News
Plus Sondre Lerche and AURORA, Rosie Carney, My Idea, Superorganism, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Apr 01, 2022
By Mark Redfern (with Joey Arnone)
Welcome to the thirteenth Songs of the Week of 2022. It was a solid week for new music, with a strong and obvious #1 song. Today we posted an April Fools’ Day joke on our site. Did you notice it? More
Avatars of Love Out Now via PLZ/InGrooves
Apr 01, 2022
By Mark Redfern
Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche has released a new double album, Avatars of Love, today via PLZ/InGrooves. In honor of release day, Lerche has shared a video for the album’s closing track, “Alone in the Night,” a string-swept duet with fellow Norwegian AURORA (who is also in the video). Plus now that it’s out, you can stream the whole album here. William Glandberger directed the video and the song was not previously shared as a pre-release single. More
Plus Belle and Sebastian, Sondre Lerche and CHAI, Father John Misty, Tess Parks, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Mar 11, 2022
By Mark Redfern (with Joey Arnone)
Welcome to the tenth Songs of the Week of 2022. It was without a doubt the strongest week for new tracks so far this year. Some of our all time favorite artists put out new songs this week and there were several amazing songs that were seven or eight minutes long. There was much debate on what should make the main list and the best we could narrow it down to was a Top 15. More
Avatars of Love Due Out April 1 via PLZ/InGrooves; His Cover of Mitski’s “Townie” is from our Covers of Covers Album
Mar 08, 2022
By Mark Redfern
Norwegian-born/American-based singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche is releasing a new double album, Avatars of Love, on April 1 via PLZ/InGrooves. Now he has shared another song from it, “Summer In Reverse,” which features Japanese quartet CHAI. It was shared via a video that also features CHAI. Lerche is among the artists featured on our Covers of Covers album, which came out last Friday via American Laundromat. He covers Mitski’s “Townie.” More
Plus Sondre Lerche, Georgia Harmer, Widowspeak, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Feb 18, 2022
By Mark Redfern (with Joey Arnone)
Welcome to the seventh Songs of the Week of 2022. We were very indecisive this week, there were too many songs we liked and had trouble narrowing it down to only 10. So this week we have an expanded Top 13. More
Avatars of Love Due Out April 1 via PLZ/InGrooves
Feb 14, 2022
By Joey Arnone
Norwegian-born/American-based singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche has shared an animated video for his new song “Avatars of Love.” It is the latest release from his forthcoming album of the same name, which will be out on April 1 via PLZ/InGrooves. More
Plus Father John Misty, Let’s Eat Grandma, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Jan 07, 2022
By Mark Redfern (with Joey Arnone and Hayden Merrick)
Welcome to the first Songs of the Week of 2022. We haven’t done a Songs of the Week in almost a month, as the holiday season slowed the release of new songs in mid December. But the first week of 2022 presented enough new tracks to warrant a return to Songs of the Week. More
Avatars of Love Due Out April 8 via PLZ/InGrooves
Jan 05, 2022
By Joey Arnone
Norwegian-born/American-based singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche has announced the release of a new double album, Avatars of Love, which will be out on April 8 via PLZ/InGrooves. Lerche has also shared two tracks from the album, “Cut” and “Turns Out I’m Sentimental After All,” along with a Jon Danovic-directed video for “Cut.” More
Covers of Covers Due Out March 4, 2022 via American Laundromat; Also Features Cassandra Jenkins, Alex Lahey, Peter Bjorn and John, Hatchie, Nation of Language, Cults, Kevin Drew, Black Belt Eagle Scout, Girl Ray, Piroshka, and More
Dec 21, 2021
By Mark Redfern
Under the Radar is proud to announce Covers of Covers, which is the magazine’s first ever album. In honor of our 20th anniversary we approached some of our favorite musicians and asked them to cover any song by any artist who had been on the front or back cover of our print issue over the years. Covers of Covers is due out March 4, 2022 via American Laundromat, but today we are sharing two of its tracks: Grandaddy’s cover of Metric’s “Blindness” and EMA’s cover of Modest Mouse’s “Trailer Trash.” More
Plus Laetitia Sadier, Michael Kiwanuka, HARD FEELINGS, Hamilton Leithauser and Kevin Morby, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Oct 15, 2021
By Mark Redfern (with Joey Arnone)
