Sondre Lerche |
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Wed. February 05.2003 4:13 PM EST |
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Sondre Lerche: Take on HimDoe-eyed Norwegian flaunts A-Ha fetish and pleads ignorance to black metal. by Gil Kaufman |
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Sondre Lerche (VH1.com) |
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Sondre Lerche loves A-Ha and he doesn't care who knows it. Most Americans might consider the frosty-haired one-hit-wonders an "I Love The ‘80s" footnote, but this 20-year-old Norwegian singer/songwriter claims them as primary inspiration. Don't be
Unfailingly polite and even-tempered, Lerche got his start playing in Norwegian pubs in his home town of Bergen (home to fellow buzz artists, Royskopp) at the age of 14. Playing a mix of covers (everything from Elvis Costello to David Bowie) and his originals, Lerche quickly caught the attention of producer HP Gundersen. It was Gundersen who introduced the lad to the work of musicians such as Beck and High Llamas. Ultimately, they'd have an even bigger influence than A-Ha on the sensitive kid whose high school classmates teasingly called him "Sandra." Lerche is enjoying the last laugh on his childhood tormentors, though. He's produced a lush album of groovy power pop songs that wouldn’t be out of place in a mid-60s paisley romp starring the late Peter Sellers. Go ahead, say Bacharach-esque if you want. He may not be as famous as his country’s black metal legends Mayhem and Emperor, but VH1 was happy to split a plate of Lutefisk, listen to Lerche debunk the myth about Norway’s eternal darkness, and describe what it feels like to be a "sensitive ass-kicker." VH1: What’s the biggest misconception people have about Norway? Lerche: That there are polar bears in our streets and its dark all the time. I hate to be the one to tell you, but it’s not true. VH1: Not many people are willing to admit that they were influenced by A-Ha. Is there something we Americans are missing out about them? Sondre Lerche: When I was four years old, they were the first music I heard. At the time they were big in the U.S., they were huge in Norway. I’ve listened a lot to their early records and I really think there are some great songs, especially their second album, Scoundrel Days. In later years, I discovered different kinds of music that influenced me more directly. But, the starting point was A-Ha. VH1: You got to share the stage with them recently, right? Lerche: Yes, at their June show in Oslo for 25,000 people. I’d met them a couple of times, so they invited me to open. I did a song with them called "Locust." It’s not very famous and they’d never played it live before, but they asked if I wanted to do it with them because they heard it was my favorite A-Ha song. VH1: Do you remember the first song you wrote? Lerche: I tried and tried to write songs since I was nine years old - from the first time I learned to play two chords on guitar. But it took quite a long time until I wrote something worth mentioning. When I was 13, I wrote "The Locust Girl," which is, of course, related to the A-Ha song. I wouldn’t use it now unless I was really lacking for new songs. VH1: Is it embarrassing? Lerche: It’s not really embarrassing. I’d written a lot of songs before that one that were really terrible. So, it’s not completely useless, but so much has happened to me musically since then. VH1: Your big sister helped you get your first gigs at a pub when you were 14? Lerche: She worked in this local club and they had a jam session where anyone could go up and play. Once I’d started to sing and play my own songs I had a huge need to perform in front of an audience. She would help me get in because you had to be 18. She would stand on the side and play tambourine because I was really afraid and nervous. VH1: How did people react to this little kid playing A-Ha songs? Lerche: I overwhelmed them with my effort. Once I got on stage I really gave all I had. I didn’t destroy anything, but I think they might have felt there was something wrong with me. They might have thought I was some kind of autistic child. VH1: Was that your defense mechanism, or were you just really into it? Lerche: I was just so into it. Once I crossed the barriers, it was as good as it gets. It still is. VH1: Your producer turned you on to a lot of the music that inspired this album: Burt Bacharach, Steely Dan, Beck. What did you think when you first heard those albums? Lerche: Some of that stuff I was listening to already, but he definitely introduced me to stuff that really influenced the songs I wrote later. It wasn’t until after I met him I started to investigate the music I really felt enthusiastic about, that I dug into Costello and especially Bacharach. I listened a lot to Mutations by Beck and lots of Brazilian music. After that came a rush of inspiration and songs triggered by this new music I was discovering. VH1: Did you ever get to meet any famous musicians as you were growing up? Lerche: I met [A-Ha singer] Morten Harket a couple of times. VH1: Did you ask him for advice? Lerche: No, I just asked him for an autograph and a picture at one of his solo shows. I was 12 and my mother was with me. I stood waiting outside his door after the gig and he wouldn’t come out. It was really late. When he finally came out, I said to him, "My God, how can you sleep keeping your fans waiting like this! I’m 12 years old and I start school at eight o’clock tomorrow morning, so you better get moving with that autograph so I can go home to bed!" I was really angry. VH1: What’s the worst insult you've received to date? Lerche: I’ve been very lucky. I haven’t gotten many bad reviews, but a magazine called Uncut did one a couple of months ago and they wrote something like, "Just like his influences, Beck and the High Llamas, Sondre is trying to camouflage the fact that his tunes have no tune." I was really angry because if my songs have one thing, it’s melody. That’s the first thing I work with. Then I relaxed, because he obviously didn’t like Beck of the High Llamas, so he wasn’t meant for my record. VH1: What new bands from Norway should we know about? Lerche: There’s a lot of good music coming from Bergen, where Royskopp and I live. There’s a guy who is a good friend of mine, Julian Berzntsen, a great singer/songwriter who plays piano and violin who is just completing a great chamber-pop album. And there is a band called Real Ones, a kind of a psychedelic folk rock pop group. VH1: Norway’s known for its black metal. Were you ever into that scene? Any favorite bands? Lerche: I wasn’t really into it, but I’ve probably played for those guys. It was kind of frightening. Here I was with these pop songs, and they were standing there in their black leather jackets and deadly looks. I wouldn’t know which one is best, but they’re probably the biggest pop stars we have from Norway. VH1: "Modern Nature" sounds like a song that could have been in some ‘60s hippie flick. It’s retro to the point of being corny. Are you playing a character in that song? Lerche: Definitely. I heard this girl who sings with me [Lillian Samdal] and she sounded amazing. I thought that it would be a nice balance for the record to introduce another voice midway through so people don’t get bored of hearing me. I wasn’t keen on writing a Celine Dion kind of duet, so I wanted to write something romantic, humorous, and sweet. At that time, I was really inspired by Cole Porter. I wanted something that would sound nice on Broadway. VH1: Did you have a nickname in high school? Lerche: I think some guys called me Sandra. They thought I was a sensitive, sweet boy. VH1: If you could go back to high school now, would there be someone whose face you’d like to rub it in? Lerche: No. I guess I rubbed it in while I was there, so I’m finished with that. I took care of the ones I wanted to take care of when I was in school. VH1: You weren’t Sandra after all. Lerche: Oh yeah, I could take care of myself. You can be both sensitive and an ass-kicker. "The sensitive ass kicker, Sondre Lerche." VH1: Complete this sentence, "On a Saturday night, I can usually be found ... Lerche: "On a Saturday night, I feel the air is getting hot." I’m not a very big party person. I would probably be found watching some cheesy TV. VH1: What’s the best rock show you’ve ever seen? And if you say A-Ha, I’m going to hang up on you. Lerche: A Steely Dan show in Oslo a few years ago. I tend to get bored at concerts, even if I love the band. I usually get bored after half a set. |
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