Born in Bergen, Hordaland, Norway, the young Lerche was heavily influenced by the 80's music emanating from his older siblings' rooms. Compelled by a defining fascination for bands such as a-ha, The Beach Boys, and Prefab Sprout, Lerche began formal guitar instruction at age eight. Not satisfied with the lessons at school, Lerche experimented with original tunes on his own accord, eventually penning his first song, "Locust Girl" at the age of fourteen. While still underage, Lerche held acoustic performances at the club where his sister worked; Lerche was eventually discovered by Norwegian producer Hans-Petter "HP" Gundersen.
While under Gundersen's mentorship, Lerche was exposed to diverse music genres, including psychedelia, 60's pop, and mainstream Brazilian music, broadening his appreciation for eclectic music styles. Around this time Lerche was also introduced to Oslo-based manager Tatiana Penzo, resulting in a recording contract with Virgin Norway. With steadily growing popularity in his home country, he recorded his debut album in 2000. The album's release was postponed until Lerche fulfilled several academic requirements; in the interim, he was named Best New Act at Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammys) and performed locally as a support act for major acts such as Beth Orton.
Officially released in Norway during September of 2001, Lerche's debut album Faces Down was a chart success in Norway. 2002 saw the album's international release, garnering praise from international publications and critics; Rolling Stone placed it in their top 50 albums of 2002. He embarked on subsequent tours in Europe and the United States. Lerche toured with various acts, including a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share the stage with his long-time idols, a-ha. A studio/live compilation EP, Don't Be Shallow, was released in 2003. During the same year, he would have the opportunity to tour with another of his musical idols, Elvis Costello, with whom he would tour once more in 2005.
Lerche's second studio album, Two Way Monologue, was released in 2004. The album displayed Lerche's penchant for experimentation with eclectic styles to an even greater extent than his earlier works, its content ranging from upbeat pop songs to mellow, melancholic tunes. In 2006, Lerche released his third studio album, Duper Sessions. A classical jazz album featuring original songs, as well as a cover of the jazz standard "Night and Day", it was recorded by Lerche and the Faces Down, augmented by pianist Erik Halvorsen, at Duper Studios in Bergen, hence its name.
In 2007, Phantom Punch, a rock album with a distinctly more aggressive sound than his earlier works, was released. Lerche and the Faces Down recorded and mixed the album in Los Angeles in April and May 2006, with producer Tony Hoffer. The same year, he composed the musical score for the film Dan in Real Life. Lerche and the Faces Down also made an appearance in the film itself, performing the song "Modern Nature" as a duet with actress Marci Occhino (the actual vocals were performed by Lillian Samdal). Another song of Lerche's, "Dear Laughing Doubters", was featured in the film Dinner for Schmucks; both films starred actor Steve Carell.
In 2009, Sondre Lerche released Heartbeat Radio. 2011 saw the release of his self-titled sixth studio album, Sondre Lerche.
Dominó
Sondre Lerche Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somebody’s watching the gates with a lover boy
Tried teleporting and tried ammunition
Turns out somebody else screwed up the mission
Don’t come closer domino, domino, domino
One step closer and everything collapses oh
Like domino
You weren’t always a clean bill of health
Tried to convince me and then convinced yourself
Started sporadically, now it’s tradition
To find yourself south of the border, and in your condition
Thought I tried to explain
But it doesn’t make a lot of sense if you can’t name names
When I lowered my voice
You were dozing off and drifting further off the coast
Don’t come closer domino, domino, domino
One step closer and everything collapses oh
Like domino
In Sondre Lerche's song "Domino," the lyrics describe a situation where someone is south of the border with a lover boy, but someone else messed up a mission involving teleporting and ammunition, causing things to fall apart. The singer of the song warns the person to not come closer or everything will collapse like dominoes. The lyrics suggest that the person may not be in good health and may be struggling with addiction or a habit of going to this place in Mexico.
The song's meaning is open to interpretation, but it seems to be about the singer trying to save someone from a dangerous situation. The imagery of dominoes falling represents the fragility of the situation and how one wrong move can cause everything to collapse. The warning to not come closer could be interpreted as an attempt to protect the person from further harm.
The lyrics also suggest that the person may not be receptive to the singer's warnings. When the singer tried to explain the situation, the person was dozing off and drifting further off the coast, indicating a lack of interest or concern.
Overall, "Domino" is a poignant and introspective song about trying to help someone who may not want to be helped. The use of vivid imagery and metaphor adds depth and emotion to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
South of the border in view of another
The scene described takes place close to a border, within sight of a nearby location.
Somebody’s watching the gates with a lover boy
There is a person guarding a gate, possibly with a romantic partner by their side.
Tried teleporting and tried ammunition
Attempts were made to accomplish a task by using different methods.
Turns out somebody else screwed up the mission
Despite the efforts made, it was discovered that someone else had caused the plan to fail.
Don’t come closer domino, domino, domino
A warning to not advance too far, as there could be serious consequences.
One step closer and everything collapses oh
Drawing closer to something could cause a chain reaction leading to destruction.
Like domino
The destructive effect being compared to a chain reaction of dominoes falling.
You weren’t always a clean bill of health
The subject was not always in good physical or mental condition.
Tried to convince me and then convinced yourself
Attempts were made to persuade someone of something, but ultimately the subject ended up believing it themselves.
Started sporadically, now it’s tradition
Something that began happening infrequently has now become a regular occurrence.
To find yourself south of the border, and in your condition
Ending up near a border in this state is not an ideal situation.
Thought I tried to explain
An attempt was made to provide understanding.
But it doesn’t make a lot of sense if you can’t name names
The explanation is not complete without providing specific details.
When I lowered my voice
The singer’s tone of voice changed in order to convey something of importance.
You were dozing off and drifting further off the coast
The listener was becoming disinterested and losing focus on the conversation.
Contributed by Liliana F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kristine
OMG! I love him! Jeg blir stolt av å være norsk! :)
Believe In The Sound
7 years ago. And still no dislikes. Brilliant song ❤
sTeLLaAllTimeLow
You are a genius!...every song you make is incredible, you're one of the best singers of this generation. You're a poet. You are a musician.
minakoeli
awesome, I love this song :)
claynadian
Such a great song/ video!
Mike Sinclair
Another strange video I can't understand, but it's quite cool. Music is lovely as always, hearing this for the first time today. Been a fan for 15 years
litjackson
I like how all the videos for this album are kinda similar like they share the same feel.
PeTec
Fantastisk mand ham Sondre! Jeg håber at se ham den 24.10.17 i NY
TeeEyeEm Name
Awesome video
Arata16azul
Sondre lerche My crush ❤️