Adrianne Lenker's songs that get under the skin

Take 5

Adrianne Lenker feels things deeply. You hear it in every one of her songs, whether solo, or with her band Big Thief. Lucky for us, she shares it all, and over the past few years has become one of the most promising and prolific songwriters around; making 6 albums on her own and 5 with her band.

Her latest is “Bright Future” and it’s another stunning record of genius songwriting, and the inspiration for me to head back into the Take 5 archives and share this wonderful conversation from 2019.

At the time, Adrianne was actually on holiday in Australia and it felt fitting, because her life had been a transient one, constantly on the road touring all over the world. But even when taking a break, she made time to share a conversation about music.

This ended up being so much more. It’s about connection, about how melancholy can filter through joy, and how you can find space in the most intensely crowded of sounds. Even if you don’t know Adrianne’s work intimately, this is a conversation that will speak to you. It’s one I haven’t stopped thinking about since.

It feels like, for Adrianne, music has always helped her understand the world around her. When she speaks about songs, everything slows down. She has a way of articulating what is often intangible, and when I watch interviews with her I find I’m drawn in to a kind of meditative state – she just has a way of seeing the world that is captivating. For all of these reasons, back in 2019 I asked her to Take 5. Her music gets under my skin, and I wanted to find out what got under hers. Dive in for this unforgettable and poetic conversation.

• Sibylle Baier – Driving
• Bill Callahan – What Comes After Certainty
• Ithaca – Impulse Crush
• Sheer Mag – Point Breeze
• Life Without Buildings – Sorrow

This episode was originally broadcast in 2019.