MJ Lenderman

MJ Lenderman

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  • Manning Fireworks
    Manning Fireworks
    Manning Fireworks

    At just 25 years old, with four solo studio albums and three as guitarist for North Carolina band Wednesday under his belt, MJ Lenderman already seems like an all-timer. The vivid, arch songwriting, the swaying between reverence and irreverence for his forebears, steeped in modern culture while still sounding timeless—he evokes the easy comfort of a well-worn favorite and the butterflies of a new relationship with someone who is going to have a massive, rich, and argued-about discography for decades. The songs go down easy but are dark around the edges, with down-home strings and lap steel adorning tales of jerking off into showers and the existential loneliness of a smartwatch. But in a fun way. And just as 2021’s “Knockin” both referenced erstwhile golfer John Daly’s cover of Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and lifted its chorus for good measure, “You Don’t Know the Shape I’m In” honors The Band’s classic while rendering it redundant. But album closer “Bark at the Moon” represents Lenderman’s blending of sad-sack character sketches and meta classic-rock references in its final form: “I’ve never seen the Mona Lisa/I’ve never really left my room/I’ve been up too late with Guitar Hero/Playing ‘Bark at the Moon.’” Then he punctuates the line with an “Awoo/Bark at the moon,” not to the tune of the Ozzy song, but to Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London.” Packing that many jokes into half a verse is impressive enough—more so that the impact is even more heartbreaking than it is funny.

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About MJ Lenderman

A singer and songwriter from Asheville, North Carolina, MJ Lenderman melds indie folk, roots rock, and skronky guitars with tunes that deal with random details of everyday lives, both past and present. Lenderman had already developed a solid reputation as a sideman -- playing drums behind Asheville songwriter Indigo de Souza and handling lead guitar for noisy indie rockers Wednesday -- when he released his first solo album, 2019's MJ Lenderman, which introduced his mix of noisy and rootsy sounds. 2022's Boat Songs dug deeper into the twangy side of his music, and 2023's And the Wind (Live and Loose!) captured the sound of Lenderman and his band in full flight. 2024's Manning Fireworks was a breakthrough release that made room for his contemplative acoustic and raucous electric work.

FROM
Asheville, NC, United States
BORN
February 4, 1999
GENRE
Alternative

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