An interview with Norwegian rocker Sondre Lerche

By Alyssa Herter
Western Herald

Alyssa Herter/Western Herald - Sondre Lerche plays his first show in Michigan since 2005.

Monday night, Norwegian indie-pop-rocker Sondre Lerche made a stop by Mac’s Bar in East Lansing.

Lerche began studying guitar at age eight, and wrote his first song at 14.

In 2000, he released his first album titled “Faces Down,” and has recorded five more in the 10 years since, including scoring the soundtrack for the 2007 film, “Dan in Real Life.”

Alyssa Herter/Western Herald - Opening act Jesse Merchant.

His music is difficult to describe. Up-beat, catchy pop songs heavily influenced by Brazilian music and classic British rock, executed with fierce energy in the most mellow way.

Catching one of the musician’s live performances in the Midwest is rare; he hasn’t been to Michigan since 2005 when he toured with Elvis Costello.

I had the privilege to catch up with Lerche a bit after the show.

Alyssa Herter/Western Herald - Sondre Lerche.

Alyssa Herter: You’re from Norway originally, are you living in the US now?

Sondre Lerche: Yeah, I live in Brooklyn. I’ve been in the US the last five years, in Manhattan then Brooklyn.

AH: How has that adjustment gone for you as far as making music in America versus Norway?

SL: I don’t know you know it’s so difficult to know what affects you, you know you change so much anyway, you travel so much anyway that it’s difficult to sort of pin down what it is. But um, I really like communicating with the American audience. I like how they respond to the lyrics and all of that, which is a much stronger force maybe than at home where people maybe don’t listen as much to lyrics when it’s in English. So I like that about being here, and I think maybe that has made me more aware.

AH: Have you always written lyrics in English?

SL: Yeah pretty much, yeah.

AH: When you began, did you begin writing in English, or did you start writing in…

SL: No I started in English because that was the stuff I listened to, so even when I had no clue what I was saying or how to say it I did it in English.

Alyssa Herter/Western Herald - Sondre Lerche and Jesse Merchant.

AH: Who are your top three musical inspirations?

SL: Oh that’s difficult. I think at the core, it would change probably every day. But I think Burt Bacharach is a big one for me, and Prefab Sprout is a big one, and I don’t know, Todd Rundgren is big for me. People like that.

AH: What are your plans for the future? Are you working on anything?

SL: Yeah I’m always [working] on songs, I’m hoping to maybe record some stuff this summer; see what the next album will be about, yeah.

Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=15215

Posted by HeraldAdmin on Feb 25 2010. Filed under A & E, Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
Web Manager: I'm a Communication Student at WMU, a SCUBA Diver, Boater, Ordained Minister, Notary Public, Web Designer, Film Maker, DJ, and of course a Journalist. Born and raised in Port Huron, MI and a graduate of SC4. http://www.codykimball.com