Lenka
Lenka | |
---|---|
Lenka performing at Summer Sonic festival in Tokyo, Japan in 2009 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Lenka Kripac |
Also known as | Lenka |
Born |
[1][2] Bega, New South Wales,[3] Australia | 19 March 1978
Genres | Indie pop |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, actress |
Instruments | Vocals, piano, trumpet |
Years active | 2008–present |
Labels |
Sony Music/ Epic Records (2008–2012) Skipalong Records (2013–) |
Associated acts | Decoder Ring |
Website |
www |
Lenka (born Lenka Kripac; 19 March 1978) is an Australian singer and actress best known for her song "The Show", from her self-titled album Lenka. Her song "Everything at Once" was used in a Windows 8 television advertisement and in a Disney Movie Rewards commercial.[4]
Early life
The daughter of Czech-born jazz trumpet musician Jiri Kripac[5] and Australian schoolteacher Eden, Lenka was raised in the Australian coastal town of Bega until age seven, when her family moved to Sydney, where she received her schooling, acting and music training, and started to work as a highly regarded theatre actress and later musician.[6]
Career
As a teenager, Lenka studied acting at the Australian Theatre For Young People,[7] where she trained with actress Cate Blanchett.[8] 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, including Home and Away, Wild Side, Head Start, and Spellbinder. She appeared in Australian feature films The Dish and Lost Things, as well as in theatre productions.[8] Lenka provided the vocals for 2 tracks on Paul Mac's 2005 album, "Panic Room". 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.[6]
After adopting her first name as her sole artistic name, Lenka released her eponymous debut album on 24 September 2008, with "The Show" (produced by Stuart Brawley) chosen to be the first single release from the set.[9] The album peaked at number 142 on the US Billboard 200. Her song "Everything at Once" was featured for a Windows 8 ad, becoming a world wide success.[10] Lenka creates paper art type of stop-motion animated music videos for each of her singles with James Gulliver Hancock, a visual artist from Australia.[5] The childlike appearance to all her music videos is done on purpose by the duo.[5] Her vocal stylings are a juxtaposition of pop and layered, complicated influences. She provided vocals on two tracks ("Addicted" and "Sunrise") on German artist Schiller's album Atemlos, released in Germany on 12 March 2010.
Personal life
Lenka currently resides between Sydney, Australia and Brooklyn, New York. Lenka is married to visual artist James Gulliver Hancock.[11] She announced on 27 September 2011 that she was pregnant.[12] In March 2012, she announced on Twitter that she had given birth to a boy named Quinn.[13][14]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | The Alice | Sally Fleming | |
2003 | Lost Things | Emily | |
2001 | Head Start | Lucy Swain | 5 episodes |
All Saints | Erin Shanahan | Can You Hear Me? (#4.19) | |
2000 | The Dish | Marie McIntyre | |
Murder Call | Lily Aureli | Last Act (#3.16) | |
Above the Law | Dee Anne Williams | ||
1998 | Wildside | Jasmine Yakabovich | Episode #1.11 |
1997 | Medivac | Nikki Kershaw | 3 episodes |
1995–1996 | G.P. | Vesna Kapek | 23 episodes |
1995–2005 | Cheez TV | Host – Herself | |
1995–1997 | Spellbinder | Josie | 5 episodes |
1994 | Home and Away | Francine 'Frankie' Brooks | 9 episodes |
Discography
- Lenka (2008)
- Two (2011)
- Shadows (2013)
- The Bright Side (2015)
References
- ↑ Andrew Leahey. "Lenka biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ↑ "It's my barfday! I am halfway to 70, yikes!! Age Ain't Nothin But A Number. xoxox". Twitter.com. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- ↑ "iTunes – Music – Lenka". Itunes.apple.com. 1978-03-19. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
- ↑ "Windows 8: Lenka – Everything At Once (TV Spot) | Microsoft". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
- 1 2 3 "Lenka | Artist". MTV Asia. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
- 1 2 "Bio". The Official Lenka Site. Sony Music Entertainment. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
- ↑ "Brisbane Street Press – Lenka". Rave Magazine. 4 November 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
- 1 2 "Columbia Records UK " Releases " Lenka – Lenka". Columbia.co.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
- ↑ "The Show by Lenka Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2015-07-15.
- ↑ "Lenka – Charts & Awards – Billboard Albums". AllMusic. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
- ↑ "Lenka's all grown up and married". Asiaone.com. 2011-02-25. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
- ↑ Archived 4 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Twitter / LenkaMusic: Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! I have". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
- ↑ "Twitter / LenkaMusic: Happy 1st birthday to my darling". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lenka. |
- Official website
- Lenka talks to Flavorpill!
- Interview with Lenka
- Lenka In SPIN's November Issue
- James Gulliver Hancock (artistic collaborator)