The three musicians who inspire Adrianne Lenker to follow her own “thread of curiosity”
Some musicians channel their emotions into song so intimately that they almost transcend the medium. Instead of merely making albums, they carve sonic diary entries and intricate soundscapes steeped in familiarity – the kind of records that build worlds you can entirely lose yourself in. Few artists achieve this effect on their listeners, but, for Adrianne Lenker, it seems to be the default.
Pairing warm folk instrumentals with strikingly vulnerable lyrics, Lenker has become one of the most important names in indie folk as a result of her work with Big Thief and as a solo artist. Everything she touches seems to turn to sonic gold dust, from Big Thief’s 2016 debut record Masterpiece, which is true to its name, to her most recent solo record, Songs, an indescribably gorgeous and honest portrait of Lenker’s innermost feelings.
Big Thief have spearheaded the indie folk revival amidst the likes of Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers, but their sound is so much more layered and dense than the genre first implies. Nonetheless, Lenker has previously noted how her musicianship has been inspired by her folk-rock predecessors.
Their impact, rather than directly influencing Lenker’s sound, has instead modified her creative process and willingness to take risks. She explained her love for artists who emerged out of the thriving 1960s folk scene in an interview with The Ringer, sharing: “I really admire Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen – how they have such a breadth of material throughout the years, into old age.”
Alongside the breadth of their output, Lenker shared her admiration for their curiosity, adding, “They seemed to follow their own thread of curiosity and creativity, even through some weird phases when people were like, ‘I don’t know what they’re doing.’ But the foundation is so strong that you follow them anyway.’”
Each of the three artists she names demonstrated an openness to changing their sound or direction throughout their careers. Mitchell’s career diverted from her folk success into jazz in the 1970s. Cohen, meanwhile, also deviated from his roots in folk towards the end of the 1970s, while Young spent the 1990s experimenting with garage rock and grunge. Outspoken and headstrong artists who refused to be pigeonholed, the three of them inspired Lenker to follow her own thread of curiosity.
Though she’s yet to deviate too far from her soft, folky sound just yet, some Big Thief tracks, including ‘Real Love’, have demonstrated her capability to produce heavier music that veers more towards rock. Following the examples set by Cohen, Mitchell and Young, Lenker retains a musical curiosity that might take her music in any direction, and she seems open to the possibility. As she concludes, “We’ll probably make records at certain times where people are not as into it, or are like, ‘What the hell were they thinking?’” Luckily, her foundation is so strong that we’ll follow her anyway.
