Korby Lenker was born to a mortician dad and a school marm in small-town southern Idaho. He grew up along the Snake River, in the shadow of the ramp where Evil Knievel jumped the canyon, almost.
In ‘99 Korby got a Martin D-18 and headed out to West Virginia. For five months, he lived alone in a studio apartment on the Ohio River, eating grilled cheese sandwiches and traveling to bluegrass festivals. Korby found himself attending a number of Appalachian mountain church services; one in particular, the snake-handling congregation of The Church of the Lord Jesus, videotaped their services on the off chance someone is bitten. Now, in someone’s video library, is Korby, shaking a tambourine and singing “Nearer My God to Thee†while old men passed around three-foot-long timber rattlesnakes.
In 2000, Korby returned to the West Coast, where he formed another bluegrass group, The Barbed Wire Cutters. SPIN called them "the young riders of the bluegrass revolt."
Several strong reviews of Bellingham (2003) led to a UK tour, the highlight of which was Korby’s interview by BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris. "You never get tired of finding someone with something to say, someone with a new twist on old themes, and Korby Lenker is definitely a someone. And as for the performances, one can say no better than they match the songs. This is great stuff." (www.Americana-UK.com)
Things didn’t slow from there. Upon his return from the UK, Korby was selected among of pool of 1200 applicants as a finalist for the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at MerleFest in North Carolina. He placed second.
Korby Lenker is a Wilco-meets-the-Police pleaser of a rock band. Lenker can write a polished gem of a song and sing it like someone who’s been there. What’s more, he and his bandmates are A-List musicians. This is a tour-de-force of American Music.
--MOJO
Upon returning from the southland, Seattle's KMTT 103.7, The Mountain, featured Korby, performing on the Mountain’s Music Lounge. The Mountain says of Korby: “Best NW artist we've heard in a long while....and the most modest!"
Of this latest release, KEXP has this to say:
This…singer-songwriter expands his sound to stunning effect on his latest album. While his last record was a promising outing of acoustic country-folk, his new one’s more rock-oriented. Some country gems can still be found, but alongside them he offers up some edgy roots-rock and rhythmic pop. His songs also continue to get sharper, and he puts them across with hushed, intimate vocals.
The band consists of Korby on guitar and vocals, Andrew Simmons on bass and vocals, and Scott Mercado (Candlebox) on drums.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.korbylenker.com
Track List:
1. Billygoat
2. Papercuts
3. Wandered Out Too Far
4. Cedars of Lebanon
5. Bored
6. No Don't Know
7. If It Is
8. Dog Down to the River
9. The Hook Comes Round
10. Angel of Mercy
11. Come Closer
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
In ‘99 Korby got a Martin D-18 and headed out to West Virginia. For five months, he lived alone in a studio apartment on the Ohio River, eating grilled cheese sandwiches and traveling to bluegrass festivals. Korby found himself attending a number of Appalachian mountain church services; one in particular, the snake-handling congregation of The Church of the Lord Jesus, videotaped their services on the off chance someone is bitten. Now, in someone’s video library, is Korby, shaking a tambourine and singing “Nearer My God to Thee†while old men passed around three-foot-long timber rattlesnakes.
In 2000, Korby returned to the West Coast, where he formed another bluegrass group, The Barbed Wire Cutters. SPIN called them "the young riders of the bluegrass revolt."
Several strong reviews of Bellingham (2003) led to a UK tour, the highlight of which was Korby’s interview by BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris. "You never get tired of finding someone with something to say, someone with a new twist on old themes, and Korby Lenker is definitely a someone. And as for the performances, one can say no better than they match the songs. This is great stuff." (www.Americana-UK.com)
Things didn’t slow from there. Upon his return from the UK, Korby was selected among of pool of 1200 applicants as a finalist for the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at MerleFest in North Carolina. He placed second.
Korby Lenker is a Wilco-meets-the-Police pleaser of a rock band. Lenker can write a polished gem of a song and sing it like someone who’s been there. What’s more, he and his bandmates are A-List musicians. This is a tour-de-force of American Music.
--MOJO
Upon returning from the southland, Seattle's KMTT 103.7, The Mountain, featured Korby, performing on the Mountain’s Music Lounge. The Mountain says of Korby: “Best NW artist we've heard in a long while....and the most modest!"
Of this latest release, KEXP has this to say:
This…singer-songwriter expands his sound to stunning effect on his latest album. While his last record was a promising outing of acoustic country-folk, his new one’s more rock-oriented. Some country gems can still be found, but alongside them he offers up some edgy roots-rock and rhythmic pop. His songs also continue to get sharper, and he puts them across with hushed, intimate vocals.
The band consists of Korby on guitar and vocals, Andrew Simmons on bass and vocals, and Scott Mercado (Candlebox) on drums.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.korbylenker.com
Track List:
1. Billygoat
2. Papercuts
3. Wandered Out Too Far
4. Cedars of Lebanon
5. Bored
6. No Don't Know
7. If It Is
8. Dog Down to the River
9. The Hook Comes Round
10. Angel of Mercy
11. Come Closer
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
- ROCK: Americana
- POP: with Electronic Production
- TYPE: LYRICAL