New Sondre Lerche Record On The Way

Sondre Lerche at Great American Music Hall, from the HAD Archive

We have to admit: we have a spot for Sondre Lerche. The Norwegian born musician, now apparently of Brooklyn, releases records that are as vital as the are melodic, and urgent as they are lush. In short, he has a very unique ability to create records that challenge the current pop climate, and recall records of a far more classic era at the same time. Combine that with the fact that Lerche gives a bullet proof live show, and well, you've got the source of our soft spot.

All that being true, we were psyched to hear that Lerche's new record Heartbeat Radio will drop on September, as he signs with Rounder Records. The record is loaded with tracks from Lerche's recent live shows, so if you've seen him in the last two years, you've probably had quite a taste of what to expect (albeit in solo singer/songwriter form, like from the Polaroid Pool Party EP, below).

The record itself appears to be significantly more orchestral than the original demos (or Lerche's last couple of garagey albums) might suggest. We were particularly psyched to see that Sean O'Hagan of High Llamas fame is involved with the project. O'Hagan's sixties production tendencies will no doubt mesh well with Sondre's own retro tendencies, and yield a particularly tasty gem. Can't wait!

Heartbeat Radio drops on September 8th.

mp3: Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio (Polaroid Pool Party EP Version)