MJ Lenderman

"[MJ Lenderman] brings exceptional humour, wit and empathy to twangy tracks about fulfillment and failure" — NPR Music, The Best Rock Albums of 2022

"[MJ Lenderman] weaves together poetic hallucinations with unglamorous imagery of daily life” — Pitchfork, The Best Albums of 2022

"[MJ Lenderman is] a new entrant to the pantheon inhabited by the likes of John Prine, Jason Molina, Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse), Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), Vic Chesnutt, and others, those who sang proudly from and for their Middle American corners” - Uncut

Today, MJ Lenderman presents his new single, “Knockin” via ANTI-. A beloved staple of his “righteously ragged” (Under The Radar) live sets, “Knockin” is a lightning-in-a-bottle distillation of what makes MJ Lenderman one of the most captivating songwriters in recent memory. First appearing on a self-recorded EP, “Knockin” was written between the recording and release of Lenderman’s 2022 breakthrough Boat Songs. Growing from tender beginnings to a full-blown scream-along chorus, the newly recorded rendition of “Knockin” was recorded at Drop of Sun Studios. Alongside “Rudolph,” last month's first single for new label ANTI-, “Knockin” will appear on a forthcoming 7-inch single, available for pre-order now and set for release this Autumn.

Of “Knockin” Lenderman adds: “I was spending a lot of time watching John Daly videos and came across a rendition he does of Dylan’s ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.’ Daly’s version includes an extra verse about golfing. My ‘Knockin’ became a staple of the MJ Lenderman & The Wind live set and it felt like a good idea to re-record it professionally.”

Warped pedal steels and scuzzed out guitar; a voice reminiscent of the high-lonesome warble of a choirboy; the keen observations and reflections of a front stoop philosopher. MJ Lenderman’s songs snake their way from a lo-fi home recording to something glossier made with longtime friends at a hometown studio, but the recording setting doesn’t seem to matter much – at its core, a Lenderman song rings true. His music spans stories about everything from a relationship disintegrating outside the high-end butcher shop to a sighting of American football star Dan Marino at the local Harris Teeter; from a love song built around a t-shirt kiosk at the airport, or the malaise of a grill rusting in the rain. And those are just some of the things you might find across his three solo records: MJ Lenderman (2019, Sub-Fi), Ghost of Your Guitar Solo (2021, Dear Life), and acclaimed studio debut, Boat Songs (2022, Dear Life).

Boat Songs, which was released to a wealth of praise and deemed one of the year’s best records by Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Paste and many others.