Lenka

This article is about the Australian singer-songwriter Lenka Kripac. For other uses, see Lenka (disambiguation).
Lenka

Lenka performing at Summer Sonic festival in Tokyo, Japan in 2009
Background information
Birth name Lenka Kripac
Also known as Lenka
Born 19 March 1978[1][2]
Bega, New South Wales,[3] Australia
Genres Alternative 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.lenkamusic.com

Lenka (born Lenka Kripac; 19 March 1978) is an Australian singer known for her song "The Show", (produced by Stuart Brawley) from her self-titled album Lenka. Her song "Everything at Once" was used in the official Windows 8 television advertisement and in the Disney Movie Rewards commercial.[4]

Early life

The daughter of a Czech born jazz trumpet musician father Jiri Kripac [5] and an Australian schoolteacher mother Eden, Lenka was raised in an Australian coastal town of New South Wales 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 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 on 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

Main article: Lenka discography

References

  1. ↑ Andrew Leahey. "Lenka biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "It's my barfday! I am halfway to 70, yikes!! Age Ain't Nothin But A Number. xoxox". Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  3. ↑ itunes.apple.com Lenka. Biography.
  4. ↑ "Windows 8: Lenka - Everything At Once (TV Spot) | Microsoft". YouTube. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Lenka | Artist". MTV Asia. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Bio". The Official Lenka Site. Sony Music Entertainment. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "Brisbane Street Press – Lenka". Rave Magazine. 4 November 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Columbia Records UK " Releases " Lenka – Lenka". Columbia.co.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
  9. ↑ The Show Songfacts
  10. ↑ "Lenka - Charts & Awards - Billboard Albums". allmusic. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
  11. ↑ "Lenka's all grown up and married". Asiaone.com. 2011-02-25. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ "Twitter / LenkaMusic: Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! I have". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2013-07-02.
  14. ↑ "Twitter / LenkaMusic: Happy 1st birthday to my darling". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2013-07-02.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lenka.