Lenka
(born Lenka Kripac
in 1978) [1] is an Australian television actress and singer-songwriter, most famous worldwide for her song The Show
from her self-titled album Lenka
, which has been used in numerous advertisements, most notably for Old Navy.
Previously best known as an actress in Australia and as a host of a long-running children's breakfast cartoon program Cheez TV
in Australia, she has appeared in numerous Australian television serials and feature films. [2]
She is now based in Los Angeles.
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LENKA TICKETS
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Early life
Born in the Australian country-side to a jazz-musician father and school teacher mother, Lenka's childhood was natural and creative, but not focussed on music. Besides singing as a novelty with her father's jazz band at age six, and a few reluctant years of music training, her interest did not lie with music.
In her early teens, she became consumed by acting, inspired by her studies with Cate Blanchett at the Australian Theatre for Young People. Alternating between art school and acting (including roles in well-received independent films such as "The Dish" and "Lost Things"), Lenka eventually came round to music when a role in a play required her to sing.
She began recording demos in Sydney and her drummer, who was a member of Decoder Ring, suggested his band mates consider her as a vocalist on the soundtrack they were recording for the indie film Somersault. The film and soundtrack went on to receive numerous awards and Lenka and the band traveled to the U.S. in 2006 for an appearance at South by Southwest and a short tour.
She recorded a second album with Decoder Ring before going solo and becoming, as she puts it, "a gypsy," shuttling between the States, Europe and Australia, as work and her visa permitted. But no matter where she ventures, those early memories of her childhood spent in the Australian bush are still close to her heart. Others may struggle to get in touch with their inner child; Lenka never lost hers.
Her sinuous vocals drape around her lyrics with the ease of a child hanging onto its mother's legs…or of a serpent wrapping itself around the neck of its prey. Whether channeling our long-repressed terrors ("Trouble Is A Friend") or long-lost innocence ("We Will Not Grow Old"), her music evokes primal emotions, unblemished by pretense or cynicism – and unashamed of cracking a smile occasionally.
Although her self-titled debut album is rife with self-loathing ("Anything I'm Not"), difficult relationships ("Dangerous & Sweet," with Howie Day on guest vocals) and long distance longing ("Skipalong"), it is nevertheless uplifting.
Lenka's fresh sensibility extends to every element of her music, as the whimsical, paper art, stop-motion animated videos she creates with fellow Aussie James Gulliver Hancock, a visual artist, demonstrate. "We're sort of an art duo. I'm really into craft styles, things looking a bit badly done and childlike on purpose – rather in the vein of Michel Gondry," she says.
[3]
Acting
Lenka starred in the Australian ABC-TV drama series
GP
as Vesna Kapek in the 1990s. She also hosted
Cheez TV
and has guest starred in other Australian TV series such as Home & Away, Wild Side, Head Start, and Spellbinder. She also starred in Australian feature films
The Dish
and
Lost Things
, and numerous theatre productions.
Music
Decoder Ring
As Lenka Kripac, she was a member of the Australian
electronic-
rock crossover band
Decoder Ring for two of their albums. She then moved to
California in 2007.
[4]
Solo career
After adopting her first name as her sole artistic name ("Lenka" is a common
Slavic girl's name, and a common
diminutive of the Slavic girl's name "Lena"), Lenka released an eponymous album on 24 September 2008, with "The Show," produced by
Stuart Brawley, chosen to be the first single release from the set.
[5] The album has thus far peaked at number 142 on the American Billboard 200.
Her vocal stylings offer a juxtaposition of catchy
pop and layered, complicated
world music influences.
Exposure
"Don't Let Me Fall" was featured in a television commercial for Telus in Canada. "The Show," produced by Stuart Brawley, has been featured as soundtrack for an
Old Navy as well as an
Ugly Betty
commercial, the film
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
, the 2009 Spring Campaign of the Polish TV Station
TVN (Poland), and was promoted as an
iTunes Free Single of the Week. The songs "Trouble Is a Friend" and "Live Like You're Dying" were featured in
Grey's Anatomy
and "Trouble is a Friend", "Don't Let Me Fall", "The Show", and "We Will Not Grow Old" were featured in the teen drama
90210
.
Lenka has performed on the late-night network television interview shows in America,
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
,
Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
and
The Tonight Show
singing "The Show" with her full band.
On the week of 3 November 2008, "The Show" debuted at number 71 on the
Australian ARIA Singles Chart.
The beginning of 2009 saw Lenka tour extensively throughout America and Canada. On February 2nd 2009 Lenka performed her first sold out show in
Toronto, Canada which she played a remix version of "The Show" as her encore.
Summer 2009 saw the release of Lenka's album in Europe and Asia, with coinciding tours and festival appearances.
In Vietnam, "The Show" was a huge hit and became one of the most played songs in public.
was the first radio entity that put Lenka's "The Show" in the airwaves all over Vietnam
In Poland, due to the huge popularity of "The Show" Lenka's debut album was certificated gold after 10,000 copies sold.
The album has also reached gold in Hong Kong
Indian television channel
Zee Cafe uses a part of the song "The Show" featuring the lyrics 'Dum Di Dum... just enjoy the show' at the end of every commercial break.
Discography
Solo
Albums
Year
| Album
| Peak chart positions
| Certification
|
UK
[6]
| US Heat
| PL
|
2008
| Lenka
- 1st Studio Album
- Released: September 23, 2008 [7]
May 18, 2009 (Poland) [8] June 29, 2009 (UK) [9]
| 58
| 3
| 4
|
- Poland: Gold (10,000+) [10]
|
Singles
“The Show,” produced by Stuart Brawley, was released as the lead single of her self-titled album Lenka. The song became famous and peaked at the UK charts on #22. The song also got the no. 1 spot in Thailand and Vietnam, Hong Kong and Poland and no. 48 in European Hot 100.
“Trouble Is a Friend” was released as the second single of her album after the successful debut of “The Show”. In Vietnam, the song debuted at no. 6, and after 3 days, reached to no. 1.
"Dangerous and Sweet" was featured on an episode of
With Decoder Ring
- Somersault
(2004, LP)
- Fractions
(2005, LP)
References
- Rave Magazine Interview
- {{imdb name|0471387|Lenka Kripac}}
- http://www.mtvasia.com/Music/FeaturedArtist/Lenka/
- Lenka History
- The Show Songfacts
- Chart Stats — Lenka
- http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7720984
- http://www.sonymusic.pl/opis_5595.html
- http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendId=90691736
- http://www.sonymusic.pl/wiadomosc_2213.html