Welcome to the 39th Songs of the Week of 2021. It was a blockbuster week for new songs, although the week’s biggest song (Adele’s “Easy On Me”) didn’t make the list. But “Easy On Me” did set the all-time record for biggest single day streams for a song in Spotify history, so Adele will be fine. This week we have a supersized Top 12 and a solid honorable mentions list. More
Oct 12, 2021
By Joey Arnone
Norwegian-born/American-based singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche has shared a 10-minute new song titled “Dead of the Night.” Lerche has also announced a 2022 tour. More
Patience Deluxe Due Out October 23 via PLZ
Sep 21, 2020
By Christopher Roberts
Norwegian-born/American-based singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche has shared a new song, “I Could Not Love You Enough.” He has also announced a deluxe edition of his most recent album, Patience, which was released in June via PLZ. More
New Episodes Every Wednesday
May 27, 2020
By Laura Studarus
Welcome to Why Not Both Wednesdays. Every week, in partnership with the Why Not Both podcast, we’ll be presenting new podcast episodes that explore how multiple passions inform the inspiring lives of musicians, writers, actors, and creatives. This week, king of burgers and pop, Sondre Lerche. More
Plus Khruangbin, Sad13, Sondre Lerche, Owen Pallett, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
May 22, 2020
By Christopher Roberts (with Samantha Small)
Welcome to the nineteenth Songs of the Week of 2020. It’s another week under quarantine, the same as the last week. This week we were quite indecisive about our favorite songs and even polled our readers on Facebook and Twitter, which helped a little. More
Patience Due Out June 5 via PLZ
May 22, 2020
By Christopher Roberts
Norwegian-born/American-based singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche is releasing a new album, Patience, on June 5 via PLZ. Now he has shared another song from it, “That’s All There Is,” via a fan sourced video for the track that features the childhood photos of both Lerche and his fans, among other photos (including some of Lerche with his fans). More
Plus Car Seat Headrest, Everything Everything, Jessie Ware, and a Wrap-up of the Week’s Other Notable New Tracks
Apr 24, 2020
By Christopher Roberts (with Lily Guthrie)
Welcome to the sixteenth Songs of the Week of 2020. It’s another week under quarantine, the same as the last week. More
Patience Due Out June 5 via PLZ; Watch Lerche Perform With the Norwegian Radio Orchestra
Apr 22, 2020
By Christopher Roberts
Norwegian-born/American-based singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche is releasing a new album, Patience, on June 5 via PLZ. Now he has shared another song from it, “Why Would I Let You Go,” via a video for the track. Lerche has also done a six-song set with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra for NRK-TV. More
“We’re all looking for answers and no one knows right now, so I’m trying to stay in the moment.”
Apr 02, 2020
By Mark Redfern
We are checking in with musicians during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to see how they are dealing with everything. What has their home quarantine experience been like so far and how is the crisis impacting both their career and art? Here we check in with Norway’s Sondre Lerche. More
Patience Due Out June 5 via PLZ
Mar 24, 2020
By Christopher Roberts
Norwegian-born/American-based singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche has announced a new album, Patience, and shared its first single, “You Are Not Who I Thought I Was,” via a video for the track. More
Issue 60 Also Includes Interviews with alt-J, Grandaddy, Jarvis Cocker, Mount Eerie, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Perfume Genius, Slowdive, Little Dragon, London Grammar, Mew, Real Estate, Goldfrapp, The New Pornographers and Much More
Apr 07, 2017
By Christopher Roberts
Under the Radar is excited to announce the full details of our Spring 2017 Issue, which is out now digitally via Under the Radar’s app and the magazine app Readly. The print version is about to ship out to subscribers and stores and will be on all newsstands soon (as well as available soon digitally via the magazine apps Zinio and Readly). More
Pleasure Due Out March 3 via PLZ
Feb 24, 2017
By Christopher Roberts
Norwegian-born/Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche is releasing a new album, Pleasure, on March 3 via PLZ (previously the album had a April 14 release date). More
Pleasure Due Out April 14
Jan 20, 2017
By Christopher Roberts
Norwegian-born/Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche has announced a new album, Pleasure, and shared a video for a new song, “Soft Feelings.” Pleasure is due out April 14. More
“What the world needs now, is not yet another cover of ‘Hotline Bling,’ sweet lord.”
