Korby Lenker

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Korby Lenker
BornMay 1976
Twin Falls, Idaho
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • Author
  • Actor
Websitekorbylenker.com

Korby Lenker is an American folk and Americana singer-songwriter, writer, and actor. He is known for his album Thousand Springs and his book of short stories, Medium Hero. The son of a mortician and a school teacher, Lenker was born in 1976 in Twin Falls, Idaho, and now resides in Nashville, Tennessee.[1][2]

Music career[edit]

As a high school student in Twin Falls, Idaho, Lenker fronted the alt-rock band Clockwork Orange. In 2001, he relocated to Bellingham, Washington, where he founded the alt-bluegrass band The Barbed Wire Cutters while attending Western Washington University.[3] The band released two albums, the self-titled The Barbed Wire Cutters (2002) and Full Moon to Rise (2003). While still touring with The Barbed Wire Cutters, Lenker began recording solo work, including the albums First Takes (2001), The Ghost of Whiteboy (2002) and Bellingham (2003). Lenker then moved to Seattle, Washington, to continue his solo career, before relocating to Nashville in 2007. In 2017, he released Thousand Springs.[4] The album was recorded outside the recording studio at locations that held special meaning to Lenker, from his favorite bookstore to his father's mortuary.[5] His album Man in the Maroon was released May 21, 2021, on GrindEthos Records.[6]

Discography[edit]

Year of Publication Title of Record Label
2001 First Takes Blue Light Records
2002 The Ghost of Whiteboy Blue Light Records
2003 Bellingham Singular Recordings
2007 King of Hearts Singular Recordings
2014 Korby Lenker Stuffed Piranha Records
2017 Thousand Springs Soundly Music
2021 Man in the Maroon GrindEthos Records

Medium Hero[edit]

Lenker's first book Medium Hero: And Other Stories is a collection of twenty-seven short stories inspired by Lenker's years as a touring indie artist. The original version was self-published. Turner Publishing acquisitions manager Stephanie Beard picked up the book at one of his performances.[7] As a result, Turner Publishing offered Lenker a contract and consequently published the book on December 1, 2015.

Morse Code[edit]

In 2018, Lenker launched the web series Morse Code about a struggling musician trying to balance his personal and professional life. It was produced in part by funds raised in a Patreon campaign. The pilot episode "Boomerang," which was written by and stars Lenker, released to the public on August 3, 2018, on Vimeo.[8][9] Morse Code was then adapted into an award winning television pilot.

Collaborations[edit]

In 2004, Lenker collaborated with Stell Newsome (performing together as David Goliath) to produce an album of bluegrass gospel standards called David Goliath's Old Time Gospel Hour. He co-wrote the song "Friend and a Friend" with Grammy winner Molly Tuttle. The song was consequently released on Lenker's album Thousand Springs and Tuttle's album Rise in 2017.[10] In 2017, he co-wrote the song "Let's Just Have Supper" with Nora Jane Struthers. The song and its accompanying music video premiered on NPR.[11]

Awards[edit]

In 2006, Lenker won second place in the country category during the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest with his song "Handful of Dice."[12] In 2007, Lenker took first place in the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest in the gospel category with his song "Blessed Be That Day."[13] " In 2016, he won first place at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriters' Showcase.[14] Lenker won first place in the 2023 Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest.[15]

Morse Code won the Best Short Feature Audience Award at the Berlin Short Film Festival in 2023.[16] Lenker was awarded Best Actor Leading Role in a TV Pilot for his work in Morse Code during the NYC TV Festival 2023.[17]

Music videos[edit]

Year Video
2012 "My Little Life"[18]
2014 "If I Prove False to You"[19]
"Forbidden Fruit"[20]
2017 "Let's Just have Supper"[21]
"Northern Lights"[22]
2018 "Book Nerd"[23]
2021 "Crow Country"[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Dunlap, Tetona (April 1, 2016). "Musician Korby Lenker Returns Home to Record 7th Album". Twin Falls Times-News. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  2. ^ "Korby Lenker – Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 16, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  3. ^ Woolston, Deborah (March 27, 2003). "New Bluegrass Sound Comes to Bainbridge". The Kitsap Sun.
  4. ^ "Welcome". Soundly Music. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  5. ^ Thanki, Julie (April 7, 2007). "Mortuary, bookstore become recording studios for Korby Lenker". The Tennessean.
  6. ^ "Korby Lenker's 'Man In The Maroon' Set for Release May 21". American Blues Scene. April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  7. ^ Oland, Dana. "Idaho's Korby Lenker goes from musician to accidental author". The Idaho Statesman. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  8. ^ Thanki, Julie (July 23, 2018). "Singer-songwriter Korby Lenker launches web series". The Tennessean. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  9. ^ Lenker, Korby (May 23, 2018), MORSE CODE Episode One "Boomerang", retrieved August 4, 2018
  10. ^ "'Friend and a Friend' by Korby Lenker and Molly Tuttle". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  11. ^ Hight, Jewly (March 17, 2017). "World Cafe Nashville: Nora Jane Struthers And Korby Lenker". NPR.
  12. ^ "Merlefest Announces 2006 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest | World Music Central.org". worldmusiccentral.org. Archived from the original on March 18, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2018.
  13. ^ Remz, Jeffrey (March 27, 2007). "Merlefest 2007 Songwriting Contest Finalists Announced". Country Standard Time.
  14. ^ "2017 Songwriter Showcase". bluegrass.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
  15. ^ "Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest | WIldflower! Arts & Music Festival". wildflowerfestival.com. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  16. ^ "Festival 2023 | Berlin Short Film Festival". Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  17. ^ "NYC TV Festival". Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  18. ^ Korby Lenker (May 20, 2012), Korby Lenker – 'My Little Life' OFFICIAL, retrieved April 30, 2018
  19. ^ Korby Lenker (June 4, 2014), Korby Lenker 'If I Prove False' (Official Video), retrieved May 11, 2018
  20. ^ Korby Lenker (February 1, 2014), Korby Lenker 'Forbidden Fruit' feat. Suzy Wong, retrieved April 30, 2018
  21. ^ Nora Jane Struthers (February 28, 2017), Let's Just Have Supper – Nora Jane Struthers and Korby Lenker, retrieved April 30, 2018
  22. ^ Korby Lenker (August 20, 2017), Korby Lenker 'NORTHERN LIGHTS' Official Video, retrieved April 30, 2018
  23. ^ Korby Lenker (January 2, 2018), Korby Lenker – BOOK NERD – Official Video, retrieved April 30, 2018
  24. ^ Korby Lenker - Crow Country (Official Video), retrieved December 14, 2021
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