MJ Lenderman
Wednesday guitarist joins a rich tradition of storytelling Southern rock
I’M NEW HERE
KARLY HARTZMAN; GARY GERSHOFF/GETTYIMAGES
WHEN Jake Lenderman’s dad would ferry his son around their hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, in the family van, he’d play his favourite music: Neil Young, Son Volt, My Morning Jacket, Band Of Horses, Drive-By Truckers. “That was the stuff that stuck with me,” says Lenderman, who records as MJ Lenderman when he’s not playing guitar in alternative rockers Wednesday. “I remember my dad had the Truckers’ Gangstabilly CD in the van and that album cover spooked me so much as a kid.”
Traces of all those artists can be heard on Manning Fireworks, his fourth solo album. Lenderman recorded most of the parts himself during breaks from touring with Wednesday, with that band’s Karly Hartzman (his girlfriend) and Xandy Chelmis contributing vocals and pedal steel respectively.