Words by Jennifer Amadio
Photo by Mick Rock
January 21, 2004

Sometimes I think I’m a little too old to have crushes. Especially those on younger boys. But for Sondre Lerche, the 21-year-old wunderkind songwriter from Norway, I’ll make an exception.

When I first heard his debut record, Faces Down (Astralwerks), I was instantly transformed back into an awkward, geeky schoolgirl who just couldn’t wait to catch a glimpse of “the one” everyday in class. You know, the cute, shy, quiet artiste who sat in the back and kept to himself. He didn’t talk much, most likely thinking that no one would understand him. But you knew that if he just gave you the chance, the two of you could be beautiful together. He would write and sing love songs to you in his bedroom while you stared back into his pubescent eyes all day long.

Well, fortunately, those days are over, and I’ve blossomed into the sultry sex kitten that I am today, but every once in awhile it’s nice to look back. And that’s what I like about Sondre’s nostalgic music.

He makes you feel good. Innocent, even. This Norwegian singer writes beautiful songs with simple melodies accompanied by classical arrangements. His words are sweet and sometimes melancholic, without being overly dramatic. Faces Down showcased his orchestral side creating a rich and vibrant masterpiece with exceptional production. Now a few years later, we have a legal Sondre who just released his second full-length, Two Way Monologue (Astralwerks), which is actually a little more mature and not as evocative as the first, but I’ve still got my crush.
I met my little artiste at the Tribeca Grand Hotel in NYC where I listened to him use colors as a means of describing his new album and say words like “fantastic” and “amazing” which always sound way cooler with a foreign accent. I hope he didn’t think me too strange for staring into his eyes the whole time.

You’ve said before that Faces Down was a foundation record for you. A way to put all the things together that you love. How is Two Way Monologue different?
Faces Down was a good starting point that allowed me to go into many different directions. I’m very happy with it, but I’m even more happy with the new record. I’m very pleased and very excited.

The first album was very orchestrated and lush, maybe even a bit complicated. Are you more focused on one sound on Two Way?
It has more of togetherness than Faces Down. The first album to me was more of a singles collection. The new record is more of an album. I used my band a lot as the basis of each song. Then I added the colors and arrangements afterwards. This album is a bit more minimalist compared to Faces. It’s much more rich. It’s more of one color.

Do you find it harder to work with less sounds and instruments?
Yes. In a way you need to be more thorough because you are using less colors, so the colors that are there need to be much more detailed and refined. So it’s definitely a more delicate process.

It’s sort of like minimalist art. Sometimes you can look at a painting with only two colors and think, ‘Anybody can do that.’ But really it’s a lot harder than it looks to get it right when you only have two elements to work with.
Oh yes, there is a lot more focus and attention on each element, so you really need to get each one right.

You mentioned that you used your band a lot while recording the new album. Were they not on Faces Down?
No, they were there, but they were more like session musicians. For the first album I worked a lot with my producer in the studio, and we just hired people we thought would be good for each track. The band tours with me a lot in Europe, and for this album I just really felt confident that they could add a lot to the songs. The songs are more complex and I had already rehearsed them a lot with the band before we went into the studio, so I wanted them on the album. I wanted to record the album with them, so that when we play live we can really connect with the audience. The band is definitely the best part of the album.

Do you prefer to perform with the band or solo?
It depends. I like performing by myself here, but it’s always nice to go home and rehearse and play with a band too.

How does it change your live show? Is it still pretty mellow, or maybe more amped up? More people, more energy?
In a way it’s more primal. It’s very stripped down still with just drums, bass, and two guitar players. It’s going to be a bit rawer, I guess. It’s still all the same songs though.

So you’re not going to play metal versions of your songs or anything?
Oh no, I wouldn’t even know how!

No tight leather pants and screaming like the Darkness?
No, I’ll leave that to the Englishmen!

Okay, fine. Last time you were in NYC, I saw you at the Burt Bacharach and Ron Isley showcase at the Supper Club. I know you’re a big Burt fan, so what did you think of the show?
That was amazing! I was so struck seeing Burt conducting and playing the piano. I loved seeing him performing all his songs and conducting a small orchestra in such an intimate venue. It was so amazing. I’ve been really lucky this past year to see all of my favorites. I toured with Elvis Costello. I saw Steely Dan. I saw Burt. And I saw the High Llamas, who are just an amazing band.

So you toured with Elvis Costello, but have you met Burt Bacharach yet?
I haven’t. I wish I would have gotten close to him at the Supper Club, but I didn’t have the courage to talk to him.

I wonder if he has heard that you are such a big fan?
I’m sure he has by now.

Maybe Elvis Costello told him?
Maybe. Elvis is a very enthusiastic guy, so he might have said something. Everything happens in due time though, so I’m sure I’ll meet him eventually.

How was touring with Elvis?
He’s really cool. He’s the nicest guy. He came up to me after the first show we did together and told me congratulations, and he was really glad we were touring together. He was a very pleasant guy. Such a talent!

There’s been a lot of music coming out of Norway lately, and most of what I’ve heard has been very singer-songwriter-y. Is that what is most popular there? What else is going on?
I’ve got some friends that are just fantastic songwriters. My friend Julian Berntzen plays the piano and the violin and sings. He’s a little like Elton John meets the Beatles and writes fantastic pop songs. My friend Nathalie Nordnes plays the piano very beautifully. There’s another guy Sergeant Petters and he does this great country, indie pop stuff. So yeah, they’re all singer-songwriters, but I think they are the best at what they do.