerche penned his first song, "Locust Girl."[2] Lerche performed acoustic gigs at the club where his sister worked while he was still under age.[1] Norwegian producer H.P. Gundersen "discovered" Lerche, and began to mentor him, exposing him to diverse music genres, includingpsychedelia, 1960s pop, and mainstreamBrazilian music.[1]
Lerche met withOslo-based manager Tatiana Penzo, leading up to a deal withVirgin Norway signed in 2000.[1] His popularity in his home country increased steadily, and, in 2000, he recorded his debut album,Faces Down.
Faces Down was not released until 2001, after Lerche finished schooling.[1] In the interim, he was named Best New Act at the Norwegian Grammys (Spellemannprisen) and performed locally in support of major acts such asBeth Orton.[1]Faces Down was officially released in Norway in September 2001 and gradually throughout all of Europe. Lerche toured with various acts, including his long-time idols,a-ha, in Oslo. Autumn 2002 saw the release ofFaces Down in America and Lerche's first major tour of the United States.[3]Faces Down was a hit in Norway and received critical praise inNorway and the United States —Rolling Stone Magazine placed it in their top 50 albums of 2002.[citation needed] He released the live/studio collectionDon't Be Shallow EP the following year.[1] In 2003, he toured with another one of his musical heroes,Elvis Costello (they toured together once again in 2005).
In 2004, his second album was released,Two Way Monologue, also produced by Gundersen. The album displayed more of Lerche's ability to span many different styles—from pop-like and upbeat tracks to more mellow or melodic tunes. It was very well received, with positive reviews inRolling Stone andPitchfork.[4]Devon Powers ofPopmatters praised Sondre's "contagious musical sensibilities, exhilarating vigor and downright stupefying songcraft," and noted that "Lerche manages to both push himself and maintain an allegiance to his ways – something artists twice his age have trouble doing."[5]
On 27 February 2006,Duper Sessions was released. The jazz album was recorded in the fall of 2005 with his band the Faces Down and pianist Erik Halvorsen at Duper Studios inBergen. The album reached No. 21 on theBillboard Jazz Albums chart.[6]
His February 2007 release,Phantom Punch, is a rock album with a more aggressive sound than his previous work. Lerche and the Faces Down recorded and mixed the album in Los Angeles in April and May 2006, with producerTony Hoffer.[7]
In September 2009, Lerche releasedHeartbeat Radio, to critical acclaim. While it maintained the studio polish of his groundbreaking debut, there was also a sense of musical adventure that mixed acoustic guitars with grand gestures of orchestral pop, elements of 1950s Jazz, 1960s and 1970s Brazilian psych-folk, and state-of-the-art 1980s pop masters such asPrefab Sprout,Scritti Politti andFleetwood Mac.[8] In his review, Mikael Wood of theLos Angeles Times wrote, "No matter what genre he's working in – fuzzy garage rock, breezy vocal jazz, acoustic folk-pop – this young Norwegian singer-songwriter crafts catchier choruses than many musicians who’ve been working twice as long as he has."[9] Allmusic Guide's Tim Sendra calledHeartbeat Radio Sondre's "best work to date."
In June 2011, Lerche released the self-titledSondre Lerche, on his own Mona Records.[10] Praised byRolling Stone,The New York Times,Stereogum,Filter,Spin, andEntertainment Weekly among others for its experimentation with contrasting musical sounds, this eponymous album contains Lerche's most interesting arrangements and catchy songwriting to date, but also some of his most somber and introspective. In the studio, Lerche wanted to explore his new creative alliances in Williamsburg, the Brooklyn neighborhood where he's lived on and off for the previous six years.[11] The album was recorded – live in the studio – and mixed in a short but intense time period of three weeks. The sessions included fellow musicians –Midlake drummerMcKenzie Smith, longtime producer/collaborator Kato Ådland, Dave Heilman (drummer forRegina Spektor),[2] and co-producer, mixer, and owner of Rare Book Room Studio, Nicolas Verhnes (Spoon,Animal Collective).
Lerche celebrated his 30th birthday with the release of his first live album,Bootlegs, in 2012.[1]
Lerche wrote and recordedPlease following his divorce fromMona Fastvold.[12][13][14] The album, known as his "divorce record", was released on 23 September 2014 on Mona Records.[15] "Bad Law" was released as the main single for the album in June 2014.[14][15]
On 3 March 2017, Lerche released his eighth studio album,Pleasure, on the PLZ label.[16] On 24 November that year the songs fromPleasure were also released in a stripped down solo version titledSolo Pleasure.Solo Pleasure was released digitally on 14 February 2018.[17]
In April 2022, Lerche released a double album,Avatars of Love.[18]
In 2005, Lerche married director and actressMona Fastvold.[19] They divorced in 2013.[20][12][13] Lerche was in a relationship with writer and bloggerLinnéa Myhre from 2013 to 2020.[21] His current partner is photographer Hilde Solli, as of 2023.[22]
Lerche returned to Norway in 2020.[23] Prior to that, he lived inLos Angeles andBrooklyn, New York, where he resided from 2005 to 2018.[24][11]
Sondre Lerche is the cousin of Norwegian rapperLars Vaular. In 2012, they collaborated on the single "Øynene Lukket".[25]
Lerche discovered a talent and joy for running in 2015 and has since completedmarathons in New York, London, Berlin and Norway. His personal best time is 2:55:51 in 2020.
| Year | Work | Role | Notes | Ref. |
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| 2007 | Dan in Real Life | Self (Wedding Singer) | Cameo, also soundtrack composer | [26] |
| 2012–15 | The Voice – Norges beste stemme | Self (Coach) | Seasons 1–3 | [27] |
| 2013 | Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me | Self | Documentary | [28] |
| 2015 | Two Buddies and a Badger [no][a] | Pizzatrynet | Voice | [29] |
| 2020 | And In My Dreams: Patience Extravaganza | Self | Concert film/livestream | [30] |
| 2024 | Askepote | Prinsen | Voice | [31] |
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| Preceded by | Recipient of the NewcomerSpellemannprisen 2001 | Succeeded by |
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