Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Lenka Stays True to Herself by Jenay Ross

Outside of the Booth lecture hall, where she had just contributed to the artist stories panel at this year's GRAMMY Camp®, I had a chance to have a one-on-one interview with singer/song-writer, Lenka. She may be small in size, but her personality and talent is huge. Originally from Australia, she started off as an actress and was the vocalist and keyboardist for the band Decoder Ring. When she felt like she needed a bit more control in dealing with her career, she moved to California to begin life as a solo artist.

Lenka’s music and lyrics are heavily influenced by nature, her surroundings, and nostalgic childhood memories. She may be all grown up, but she is truly a kid at heart. Her music is like her therapy because she is usually inspired by angst and lets it all out through a song. She joked, “I’m like a therapist.” Writing and creating makes her feel better and she hopes that she helps her fans get through their own tough times.

When asked about who her mentor was, she explained that she never really found one. From afar, she considered Bjork to be an artist who inspired her, but not a mentor like other artists may have. As she worked her way through growing as an artist, she has learned to be completely herself and doesn’t worry too much about trying to prove herself.

Sometimes she wishes had a nine to five job to obtain the comfort of a normal job. Given that her busy schedule can become overwhelmingly stressful, she jokingly said, “I sometimes crave I studied science instead.” On her positive days, it brings her back to knowing she is doing what she ultimately loves to do.

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