Dec 23, 2015
By Christopher Roberts
At the end of every year Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche tends to cover one of the year’s big hits. This year he has chosen Drake’s megahit “Hotline Bling.” More
Indie For the Holidays Compilation Out via Amazon on November 20
Nov 11, 2015
By Christopher Roberts
Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche has teamed up with Los Angeles-based experimental composer Jherek Bischoff for a new song entitled “Surviving Christmas.” The holiday song addresses the current European refugee crisis and can be streamed below. It will be released on November 20 as part of Indie For the Holidays, a new compilation/playlist put together by Amazon that will stream on Prime Music and for purchase via Amazon Music. More
Due Out May 22 on MONA Records
May 18, 2015
By Laura Studarus
On May 22, Sondre Lerche will release Despite the Night, a remix EP featuring the PLEASE track of the same name. More
Plus New Dates Added to 2015 Tour
Apr 01, 2015
By Trevor Flynn
Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche recently covered “Thirteen” by Big Star on Trygdekontoret, a Norwegian television program. The performance is mellow, earnest, and sounds absolutely beautiful. More
Feb 19, 2015
By Laura Studarus
Sondre Lerche’s video for Please cut “Lucky Guy” features the band performing a stripped down version of the song, filmed in stark black and white.
Merry Christmas from Santa/Sondre
Dec 23, 2014
By Laura Studarus
Every year about this time, Sondre Lerche plays Santa and delivers a cover song to his fans. More
Nov 09, 2014
By Laura Studarus
Last night, Sondre Lerche performed at USF in Bergen, Norway in support of his newly released album, Please. More
Plus New Tracks from Jessie Ware, Zola Jesus, Sondre Lerche, Kindness, Esben and the Witch, Purling Hiss, Willis Earl Beal, Moonbabies, Mysteries, Happyness, King Tuff, and Others
Sep 05, 2014
By Michael Wojtas
Welcome to Under the Radar’s weekly playlist, where we compile the best and most exciting tracks to debut online in the last week (give or take). In this mix we’ve got new songs by Foxygen, Modest Mouse, Interpol, TOPS, Jessie Ware, Zola Jesus, Sondre Lerche, Kindness, Esben and the Witch, Purling Hiss, Willis Earl Beal, Moonbabies, Mysteries, Happyness, King Tuff, and more. Look no further, your Friday and weekend playlist is here. More
Sep 05, 2014
By Michael Wojtas
Norwegian pop-smith Sondre Lerche has offered up “Sentimentalist,” a new song taken from his forthcoming Please LP (due September 23). More
Jun 24, 2014
By Mike Hilleary
On Sept. 23 singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche will release his newest album Please. Ahead of the record’s impending arrival the Norway national has shared the music video for included single “Bad Law.” More
Please Due Out Later this Year on Mona Records
May 22, 2014
By Laura Studarus
We certainly aren’t rooting for anyone to be unlucky in love, but it’s hard to argue that heartbreak doesn’t have its place in the musical cannon. Sondre Lerche’s new single “Bad Law” was inspired by his recent divorce, and it plays like someone on the mend. More
A Cut From New Film “The Sleepwalker”
Jan 06, 2014
By Laura Studarus
Sondre Lerche is one of the nicest guys in music (that we’re aware of anyway). So color us surprised when his newest offering “Palindromes” (a cut from the forthcoming film The Sleepwalker) hit a far more creepy vein than we’ve come to expect. More
Dec 26, 2013
By Laura Studarus
Santa Claus and Sondre Lerche aren’t the same person (that we’re aware of anyway), but one would be forgiven for getting the two of them confused. More
Nov 19, 2013
By Laura Studarus
Due out November 26, Songs From Montague Terrace (A Tribute To Scott Walker), features Sondre Lerche, Nightlands, The Entrance Band, and more, doing their take the iconic singer/songwriter’s work. More
