Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche is gearing up for the release of his highly anticipated new album, Acrobats. Following the arrival of sprawling previews like “Little Kids” and “Follow The River,” Lerche has unveiled his latest offering, a tender and atmospheric slow-burner titled “Love Is All.”
Reflecting on the track’s significance, Lerche notes that it quickly established itself as the emotional anchor of the project. “‘Love Is All’ felt like the emotional centerpiece of the album pretty early on,” he explains. “There was something about the combination of resignation and hope that resonated and carried onwards throughout the writing and recording of Acrobats.”
Lerche credits his creative process to a desire for minimalism and patience, citing the influence of The Blue Nile and the late Ryuichi Sakamoto. “Looking back I think I was subconsciously inspired by the economical and patient poetry of some of my favorite The Blue Nile songs. Holding back and allowing space and minimalism, before the big release at the end. The ghost of Ryuichi Sakamoto was also present in the process,” he shares. To capture the raw, vulnerable nature of the performance, Lerche even spent an all-nighter out on the town before recording his vocals, aiming to imbue the melody with a sense of struggle and strain.
There was something about the combination of resignation and hope that resonated and carried onwards throughout the writing and recording of Acrobats. Looking back I think I was subconsciously inspired by the economical and patient poetry of some of my favorite The Blue Nile songs. Holding back and allowing space and minimalism, before the big release at the end. The ghost of Ryuichi Sakamoto was also present in the process. I did an all-nighter out on town the night before recording vocals, because I felt the performance needed to be straining and struggling more with the words and the melody.
The song is further elevated by the contributions of Solveig Wang, whose clarinet work weaves delicately around Lerche’s soft, emotive vocal delivery.
Acrobats is scheduled for release on August 21 via PLZ/Virgin.
