Australian songstress Lenka and her theatrical visions - in song, stage, and video - were everywhere in the late 2000s. Her melodic masterpieces tastefully aligned with eardrums so much that the likes of Old Navy, Grey's Anatomy, and notably, Microsoft, used her music in multiple forms of media. Her self-titled debut album spawned the hits "The Show" and "Trouble Is A Friend," while her follow-up, Two, featured the single "Everything At Once." The latter song was used in a Windows 8 ad and earned worldwide accolades.
Lenka had more success in the US than Australia at the time, and she toured incessantly on that album, getting her a spot on the renowned Hotel Café Tour. She collaborated with the Hollywood music venue again for its Christmas compilation, The Hotel Café Presents… Winter Songs, with her jovial song "All My Bells Are Ringing," a welcome addition to any Christmas rotation.
It was Lenka's sheer determination that led her to this success. An actress and television host from Australia, she then went to art school and was in the band Decoder Ring before hitting the road as a solo artist. After a successful performance at SXSW, she signed with Epic Records in 2007, lived in Los Angeles, and toured and promoted persistently.
With gentle and sweet vocals, Lenka proved that her upbeat narrative was sometimes a striking contrast to a deeper theme - and it worked. Though at times with melancholic undertones, Lenka's music produced bright overtures and indulged in quirky themes. She embraced an uplifting sound that fans could sing along to, and her connection with them was overwhelming. She has been a bright star that has not faded, releasing seven albums, and curating the Open Field Arts Festival in her hometown.
Lenka owns her own record label now, Skipalong Records, and has just released two new singles, "Silhouette" and "One Moment." Her hit song "The Show" celebrates 15 years this month, and Lenka reflected on and celebrated the impact that song had on her career, creativity, and positivity in her music. On the cusp of returning to the US, she shared with Songfacts how that momentum has guided her career, and what these new singles mean for the future.
Lenka had more success in the US than Australia at the time, and she toured incessantly on that album, getting her a spot on the renowned Hotel Café Tour. She collaborated with the Hollywood music venue again for its Christmas compilation, The Hotel Café Presents… Winter Songs, with her jovial song "All My Bells Are Ringing," a welcome addition to any Christmas rotation.
It was Lenka's sheer determination that led her to this success. An actress and television host from Australia, she then went to art school and was in the band Decoder Ring before hitting the road as a solo artist. After a successful performance at SXSW, she signed with Epic Records in 2007, lived in Los Angeles, and toured and promoted persistently.
With gentle and sweet vocals, Lenka proved that her upbeat narrative was sometimes a striking contrast to a deeper theme - and it worked. Though at times with melancholic undertones, Lenka's music produced bright overtures and indulged in quirky themes. She embraced an uplifting sound that fans could sing along to, and her connection with them was overwhelming. She has been a bright star that has not faded, releasing seven albums, and curating the Open Field Arts Festival in her hometown.
Lenka owns her own record label now, Skipalong Records, and has just released two new singles, "Silhouette" and "One Moment." Her hit song "The Show" celebrates 15 years this month, and Lenka reflected on and celebrated the impact that song had on her career, creativity, and positivity in her music. On the cusp of returning to the US, she shared with Songfacts how that momentum has guided her career, and what these new singles mean for the future.
Lenka: I am drawn to various nostalgic styles at the moment, it's true. My new album has a couple of '80s-style songs, some disco, and some trip-hop style too. I'm just leaning in real hard when a song suggests it wants to go to a particular place. I'm not holding back.
Songfacts: You have a remarkable talent to craft upbeat songs, even when there's a more serious undertone to the lyrics. That's evident on "Silhouette," and I think that's why fans embrace your music so much. It gives a greater ability to connect. What is it like creating this music?
Lenka: This is my therapy. I start writing a song with some sort of negative emotion pushing the lyrics, but as an eternal optimist and a person who doesn't want to wallow for too long, I tend to lift myself out of the negativity by the second chorus and find some solution or silver lining to the problem at hand.
Songfacts: Your new song "One Moment" features the Berry Public School choir. Their voices are so precious in this song. What a beautiful experience for these kids and for you. How did this come to be?
Lenka: My kids go to this school [in New South Wales, Australia], and it was actually witnessing their school choir sing at Grandparents' Day that inspired this song in the first place. Seeing those first hugs after the Covid lockdowns, and the panic finally eased, was really heartwarming. So, I asked if we could record the kids on this new song and they were super excited. We recorded in the school library with 50 kids singing. The books, cushions and paper crafts hanging from the ceiling served as audio proofing!