Also Releasing Limited Edition Vinyls Next Week
Sep 26, 2012
By Mike Hilleary
For those that have been a little late in sending Sondre Lerche a card for his 30th birthday you can now enjoy sending it through the mail with your very own Sondre Lerche postal stamp. More
Feist, Sondre Lerche, Florence and the Machine and More
Aug 09, 2012
By Julia Underwood
From August 7-11 Oslo, Norway is hosting the Øya Festival. We sent social media editor Laura Studarus over to cover the action. Check out her shots of Sondre Lerche,Willis Earl Beal, Mathias Eick, Oberhofer, Friends, Bob Mould, Thurston Moore, Florence and the Machine, Feist, The Stone Roses, and Purity Ring. More
Download Unreleased Track
Jul 24, 2012
By Mike Hilleary
This morning blue-eyed pop songwriter Sondre Lerche unearthed an old recording of a previously unreleased song called “Boxing Day,” and well, decided it was best to just give it away. More
Reissuing First Four Albums On Vinyl
Jun 13, 2012
By Mike Hilleary
Norwegian-born singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche will soon be celebrating his 30th birthday, and to help mark the occasion he has announced the releas of a handful of limited edition works. More
Performs "Private Caller" Off Latest LP
Nov 23, 2011
By Mike Hilleary
Last night Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche took to the Ed Sullivan Theater last night for an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. More
Maybe You Can Design His Tour Poster
Aug 22, 2011
By Mark Redfern
Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche has announced some fall tour dates in support of this year’s self-titled album. Peter Wolf Crier will be supporting all but two dates. More
“Our World” Covered for Muppets Tribute
Jul 12, 2011
By Margot Cooper Gruen
My Morning Jacket have done a rendition of Muppets song “Our World” for an upcoming Muppets tribute album. More
Apr 20, 2011
By Laura Studarus
Sondre Lerche—who rocked our SXSW party with several new tunes, is ready to start sharing them with the world. We have the new track. More
Including Atlas Sound, The Dears, Yuck, The Dodos, Lord Huron and More
Mar 21, 2011
By Wendy Lynch Redfern
Check out photos from the first of the Under the Radar SXSW 2011 Day Parties (sponsored by JanSport), including shots of Atlas Sound, The Dears, Lord Huron, Sondre Lerche, Yuck, The Dodos and Violens. Photos by Wendy Lynch Redfern. Check out the full gallery here. More
Bands Record Exclusive Videos
Mar 21, 2011
By Laura Studarus
During the two days of Under the Radar’s SXSW parties we recorded exclusive greetings from some of the artists playing. In case you missed them on our Twitter and Facebook feeds, we’ve collected them here. More
Mar 05, 2011
By Laura Studarus
We were disappointed to learn yesterday that Anna Calvi had dropped out of our SXSW party due to an injury. However, today we are proud to announce our favorite Heartbeat Radio-troubadour, Sondre Lerche, will be taking her place. More
Mar 02, 2011
By Laura Studarus
Sondre Lerche will be releasing his seventh full length, June 7. We have the details. More
“Lewis Takes Off His Shirt”
Dec 23, 2010
By Laura Studarus
Sondre Lerche recently took on “Lewis Takes His Shirt Off,” a cut from Owen Pallett opus, Heartland. We have the track. More
Show Features Special Guests Including R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Sondre Lerche, and Brendan Benson
May 28, 2010
By John Everhart
This weekend The Loft, on SIRIUS channel 29 and XM channel 50, will broadcast a tribute show to Big Star’s Alex Chilton, featuring the surviving members of Big Star along with R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Sondre Lerche, Brendan Benson, and others. More
Vivian Girls, Sondre Lerche, The Veils, Plants and Animals, Avi Buffalo, Everything Everything, and The Invisible
