Berklee, Big Thief, and a Bright Future: Adrianne Lenker At a Glance 

When I hear the name Big Thief, I am reminded of the Pablo Picasso quote, “good artists borrow, great artists steal” and while I don’t know that there is a sure line between this piece of Picasso’s wisdom and the indie rock band’s name, I am sure that a group of great artists play together under the alias. Among these great artists is Adrianne Lenker, a musician and lyricist dedicated to unearthing the intangible emotions of memory and deeper meaning of day to day.  Among her many strengths is her ability to put a finger on the ephemeral her and steadfastness to her craft as a songwriter.

     Adrianne first picked up a guitar at the ripe age of 6. Encouraged by her father, who was also a songwriter, she started writing when she was 8. These early years of her creative life also coincided with her upbringing in what she calls a religious cult, a near death experience and familial pressure for fame.  These events left scars, both physical and emotional, and traces of them still show up in her writing on songs such as Mythological Beauty, Real House, and Angels. As Adrianne continued to commit herself to her art and distance herself from the restrictive environment she was brought up in, her voice and skill developed, and she was able to explore more of her creativity and individuality. 

     Adrianne continued to write into her early teens and though she didn’t attend high school, she got her GED at 16. She was determined to do music full-time, so she took a 5 week course at the Berklee School of Music.  While she was there, Adrianne met with the dean and auditioned for the guitar program. She got in with a song she had written. Though Adrianne’s approach to music at the time was less than academic, her emotional awareness and intelligent vulnerability has always been evident in her work and earned her a spot in the school. 

     Berklee is where Adrianne would really begin to blossom as a musician. The collaborative environment also offered Adrianne an opportunity to meet and work with other like-minded musicians. While in school, Adrianne met Buck Meek, a future collaborator and partner of Adrianne’s. They began writing songs together and clicked immediately. Buck’s syncopated and animalistic style of playing complemented Adrianne’s fluid and flowing approach to the guitar. The pair worked together on a couple of albums aptly titled “A-Sides” and “B-Sides” which was released in 2014. Around the same time, Adrianne released her first solo album “hours were the birds” further establishing her voice.

     Adrianne’s lyrics and music are inspired by many aspects of her life, and aside from life altering events and experiences as previously mentioned, Adrianne’s songs focus a lot on love. Some of Adrianne’s relationships have been publicly addressed and speculated about by fans who like to take a magnifying glass to her music. She still is reluctant to put a label on her sexuality and looks forward to a day when people aren’t expected to put a name to “what they are.” From 2014-2018, Adrianne was married to Big Thief bandmate Buck Meek. This relationship is the subject of many early songs and a big part of the band’s background. 

     By 2015 Buck and Adrianne had built a small local following and formed the band Big Thief with fellow Berklee students Max Oleartchik and James Krivchenia . Together they made a name for themselves by combining each of their own skills and playing styles to create a distinct folk-rock sound. Their first album Masterpiece was released in 2016 and featured Adrianne on guitar and lead vocals. She also contributed many of the lyrics. Big Thief has released 4 more albums since then under the names Capacity, U.F.O.F., Two Hands, and 2022’s critically acclaimed Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You. The last album’s title came from a line in one of Adrianne’s solo songs titled “anything” making the gap between her work and the band’s smaller. The album was also nominated for two grammys in 2023 for Best Alternative Rock Album and Best Alternative Music Performance. 

     Weaved within the time that big thief was releasing their albums Adrianne also released more music of her own with the albums Abysskiss, songs, instrumentals, and her highly anticipated 2024 release Bright Future. Big Thief brought a larger audience to Adrianne’s solo work and the albums Songs and Instrumentals earned her the respect of critics and fans everywhere. She is regarded as one of the best songwriters alive and for good reason. To be in touch so entirely with the outer and inner world is no small feat but it is one of Adrianne’s superpowers that shines in her songs. Natural imagery and confessional cries can be closely tied over the river-like riffs that she creates. It’s obvious that Adrianne has an obsession with listening. She mentions the importance of it in many interviews and only someone who listens so intently can create with the efficiency and clarity that she does. 2024’s Bright Future only expands upon and further proves her ability to communicate with her music. Before it was even released, the single Vampire Empire was a viral hit and other songs on previous albums such as anything and not a lot, just forever have achieved a similar status.

     Recently Adrianne collaborated with the educational organization School of Song to teach a workshop on songwriting. Those who were lucky enough to sit it on the zoom sessions witnessed her passion for the creation of songs and sharing them with others. Her generosity and humility is evident across borders and through screens. She speaks about songs as sacred and mysterious things. She was soft-spoken and sincere as she shared insights on writing and sang songs written during the course. She also sang praises to her inspirations which include John Prine and Lucinda Williams among other greats. Her lessons were homemade and from the heart, focusing on some of her specialties. Structure, alternate tunings and bridging dimensions were some of the topics covered over the four-week course. It was a great opportunity to witness her love for songs and her generosity first-hand. Adrianne’s latest release was on Bandcamp with a set of songs she had written and put out for the profits to go to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. The songs are still up and available to purchase.

     Currently, Adrianne is embarked on a U.S. tour, playing just short of 30 shows, and She’ll be stopping by in Salt Lake City on June 25th to play at the Complex. 

Sources

• Gordon, Jeremy. “Adrianne Lenker Isn’t Scared of Sadness.” The New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/arts/music/adrianne-lenker-bright-future.html#:~:text=Lenker%20was%20born%20in%20the. Accessed 28 May 2024.

• Mapes, Jill. “Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker Is One of a Kind.” Pitchfork, 6 Apr. 2017, pitchfork.com/thepitch/1482-big-thiefs-adrianne-lenker-has-seen-some-shit/. Accessed 28 May 2024.

• Moss, Marissa R. ““I Need to Not Be Violent to Myself”: Big Thief on Pain, Healing and Their Intense Musical Bond.” The Guardian, 14 Jan. 2022, www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jan/14/big-thief-on-pain-healing-and-their-intense-musical-bond. Accessed 28 May 2024.

• Naddaff-Hafrey, Benjamin. “The Lore of Big Thief.” NPR, 9 Nov. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/11/09/560267308/the-lore-of-big-thief.