Songfacts: Will these new songs be part of a future album?
Lenka: Yes indeed! I'll be announcing my title and release date for a new album really soon and "One Moment" and "Silhouette" are both on there.
Lenka: No. That song helped me tremendously. It's the 15-year anniversary this year! It helped me connect with a larger fanbase due to its relatability and good radio, film, and TV placement. It's also really great fun to play live. Even after all these years I love it. It's one of those songs that just spilled out. It took 90 minutes to write with Jason Reeves. We thought it was just a cute little ditty at the time.
Songfacts: You re-recorded this song on your covers album, Recover. What was it like to rediscover this song in a new light and give it a different life?
Lenka: Really enjoyable! Actually, when I was touring heavily in 2009 with a talented group of musicians as my band, we would do the song a second time as an encore and ask the audience to say which genre they wanted it in. We'd do country, EDM, Bossa Nova etc. So fun. The main experiment on Recover was to do a version that was not swung, so it's more square to the beat. I like it, but I think the original is better.
Songfacts: What made you want to do a covers album and what was it like exploring music with a different approach?
Lenka: I wanted to do this because I was actually feeling a bit stuck musically and within my identity. I was also quite depressed. So, this was a way to find a path back to my happy place with music. And it worked! By reworking those songs, I was able to see what it was that I did naturally, what my style was, and it informed the writing of new material and broke the dry spell.
Songfacts: Your music has had a lasting impact in film (Moneyball), television (Grey's Anatomy), and various forms of media (Old Navy and Windows 8 commercials). How did that impact you and was it overwhelming at all to have so much music featured on these outlets?
Lenka: It's been a wonderful part of my music life. As a former actor and TV presenter I'm not afraid of a bit of commercial placement if it's the right project. It kept me afloat financially and also had the added benefit of connecting with new fans. Particularly the Windows 8 commercial. It actually drove that song to #1 on the radio in various countries and led to me touring there. I never would have played in Istanbul or India without it.
Songfacts: Your music has a theatrical element to it, which you also display in your music videos. It gives it a really fun appeal. You mention how you were an actress prior to your music career. Did that influence your artistry?
Lenka: Yes. I think I've always been a bit performative and perhaps that is evident in my songwriting too. Certainly, when you put me in front of a camera, I tend to ham it up. I can't help it, I was born that way. Even when I was at art school doing performance art, it was still quite over-the-top.
Songfacts: Where do you find the inspiration in your songwriting, especially to have such a universal appeal?
Lenka: Nature metaphors are a big one, though I'm trying to move away from that because I'm getting sick of singing about sun and clouds when I tour. I can't help but be inspired by nature, it's a very strong connection for me. Then it's just certain emotions or situations and you find a succinct way to express that idea and suddenly you have the hook to a pop song.
Songfacts: You've released a variety of albums - independently, on a major label, a covers album with the band Decoder Ring - what music are you most proud of and what is most true to Lenka?Lenka: I'm very proud of my independent records, especially Shadows, my lullabies album, and Attune, which I produced myself. The weirder songs are truer to the real Lenka I am inside, but the upbeat fun stuff is truer to the Lenka that people know and love, so if I can connect with either of those, I'm happy. I'm very proud of my next record coming out. It's really strong.
Songfacts: You helped establish the Open Field Arts Festival and recently celebrated the inaugural event. What is that festival all about and why are you passionate about spreading the arts in your community?
Lenka: Yes! This project was born during those boring Covid years when very little was happening in the area in Australia I live in. And I wasn't touring. A group of creative friends and I felt that there was not enough arts infrastructure in our area to reflect how many artists and culturally engaged people there were. So, we decided to do something about it! We staged a four-day contemporary art and music festival, mostly visual art, with the help of government funding and donors. It was so fantastic, and we'll be doing it again in 2025.
Songfacts: You are coming to the US in October, as well as touring in China and Australia. Some of these dates were postponed due to the pandemic. How does it feel to be fully invested in music again and able to tour?
Lenka: It feels so great. It's taken me a long time to get back on my feet after Covid, more than others, I think. I almost felt like it was all behind me but then a few offers started coming back in and I felt a new energy pushing me forward again. Having a strong collection of new songs to share with fans helps motivate me to keep going too. I'm so happy to finally be getting out to some of the places that were canceled. Hopefully we can add more shows in the next few years too!
October 3, 2023
Tour dates and more info at lenkamusic.com.
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Interview with Jason Reeves
John Gourley of Portugal. The Man
Bonnie McKee
Top photo, Tanja Bruckner
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