Sondre Lerche

Still in his early twenties and with two impressive, critically acclaimed pop albums already to his credit, you might expect Sondre Lerche to launch into his third recording by adopting the same music-making credo. However, Lerche has instead taken a slight departure before his third full-length album to record a one-off jazz inflected pop album entitled, Duper Sessions.

The ebullient Norwegian singer-songwriter-guitarist-bandleader, who has been living the last few years in both his homeland and New York City, has taken a new approach on Duper Sessions, which features his longtime trio, The Faces Down, augmented by pianist Erik Halvorsen. Instead of exploring complex arrangements and hip production like he did on Faces Down (2002) and Two Way Monologue (2004), Lerche decided to take a batch of new songs into the studio and, as he describes the experience, "just play and not think too much." The result? A fresh, back-to-basics collection of pop tunes with indelible melodies and smart lyrics that are rendered in a soft-and at times buoyant-romantic and jazz-infused sensibility.

The genesis of Duper Sessions came when the rock album Lerche was planning to record was delayed six months. "I had a bunch of totally different sounding songs I had written, so I gathered the guys together in Bergen [Norway]," he says. "I went through the songs with Erik, and we worked out small arrangement details that we went on to develop spontaneously with the band in the studio. We set out to capture a group of four terrific musicians playing together, while I could focus on singing and getting the intention of the songs across."

Most of the songs on Duper Sessions were recorded live, with minimal overdubbing. "The idea was to keep the sessions naturalistic and to give the impression of the flow we have in concert," says Lerche. "Usually I work a lot with the production, but this time I just wanted to capture the raw, unpolished sound of the five of us playing some swingin' songs together."

The band recorded a couple of songs a day, a pace much quicker than his previous outings. The impetus for the shift? "I'd look at jazz records from the '50s, like a Chet Baker album," he says. "The liner notes said that he recorded all 10 songs in two days. That inspired me to do something similar. I've been playing with the same band for five years, and the members are all really skilled and versatile. We communicate instinctively."

Key to the new approach is Halvorsen, who will tour with Lerche as a member of The Faces Down Quartet, which includes guitarist Kato Ådland, bassist Morten Skage and drummer Ole Ludvig Krüger. "Erik is essential to the record," says Lerche. "He's a jazz nerd. He brings so much to the solos. He adds subtle little ideas to the songs."

On Duper Sessions, so named for the Duper Studio in Bergen where the album was recorded, Lerche delivers 13 songs that are pure pop with jazzy undertones. Most of the songs are originals, many of which clock in at the two-to-three-minute mark, with the playful "Across the Land" lasting only 1:17. "Keeping the songs short was deliberate," says Lerche. "On my first album, I tried to stretch songs as long as possible. Somehow I thought long songs were more important. Luckily, times change. This time I wanted to keep the structure of the songs tight and concentrated. Even the solos are short." He laughs and adds, "That way I could fit more songs on the album."

Lerche hastens to note that he has no intention of becoming a retro jazz crooner who performs Porter standards in a black suit and tie. Says Sondre, "I really care about this kind of music. It's both fun and interesting." He adds that his renditions of the old tunes reflect his very contemporary pop aesthetic.

During the sessions, Lerche wrote in the "Monologues" section of his Web site (sondrelerche.com) about the back-to-basics project: "I don't know when I'll release these songs, but I do know that it's a dream come true to finally be able to collect [these songs] together and put them on tape with my band and producer Jørgen Traeen. I am very fond of these songs, and I've been longing to record them a long time."

Now that Duper Sessions is seeing the light of day, how does Lerche feel about his pop music masterpiece? "I'm really excited," he says. "There were no expectations as to what would come of this, so it's all the more pleasing."

By the time Sondre Lerche had released his major-label debut (2002's critically acclaimed Faces Down), the then 19-year-old Norwegian wunderkind was already a veteran of the music world. Signed to Virgin Norway in 2000, Lerche released the chart-topping EP You Know So Well in February 2001. A commercially successful follow-up EP, No One's Gonna Come, was released in June of the same year, accompanied by numerous local performances and increasing industry praise. Lerche's distinctive voice and natural talent for writing appealing and alternately sunny and melancholic pop tunes quickly established him as a definite contender for significance throughout Europe and beyond.

Born and raised in Bergen, Norway, Lerche was weaned on the '80s pop that emanated from his older siblings' rooms. Compelled by a defining fascination for bands such as a-ha, the Beach Boys, and Prefab Sprout, Lerche began formal guitar instruction at age eight. Not satisfied with the lessons at school, he experimented with original tunes on his own, eventually penning his first song, "Locust Girl," at 14. Lerche performed acoustic gigs at the club where his sister worked while he was still underage, and was "discovered" by Norwegian producer HP Gundersen. Under Gundersen's mentorship, Lerche was exposed to diverse music genres, including psychedelia, '60s pop, and mainstream Brazilian music, broadening his appreciation for eclectic music styles. Around this time Lerche also met up with Oslo-based manager Tatiana Penzo, leading up to a deal with Virgin Norway.

The songs from Faces Down had been completed before winter 2000 but postponed for release until Lerche fulfilled several academic requirements. In the interim, he was named Best New Act at the Norwegian Grammys (Spellemannprisen) and performed locally in support of major acts such as Beth Orton. Faces Down was officially released in Norway in September 2001 and gradually throughout all of Europe. Lerche toured with various acts, including a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share the stage with his longtime idols a-ha in Oslo. Autumn 2002 saw the release of Faces Down in America and Lerche's first major tour of the United States. He treated fans with the live/studio collection Don't Be Shallow EP the following year. Lerche got personal for his sophomore effort, Two Way Monologue, which appeared in spring 2004.

For his next album, Lerche took a stylistic diversion and recorded an album of low-key, jazz-influenced tunes with a small mostly acoustic version of his Faces Down band. Duper Sessions was released in 2006 and reached number five in the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz chart. While touring that year with Elvis Costello, Lerche was inspired by Elvis' energy and interaction with his group. This led Lerche and the Faces Down to record a batch of short, punchy rock songs for 2007's Phantom Punch.

Among the fans of Lerche's work was director Peter Hedges, who was looking for someone to provide music for his 2007 film Dan in Real Life -- someone to be his Cat Stevens (Harold and Maude) or Simon & Garfunkel (The Graduate). He chose Lerche, and the soundtrack featured a mix of songs from his back catalog and some newly recorded tracks. ~ Roxanne Blanford & Tim Sendra, All Music Guide