Mar 25, 2010
By Mark Redfern
Under the Radar‘s 2010 SXSW day party went down on Saturday, March 20, from 12 - 6 p.m., at Klub Krucial, and was sponsored by JanSport. It was the fifth year that Under the Radar has hosted a SXSW party and the magazine’s sixth SXSW party over all (one year we hosted two). The cold and rainy weather didn’t deter enthusiastic music fans and music industry professionals from venturing out on the last day of SXSW. The party included performances by Vivian Girls, Sondre Lerche, The Veils, Plants and Animals, Avi Buffalo, Everything Everything, and The Invisible. More
Photos of Vivian Girls, Sondre Lerche, The Veils, Plants and Animals, Avi Buffalo, Everything Everything, and The Invisible
Mar 25, 2010
By Mark Redfern
Staff photographer and Under the Radar‘s Co-Publisher/Co-Founder, Wendy Lynch Redfern, was down in Austin, Texas for SXSW 2010. Check out a gallery of her photos from the JanSport Presents the Under the Radar SXSW Party 2010. The gallery includes photos of Vivian Girls, Sondre Lerche, The Veils, Plants and Animals, Avi Buffalo, Everything Everything, and The Invisible. More
JanSport Presented Event This Saturday
Mar 16, 2010
By Mark Redfern
Under the Radar is pleased to announce the set times for its 5th annual SXSW Day Party 2010, which is happening this Saturday March 20 at Emo’s East Annex (Klub Krucial) from noon to 6 PM, and is presented by JanSport. The line-up includes Vivian Girls, Sondre Lerche, The Veils, Plants and Animals, Avi Buffalo, Everything Everything, and The Invisible. More
Party Lineup to Be Revealed One Artist at a Time
Feb 26, 2010
By Laura Studarus
On March 20, Under the Radar will host a free, all-ages SXSW day party that is presented by JanSport. We will be announcing the lineup this week one artist at a time, so that we can highlight each band with info, videos, and links, to familiarize you with, and get you excited about, each artist. We are proud to announce that Sondre Lerche will be joining our SXSW party lineup. More
Tune into Heartbeat Radio September 8th
Jun 29, 2009
By Mark Redfern
Sondre Lerche is set to release his new album on September 8th. Entitled Heartbeat Radio, it is Lerche’s first album for Rounder Records and his first release since his soundtrack for the Steve Carell movie Dan in Real Life, which was released in 2007. The singer/songwriter’s new album was recorded in both his hometown of Bergen, Norway and in Brooklyn, NY, which the album’s press release describes as Lerche’s “newly adopted home.” More
Interviews
A Strange Process of Opposites
May 02, 2022
By Chris K Davidson
Over the past two decades, Norwegian songwriter Sondre Lerche has loved to play with the expectations of his listeners. What seems like an enticing, yet straightforward indie-pop song can take a turn either through a tempo change, mood shift, or tonal dissonance. More
Track-by-Track: Each Artist on Their Contribution to the Album
Mar 04, 2022
By Mark Redfern
When hatching plans to celebrate Under the Radar’s 20th anniversary I knew I wanted to go beyond just producing a special 20th anniversary issue. Despite two decades of writing about albums, one thing we’d never done is actually put one out ourselves. Thus I came upon the idea for Covers of Covers. The concept was so perfect and simple that I’m surprised we hadn’t thought of it before. We approached some of our favorite musicians and asked them to cover any song by any artist who had been on the front or back cover of our print issue over the years, including artists that had appeared in group cover shots. More
Jun 12, 2020
By Mark Redfern
To end out the week, we ask Sondre Lerche some questions about endings and death. More
“We’re all looking for answers and no one knows right now, so I’m trying to stay in the moment.”
