PrintLenka Kripac is an Australian born singer-songwriter who’s made her mark in the US unconventionally, through TV shows, advertisements, and even an indie compilation CD. The Eye chats with Lenka about what it’s like for a transplanted musician and how to work with advertisers without "selling out."
People have called your music anti-folk. Does that resonate at all?
You know, I saw that on wikipedia and I think that’s really random! I don’t understand what that means at all. I could maybe fathom the idea of neo-folk or post-folk but anti-folk seems a little weird to me. I guess it’s just one of those American academic terms, I suppose. I mean, there’s definitely a folk element to my music, I love folk artists like Nick Drake and all sorts of folk-esque music. I don’t really think I’m anti-folk. But I’m sure there are worse things to be called.
Well, now that you’ve brought it up: you’re not American, and you just came off your first major U.S. tour. Is this your first time in the states as a musician, or is this old hat for you?
Well actually, I relocated to LA a year or two ago when I signed my record deal. And the first time I came to America was in 2006 and I never really wanted to come over here or do anything here before that. I came over with a band I was playing with for SXSW. And then I really liked it and I just kept coming back. And that’s really how I landed here.
When you came to New York on the tour, how was that for you?
I love New York and I love playing here. I actually find New York audiences really great. I’ve heard people say that New York audiences are really aloof and almost judgmental, but I’ve found them to be really awesome and interested.
What was it like moving from Australia to the U.S. in terms of your career? Do you think you’re more popular here or back home?
I think more people know who I am back home, mostly because I worked as an actor for a while. And then I was with this band, Decoder Ring, so I already had all that. But since I’m not there touring a lot right now, I’m not really cutting through. There’s this kind of attitude that if you are Australian and you’ve gone overseas, if you don’t come back and put in a lot of time there, they’re not going to welcome you with open arms again. That’s just how it is. Of course, if I had a big hit on the radio here I would probably have a hit on the radio there because they tend to play American charts; but as far as being an Australian artist, I’d have to do there what I’m doing here in America.
A lot of your music has become popular through things like Old Navy commercials, the TV shows “Ugly Betty” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” and your contribution to the Hotel Cafe Presents: Winter Songs collection. Is it easier to work through other media to get a name for yourself and make it big?
Yes, absolutely. Those kind of opportunities are definitely more prevalent here and the commercial aspect is available more readily here and the consumerism is so much larger here … but it has made it really good for me, and I think that’s why America is so attractive for artists from other countries, because you can really access that – the film and TV world – because there is this voracious hunger for more and more art and music here. So people can really get into it and I am very, very grateful for that.
And what’s that process like? Having someone decide that your songs are applicable to this scene here or this show here.
You know, with the TV shows, the dramas and such, I really get a kick out of watching it, having been an actor mostly, because I do love acting and dialogue and characters. And if the song really works in the scene and enhances what’s going on plotwise, it’s great for me because it brings a new level to the song … In the example of “Ugly Betty,” I love that show, I’m such a fan of the show and of the character. But I never really thought of my song in context with that character, so when I saw that it was just really cool.
As far as advertising, I’m definitely more cautious of that. I don’t want to sell out (or whatever that means) but it is such a great resource because you’re going to access people who might not be actively searching for music but they’ll be exposed to it through the commercials. So I think most bands and artists are taking that with a grain of salt now, and accepting the opportunity for gaining fans without worrying too much about being linked to a certain brand, because that just doesn’t really happen anymore, people just don’t care very much about that these days.
And I hate to mention it, but I read somewhere that you were a little worried about your age when you came over here. Is that true?
Well, I’m thirty. I’m actually pretty old for just starting out. I was actually really concerned about that but then I met the people at my label … and they said to me that they loved that I had the life experience and they hoped that I would keep writing songs like I was, they were actually rather excited about it. But I have met some people who say, “you have to pretend like you’re 20.” And I just rejected that. So I just happen to behave like a 5 year old most of the time and I kind of think like … a 17 year old. Very rarely do I have the brain of a 30 year old on.