When Jake Lenderman’s dad would ferry his son around their hometown of Asheville 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 and Xandy Chelmis contributing vocals and pedal steel respectively.
Lenderman is a busy soul, enjoying the acclaim he’s getting with Wednesday and as a solo artist. He also played guitar on Waxahatchee’s Tiger Bloods – earning him an appearance on The Late Show With Steve Colbert – and released the ecstatic live album And The Wind (Live And Loose!), recorded with his live band The Wind. It’s a fine showcase for his love of squalling guitar solos and deadpan vocals.
He began playing guitar at the age of seven, taking lessons alongside his best friend, which allowed them to jam and learn together. Music soon became his obsession, taking over from basketball and a brief interest in skateboarding. Raised a Catholic, there was also a spell when he contemplated becoming a priest – “pre-puberty” he hastens to add – something that found its way into a line from “Joker Lips” on the new album: “Every Catholic knows he could have been Pope”.
That’s typical of Lenderman, who has a gift for arresting couplets and eye-catching opening lines. In classic Drive-By Truckers style, the songs on Manning Fireworks are populated by deadbeats, men who have made bad decisions and are filled with regret and rage – “passed out in Lucky Charms” is the arresting image from “Rip Torn”. “She’s Leaving You” is a gleeful dissection of a midlife crisis: “Go rent a Ferrari / And sing the blues / Believe that Clapton was the second coming”, he sneers over one of the album’s most catchy numbers.
Hence the album title, which hints at masculine volatility. “‘Manning Fireworks’ was one of the last songs I wrote for the album, and I liked the phrase because I thought it fits with the overarching themes that connect the songs,” he says. “A lot of the songs are about characters who are fucking up.”
There’s a trace of David Berman in Lenderman’s lyrical approach and love of music that has its roots in country. “The Silver Jews are a big influence for a lot of people of my age,” he confirms. “A lot of my friends who are songwriters talk about David Berman and Will Oldham as the people who changed the way we looked at lyrics and music in general. I didn’t pay quite as much attention to the words until I got into their music.”
With Manning Fireworks out in September, The Wind will hit the road in October, while Lenderman also needs to find time to work with Wednesday. Right now, he’s enjoying balancing the two roles. “Being in Wednesday is really gratifying as I only need to focus on guitar,” he says. “We collaborate and grow together and that is lots of fun. But I’ve always had my solo music, since before I was in Wednesday, and it’s nice to have that as an outlet. I never need to worry about control when I am in other projects because I can do that with my own records.”
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