| MJ Lenderman | |
| Birth Name: | Mark Jacob Lenderman |
| Birth Date: | 4 February 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 2018–present |
| Label: | Anti- |
| Current Member Of: | Wednesday |
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 three solo albums, and also plays with 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.
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 year of high school, he began posting his music to Bandcamp.[3] Lenderman studied at UNC Asheville for three semesters.
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).
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. 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.
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'".
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, is scheduled for release in September 2024.[13]
Lenderman is dating his bandmate and musical collaborator Karly Hartzman. They both perform guitar and vocals for the band Wednesday.[1]
| Details | ||
| MJ Lenderman |
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|---|---|---|
| Ghost of Your Guitar Solo |
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| Boat Songs |
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| And the Wind (Live and Loose!) |
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| Manning Fireworks |
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| Credit | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| How Do You Let Love Into the Heart That Isn't Split Wide Open | MJ Lenderman & Wednesday |
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| Faucet | Nash to Stoudemire1 |
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| Lucky | MJ Lenderman |
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| Guttering | MJ Lenderman & Wednesday |
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| DLDRG 002 – Knockin | MJ Lenderman |
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| Year | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| "Hangover Game"[14] | 2022 | Boat Songs | |
| "TLC Cage Match" | |||
| "Rudolph"[15] | 2023 | Manning Fireworks | |
| "Knockin'" | Non-album single | ||
| "She's Leaving You" | 2024 | Manning Fireworks |