Adrianne Lenker | Artist

Adrianne Lenker is an American singer-songwriter born 1991 in Indianapolis. She is the lead vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter of the indie-folk band Big Thief, as well as an established solo artist. Lenker wrote her first song at the age of eight, and recorded her first album at age 13. Her other interests included studying martial arts, and she was the state karate champion three years in a row. After high school Lenker attended the Berklee College of Music on a scholarship provided by Susan Tedeschi of the Tedeschi Trucks Band. In 2015, Lenker alongside future husband Buck Meek, formed the band Big Thief, together with Max Oleartchik and James Krivchenia. Their first album Masterpiece was released in 2016 and to-date they've released five critically acclaimed albums. As a soloist, Lenker's 2006 debut album went unnoticed but her second Hours Were the Birds (2014) attracted rave reviews, firmly establishing her solo career. She has since gone on to release eight albums, including the standouts Hours Were the Birds (2014), Abysskiss (2018), Songs (2020) and Bright Future (2024). Lenker's music is characterized by hauntingly beautiful melodies, intimate lyrics, and a voice that carries both vulnerability and raw strength. Her songs delve into themes of love, loss, and self-discovery, with each song painting a vivid picture of the human experience. Commenting on the album Bright Future, one reviewer summed up Lenker's sound as: "very melancholic, but also lush, sweet, and nostalgic. The instrumentation is simple, with soft chord progressions and guitar work, and on a couple of tracks, some strings get added into the mix. It’s all pretty simple folk with the occasional breakaway to Americana, but the execution works wonders". As a child Lenker had an unorthodox upbringing. She was raised in a Christian cult until the age of four, after which her parents moved frequently between Coon Rapids, Nisswa, Santa Cruz, and Bloomington, Minnesota, before settling down in Plymouth, Minnesota. One summer she spent traveling throughout the midwest and living out of a Ford cargo van.

Artist Website: bigthief.net

Featured Albums: Adrianne Lenker

Related Artists: Big Thief

Collections: Movers Shakers