»There is so much mystery«, Adrianne Lenker said in an interview in 2019—then with a cheeky gap-toothed grin and a modest ponytail—and spoke very thoughtfully about the enigma of human existence. The subject of death preoccupied her, but at the same time it was her artistic drive to be constantly aware of her own aliveness that gave her momentum.
It was a year before the world stood still for a while, and nothing seemed further away than the collection of excessive experiences that would later testify to the pure joy of living. When Lenker left her Brooklyn apartment for a life on the road, she spent three and a half years searching for grounding—only within herself. One person she says keeps reminding her to enjoy pure existence is Philip Weinrobe, producer of Lenker’s latest album, »Bright Future«, and one of her closest friends. Annie, as he calls her, is one of the greatest songwriters of all time and »Bright Future« is one of her best. They have yet to crack the »mysterious code« of his personal favourite on the album, »Ruined«, he says, however.
And that’s precisely the magic that surrounds the singer from Indianapolis. Everything is always a bit mysterious, the lyrics subtle, the performance reserved. When Lenker takes to the stage at Berlin’s Admiralspalast on 6 May 2024, she grins shyly and waves to the audience, which can barely contain its excitement, clapping and stomping like a megastar. »Danke«, she giggles in German, pointing out the phonetic similarity to the English »thank you«. The 33 year-old singer laughs sympathetically at the rather reserved smiles in the room and the somewhat awkward start to a very intimate concert. For the song »No Machine« from the new album, she instructs the audience, moving her index finger up and down over her slightly parted lips. A little later the whole room sounds like a group of spoilt toddlers—the singer loves it: »I’d like to have a recording with that«.
The Grandmother watering the Flowers
Her first solo album, 2006’s »Stages of the Sun«, is more like an overproduced pop version of herself, or as one YouTube commenter put it: »This ain’t Adrianne Lenker, that’s Slaydrianne Slenker«. Her current sound is heavily influenced by acoustic, folk and improv. The new album was produced purely analogue in a studio in the middle of the forest in order to focus on the essentials. And it works: the melodies are so haunting, the vocals so clear that you listen more closely.
Lenker’s Instagram posts fit into this aesthetic of the everyday: sun-ripened tomatoes. Her grandmother watering flowers.
They are the counterparts to the interpretive songs like »Ruined« or »Evol« that give the album its power: »Real House« is about a hospital stay as a teenager and the family dog that died. »Sadness as a Gift« is a classic song about letting go of a past relationship. Everything on the album is completely unpretentious, especially the video for »Fool«, which oscillates between amateur aesthetics and goofing around with friends, with Lenker’s brother Noah and younger sister Zoë assisting and the newest four-legged family member Oso starring.
Lenker’s Instagram posts fit into this aesthetic of the everyday: sun-ripened tomatoes. Her grandmother watering flowers. The joy of a new titanium tooth shining where a gap used to be. Or a wasp on an apple with the word »friend« written on it. You can tell that she is looking for closeness and sincere exchange with the community. She regularly shares covers of her songs by fans and gives online songwriting workshops. In the interview, however, she avoids the question of how she deals with criticism.
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Frequently reflecting on the impact her music has on others helps her to grow as an artist. However, it has also subjected her to public scrutiny more than once, as was the case recently with her belated stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the subsequent cancellation of her shows in Israel, the home country of Big Thief bassist Max Oleartchik, whose departure from the band was recently announced. Despite this, she continues to speak out for the equality and rights of marginalised communities. Even if it makes her a target. In the end, it is this vulnerability that allows Adrianne to creep a little further into the broken hearts of her fans.