Apr 02, 2020
By Mark Redfern
We are checking in with musicians during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to see how they are dealing with everything. What has their home quarantine experience been like so far and how is the crisis impacting both their career and art? Here we check in with Norway’s Sondre Lerche. More
Jun 27, 2017
By John Everhart
Sondre Lerche‘s vulnerability isn’t a device. It’s an uncontrived, essential component of his psyche, one which he wears on his sleeve and permeates his music. The Norwegian singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist’s warm blooded, meticulously crafted pop songs have assumed protean forms through the years. Initially Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach informed jaunty cuts on 2001’s More
Lerche on 2015's Best Music, Justin Bieber, Getting Fired, Breakups, and Misogyny in the Music Industry
Feb 29, 2016
By Mark Redfern
For Under the Radar’s 13th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2015. We asked them about their favorite albums of the year and their thoughts on various notable 2015 news stories involving either the music industry or world events, as well as some quirkier personal questions. Here are some answers from Sondre Lerche. The Norwegian singer/songwriter’s last album, Please, was released in 2014 via Mona Records. More
Lerche on Lip-syncing, 2014's 15 Best Songs, Moving Fan Interactions, and the Film Director He'd Most Like to Work With
Feb 13, 2015
By Mark Redfern
For Under the Radar’s 12th annual Artist Survey we emailed some of our favorite artists a few questions relating to 2014. Here are some answers from Sondre Lerche. More
Lerche's Please Out September 23
Aug 29, 2014
By Sondre Lerche
Who better to give us all tips on new music than accomplished musicians themselves. For this new series we have asked more established artists one simple request: tell us who your new favorite band is. For this My Favorite New Band Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche tells us about a new band from his home country. More
Oct 05, 2009
By Sondre Lerche
When I was 10 years old I was granted membership with The James Bond Club. I had replied to an ad, using my mom’s name (the ad specifically requested that applicants under 18 provide their parent’s signature—I must have considered it was less of an offense to pretend to be my mother). More
Reviews
May 26, 2022
By Annah Trunick
The audience couldn’t help but swoon during Sondre Lerche’s performance at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on May 21st. More
May 17, 2017
By Matt Conner
Either Norwegian artist Sondre Lerche isn’t quite old enough or he refuses to allow youth to be wasted on the proverbial young. Pleasure, Lerche’s latest full-length, arrives in full regalia, a dazzling (and dizzying) display of bleeps and bloops, bells and whistles. More
Aug 09, 2012
By Laura Studarus
Welcome to the first official day of the Øya Festival—or as I like to call it: shock the American. Check out reviews from the day including: Sondre Lerche, Willis Earl Beal, Oberhofer, Thurston Moore, Friends, Florence and The Machine, Feist, Stone Roses, and Purity Ring. More
Jun 07, 2011
By Jim Scott
The early appeal of Sondre Lerche was that his clean sound and unabashed pop leanings felt like an antidote to the scraggly masses. More
Mar 25, 2010
By Mark Redfern
Under the Radar‘s 2010 SXSW day party went down on Saturday, March 20, from 12 - 6 p.m., at Klub Krucial, and was sponsored by JanSport. It was the fifth year that Under the Radar has hosted a SXSW party and the magazine’s sixth SXSW party over all (one year we hosted two). The cold and rainy weather didn’t deter enthusiastic music fans and music industry professionals from venturing out on the last day of SXSW. The party included performances by Vivian Girls, Sondre Lerche, The Veils, Plants and Animals, Avi Buffalo, Everything Everything, and The Invisible. More