(Epic) Lenka, former vocalist for the critically acclaimed Australian electronic/ambient band Decoder Ring, will release her self-titled solo debut on Epic Records on September 23rd. Lead single "The Show" goes to radio on July 29th. In characteristic Lenka fashion, the song takes a dour premise - that life is a show, and sometimes a pretty bad one - and delivers it with such aplomb that one can't help but grin as it erupts into a bold, brassy closing refrain of "I want my money back!" "I decided I should just get all my friends to come in and be like the drunken tavern chorus," explains Lenka. "Australian folk singer Missy Higgins joined in on the bit."
Other album highlights include the spine-tingling "Trouble Is A Friend," "Wrote Me Out," co-written (strangely) with AFI's Hunter Burgan, the seductive "Force of Nature," "Dangerous & Sweet" with Howie Day (stranger still) on guest vocals and the lullaby-like "Don't Let Me Fall," with strings conducted by composer/arranger David Campbell (otherwise known as Beck's father). Producer Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Jay Z) arranged for the session to take place in one of the historic Capitol Records studios. "It was just extraordinary, being in a studio with nine string players and David conducting," says Lenka, who wrote or co-wrote all of the album's songs and also plays piano, percussion, vibraphone and glockenspiel. "I'm normally in a grungy garage making my music." - more on this story
