The Asheville-raised artist MJ Lenderman has had a busy year. Since releasing "Manning Fireworks" last September, he and his band The Wind have been touring non-stop and performing in bigger and bigger venues. They've also made an appearance on The Tonight Show, stopped by The Tiny Desk, and just recently recorded a set for Austin City Limits.
Lenderman also worked with Jackass director Lance Bangs this past year on a video for the song "Wristwatch." The video was shot in Durham and puts a spotlight on the infamous "can opener" bridge.
In January, Lenderman sold out two consecutive nights at Carrboro's Cat's Cradle and this Wednesday he'll be headlining a show at DPAC in Durham.
Lenderman recently caught up with WUNC music reporter Brian Burns to talk about the year he's had, and what he likes to order at Cook Out.
"Manning Fireworks" came out on September 6 last year, and you celebrated that night by performing the album in its entirety at the Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh. How do you feel like you and the band have evolved since that night?
Well, we know the songs a little better now, just we've played them so many times. I think you just naturally get better on tour. I don't know how many shows we've played since September but it's a lot. We haven't taken a break that was longer than two or three weeks in the past three years.
After that night did you think you'd be playing venues the size of DPAC before you were finished touring this record?
I don't know. I've always kind of been a little hesitant to go there, but I'm thankful for the opportunity. It was a big deal to me that we could sell out Cat's Cradle two nights in a row. The only headlining tour we'd done before that was in 2022 and that was all super small rooms, so it's hard to gage what kinds of venues we'd eventually be able to fill.
Speaking of Hopscotch, I kind of think of you as a staple of the festival for the past few years. Talk to me a little bit about Hopscotch and what sets it apart from other festivals?
I feel like, for one thing, all the clubs in downtown Raleigh are within walking distance of each other. That's my favorite part of it, the club shows and the day parties. Just being able to go from Kings to Slim's to wherever else. I've learned about so much music there. I think the first year I went was 2018 and I've been pretty much every year since then, unless we were on tour. It feels like everybody I've ever met in my life is there.
A few months back, you released a video for "Wristwatch" that was directed by Lance Bangs and shot around Durham. Tell me a little bit about what it was like to work with that director.
That was really fun. I first learned about him from Jackass and then eventually discovered his music videos. It was pretty awesome to work with him, knowing his history. It made me feel a little more brave to try that stunt. I actually drove that truck into the bridge, and there was a lot of planning and we had to wait for traffic to clear up before we could do that. I had the courage because I knew Lance had done way more hardcore things than that in the past.
You recently released "Just Be Simple," a Songs:Ohia cover from an upcoming Jason Molina tribute album. Tell me a little bit about when you first discovered Jason Molina and what his music means to you.
I first heard his music when I was in high school, and it was kind of like, once that clicked, it was pretty much all I listened to for about a year. I've internalized that music so much. He's one of the most important songwriters in my life, and discovering his music was a big deal for me. It's part of my DNA at this point.
Do you remember the first record of his you heard?
It would have been the Magnolia Electric Company record. And then, I went to Harvest Records in Asheville and found "Ghost Tropic," and I brought that home, and I was like, whoa, this is crazy. Then eventually I found the earlier records and got into those. They just seemed like they were from a different dimension.
I recently did a story about Drop of Sun studios, a place I know you've spent a lot of time. Tell me a little bit about your experience there.
They're so community oriented, and they have done so much to nurture the scene in Asheville. When we first met them, it was for the Wednesday album called "Twin Plagues," which was the first record I was really fully on. We got introduced to Adam and Alex at the peak of lock down. They came over and hung out with us on the porch, and they were like, we'd love to record you guys, and it's important for us to work with local bands. They didn't ask for any money, barely, and it gave us the opportunity to have these really good sounding records. And from there, both of our bands got record deals. That's the kind of attitude they have towards local bands. They're all about helping and serving the community.
I know you're not on social media very much, but there have been a bunch of memes based on your music in the last year or so. One of them had a picture of a Cook Out order, and it said "This and some MJ Lenderman." What's your go to Cook Out order?
Oh, good question. I'm glad you asked. Nobody's actually asked me this before, and I've never gone on the record with it. I like to get a club style burger tray, which is a burger with lettuce, tomato, bacon, cheese and mayo. And then I guess for the sides, recently I'll get fries and cheese bites. And for the drink, I usually just get a bottle of water. It's very rare that I get a milkshake. Usually, by the time I'm eating at Cook Out, I've probably had a lot of beer. So I gotta do one good thing for me with the bottle of water.
In the past year, you've been on the Tonight Show and you just recorded a set for Austin City Limits. Tell me a little bit about how you prepare for a show like that, versus a big, sold out show at a regular rock club.
That's a good question. I think having experience on camera or on TV helps each time I've done it. The first time was with Waxahatchee on (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), and that was nerve wracking in a couple of ways. One being, it's, you know, my first time on TV. And also, it's not my music. So if I mess up, then I'm responsible for someone else's song. I really didn't want to let her down.
It's so weird because you're waiting around all day to do one song, and you don't get a chance to really warm up. And it's cold in the studio. I was surprised to look out and see that there was an audience there. They're not your audience, but that does help some.
The thing about Austin City Limits was that it felt, surprisingly, like a normal show. We got to play for an hour and a half. They'll widdle it down for the actual broadcast but that was cool. As far as I could tell, most of the people there were there to see me and that's nice.
This tour wraps up in the fall, what comes after that?
There will be an occasional show here or there, but I'm going to try to not tour at all next year. I'm hoping to just really settle into my new place and get some writing done and build a home studio.
