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.
If Only
Sondre Lerche Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And someday we're gonna live on the shores
But nowadays we just hold our breath
Until the meeting next Monday
And it's going through the roof
We're blowing through the roof
If only you guys could see us
Me and my baby we bicker but I know the talented devil inside
And so we bond over raising toasts
To absent minds, who paint the sky
Two absent minds, expecting to fly
My baby does tend to contradict it's only natural
That it's going through the roof
B-blowing through the roof
If only you guys could see that I'm giving you the proof
I'm telling you the truth
They were gonna call tomorrow
Tow absent minds, expecting to fly
My baby knows how the world goes around
We'll jump the rails and abandon this town
Sometimes I blush when imaging
How big it's gonna be
Really, really, blowing through the roof
We're going through the roof
If only the world would follow I'm giving you the proof
What do I have to do to make sure you all believe us?
If only you guys could see us now
The song "If Only" by Sondre Lerche tells the story of a young couple dreaming of a better future together. The idea of constructing a sandcastle represents their aspirations, while the phrase "someday we're gonna live on the shores" reinforces this idea of a better future. However, the reality is that for the moment, they live from one mundane meeting to the next. The couple bickers with each other, but they also share a bond over their appreciation for the beauty of life. They view themselves as absent-minded dreamers who see the potential for greatness in the world.
The repetition of the phrase "going through the roof" is symbolic of how their dreams are growing exponentially, and the feeling that they are on the cusp of something great. The line "if only you guys could see us" suggests that they believe their potential is not being recognized by others. They feel that others are not seeing them for who they truly are, which creates a sense of frustration.
Lerche beautifully captures the idealism and naivety of young love in this song. The lyrics are poetic and paint a vivid picture of a couple's aspirations and struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
My baby's building a sand castle
My partner is creating something beautiful and working towards our future.
And someday we're gonna live on the shores
We have big dreams of living by the ocean someday.
But nowadays we just hold our breath
Right now, we're just trying to get by and make it through each day.
Until the meeting next Monday
We're waiting for something important to happen that could change everything.
And it's going through the roof
Our success and happiness is increasing rapidly.
We're blowing through the roof
We're achieving more than we ever could have imagined.
If only you guys could see us
We wish everyone could witness our progress and how far we've come.
Me and my baby we bicker but I know the talented devil inside
Despite our arguments, I recognize the potential and amazing qualities my partner possesses.
And so we bond over raising toasts
We come together to celebrate our achievements and future plans.
To absent minds, who paint the sky
We admire those who dream big and have the imagination to create something from nothing.
Two absent minds, expecting to fly
We both have high aspirations and believe we can accomplish anything.
My baby does tend to contradict it's only natural
My partner sometimes goes against what I say, but it's just part of our relationship.
That it's going through the roof
Our success and happiness is reaching new heights.
B-blowing through the roof
We're exceeding our expectations and reaching our goals at a rapid pace.
If only you guys could see that I'm giving you the proof
I wish others could see the evidence of our progress and success.
I'm telling you the truth
I'm not exaggerating, our progress is real and significant.
They were gonna call tomorrow
We're expecting an important call or opportunity tomorrow.
Tow absent minds, expecting to fly
We have big dreams and believe we can accomplish anything we set our minds to.
My baby knows how the world goes around
My partner is street smart and understands how the world works.
We'll jump the rails and abandon this town
We're willing to take risks and leave our current situation to chase our dreams.
Sometimes I blush when imaging
I get excited and embarrassed when I think about how successful we could be.
How big it's gonna be
We have grandiose aspirations and believe we can achieve great things.
Really, really, blowing through the roof
Our success is exceeding all expectations at an incredible pace.
If only the world would follow I'm giving you the proof
If only others would believe in us, I could prove how successful we can be.
What do I have to do to make sure you all believe us?
I'm frustrated that others don't believe in us and I don't know what else I can do to prove our potential.
If only you guys could see us now
I wish others could witness our progress and how we're achieving our dreams.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KATO ADLAND, SONDRE LERCHE VAULAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sameh Strauch
At last! Someone who knows more than 3 chords! Excellent melodic music.
Delle Dean
I can't tell you how much I love this artist for his work. Sondre is a genius!!
Vanessa Crooks
go celia! loved this video. sondre lerche is awesome.
DruMeister
love this song!!!
Yuri de Castro
cara, o Sondre tem que vir ao Brasil. Imagina? Exaltasamba Folia convida Sondre Lerche?
Samuel Castro
Sondre, i'm your fan and i love how you play guitar. Can you make a tutorial of how to play this song please?
Fiona
His music is the best❤️
Gustavo Rodrigues
Exaltasamba convida? Nãããããoo!!! Mas Milton Nascimento tá querendo trazê-lo pra cá. Seria ótimo um show dos dois aqui em Recife!
lfellipe13
GREAT!!! I saw the video this morning at MTV Brazil... and now i'm here seeing again... love it!
Ryan McDonald
This is one of the weirdest music videos I have ever seen. Sondre is a great songwriter, so I'm not going to question anything.