MJ Lenderman

Last updated
MJ Lenderman
MJ Lenderman live in Grand Rapids.jpg
Lenderman in 2023
Background information
Birth nameMark Jacob Lenderman
Born (1999-02-04) February 4, 1999 (age 26)
Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres
Years active2018–present
Labels Anti-
Formerly of Wednesday
Website www.mjlenderman.com

Mark Jacob Lenderman (born 1999), also known as Jake Lenderman and MJ Lenderman, [1] [2] is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has released multiple solo albums. For several years, he was a member of the alternative rock band Wednesday. He also has played drums for Indigo De Souza. Lenderman's style has been described as alt-country, classic rock, and indie rock music.

Contents

Biography

Early life and education

Lenderman was born in Asheville, North Carolina. His great-grandfather was saxophonist Charlie Ventura. [3] He was raised Catholic and was an altar boy. [3] He played basketball and obsessively watched tapes of Michael Jordan. [2] He grew up listening to Mark Linkous and Jason Molina. [2] In his junior and senior years of high school, he began posting his music to Bandcamp. [3] Lenderman studied at UNC Asheville for three semesters. [4]

Career

In 2018, Lenderman played the drums for fellow Asheville artist Indigo De Souza on her albums I Love My Mom and Any Shape You Take . [4] Lenderman met Karly Hartzman, lead singer for the group Wednesday, and he joined the band for an EP called How Do You Let Love Into the Heart That Isn't Split Wide Open (2018). [1]

In July 2019, he released a self-titled album, his first solo album. [5] At that time, he was working in an ice cream shop to support himself financially. [6]

Lenderman toured with Wednesday in early February 2020, until the COVID-19 pandemic ended the tour. [4] During the COVID-19 pandemic, while collecting unemployment insurance, Lenderman wrote the songs that became the album Ghost of Your Guitar Solo, released in 2021. [6]

His third album Boat Songs was released in 2022 on Dear Life Records. [7] It was listed as one of the best albums of 2022 by Pitchfork , The A.V. Club, and The Ringer . [8] [9] [10] After the success of the album, Lenderman signed a recording contract with Anti-. [11] In 2023, he released the singles "Rudolph" and "Knockin'". [4]

Lenderman contributed guitar and vocals to the album Tiger's Blood by Waxahatchee, released in March 2024, and was listed as featured guest artist on the album's lead single, "Right Back To It". In March 2024, Lenderman performed "Right Back To It" with Waxahatchee on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert . [12] Lenderman's next album, Manning Fireworks , released in September 2024. [13]

Lenderman left Wednesday in 2025. He stated that he still planned to record with the group. [14]

Personal life

Lenderman was in a relationship with his Wednesday bandmate Karly Hartzman for six years. [1] In July 2024, The Guardian reported that the two had split. [15] In a February 2025 interview with GQ , Lenderman revealed that the two broke up in March 2024 while on tour in Tokyo and initially kept it a secret from other Wednesday members. [16]

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected details [17]
TitleDetails
MJ Lenderman
  • Released: June 15, 2019
  • Label: Dear Life Records
Ghost of Your Guitar Solo
  • Released: March 26, 2021
  • Label: Dear Life Records
Boat Songs
  • Released: April 29, 2022
  • Label: Dear Life Records
And the Wind (Live and Loose!)
  • Released: November 17, 2023
  • Label: Anti-
Manning Fireworks
  • Released: September 6, 2024
  • Label: Anti-

Extended plays

List of EPs, with selected details
TitleCreditDetails
How Do You Let Love Into the Heart That Isn't Split Wide OpenMJ Lenderman & Wednesday
  • Released: December 13, 2018
  • Label: Self-released
FaucetNash to Stoudemire1
  • Released: November 7, 2019
  • Label: Self-released
LuckyMJ Lenderman
  • Released: December 25, 2019
  • Label: Self-released
GutteringMJ Lenderman & Wednesday
  • Released: January 22, 2021
  • Label: Super Enema
DLDRG 002 – Knockin'MJ Lenderman
  • Released: August 20, 2021
  • Label: Dear Life Records

1Lenderman and Karly Harztman

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
US
AAA
"Hangover Game" [18] 2022—Boat Songs
"TLC Cage Match" [18] —
"Rudolph" [19] 2023—Manning Fireworks
"Knockin'" [19] —Non-album single
"She's Leaving You"202423Manning Fireworks
"Wristwatch"202527

References

  1. 1 2 3 Moreland, Quinn (25 January 2023). "Wednesday's Curdled Beauty". Pitchfork .
  2. 1 2 3 Reisman, Will (October 20, 2022). "MJ Lenderman is a sports-obsessed folk singer on the rise". San Francisco Examiner .
  3. 1 2 3 "MJ Lenderman Does Not Have Mamba Mentality". GQ . November 17, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "MJ Lenderman Is Knockin' On Rock Stardom's Door". Stereogum . 2023-08-07.
  5. ↑ "MJ LENDERMAN: S/T". MELTED. 2019-07-14.
  6. 1 2 "MJ LENDERMAN". Anti-.
  7. ↑ "Boat Songs, by MJ Lenderman". Bandcamp .
  8. ↑ "Here are the 30 best albums of 2022". The A.V. Club . 2022-12-12.
  9. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Pitchfork . 2022-12-06.
  10. ↑ "The 33 Best Albums of 2022". The Ringer . 2022-12-06.
  11. ↑ "MJ Lenderman signs to ANTI- RECORDS, drops new single "Rudolph"". WXPN. 2023-07-19.
  12. ↑ "Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman Perform "Right Back to It" on Colbert: Watch". Pitchfork . March 27, 2024.
  13. ↑ Mitchell, Matt (June 24, 2024). "MJ Lenderman Announces New Album Manning Fireworks". Paste .
  14. ↑ Currin, Grayson Haver (2025-02-21). "The MJ Lenderman Story You Haven't Heard". GQ. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
  15. ↑ D'Souza, Shaad (2024-07-09). "Pixar, Catholic shame, and urine-drinking podcast bros: the mixed-up rock of MJ Lenderman". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-08-25.
  16. ↑ Currin, Grayson Haver (2025-02-21). "The MJ Lenderman Story You Haven't Heard". GQ. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
  17. ↑ "MJ Lenderman". Bandcamp .
  18. 1 2 "Wednesday's MJ Lenderman Shares New Solo Single "TLC Cage Match": Listen". Stereogum . 2022-03-16.
  19. 1 2 "MJ Lenderman channels his inner Bob Dylan on "Knockin"". The Fader . August 7, 2023.
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