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.
You Know So Well
Sondre Lerche Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She replied after several days
It's no good to be perfect
You know so well things are easy to tell
There is one thing I know
It goes like this
It's that when I lose my sleep it's you I miss
And my transparent mind
Won't cover see-through hearts
I'll be straight with you now
Now I'm not what you want
Just like the rest
And you feel like you're subject to a test
But if there's one thing I know it's this
When I lose my sleep it's you I miss
You sleep all night
You know you lie awake
Tell me, yeah
And time is running out
And you know so well
It may never be
Use every chance you've been given
She is told, but it doesn't make her smile
She has no need to be perfect
She knows too well
Things are easy to tell
I have said what I thought you should know
But you never seem to recognize my face
In Sondre Lerche's song You Know So Well, the singer seems to be confessing their feelings to someone who they have feelings for but who they feel may not feel the same way. The lyrics "Use every chance you've been given" suggest that the singer is urging the person they are speaking to take advantage of the opportunities they have to pursue their dreams or to be with someone they have feelings for. The line "It's no good to be perfect" serves to encourage the person to take risks and not be afraid of imperfection. This idea is reinforced by the line "You know so well things are easy to tell," which suggests that the person should not be afraid to speak their truth, even if it is difficult to do so.
The singer then shifts the focus of the song to their own feelings, saying "There is one thing I know, it goes like this...When I lose my sleep it's you I miss." This line suggests that the singer is thinking about this person constantly and is unable to sleep when they are not around. In the second verse, the singer continues to be honest about their feelings, saying "Now I'm not what you want, just like the rest, and you feel like you're subject to a test." This line suggests that the person the singer is talking to may feel like they are constantly being tested or judged by others.
The song ends with the lines "Use every chance you've been given, she is told, but it doesn't make her smile. She has no need to be perfect, she knows too well things are easy to tell. I have said what I thought you should know but you never seem to recognize my face." These lines suggest that despite the singer's honesty, the person they are speaking to still doesn't seem to understand how important they are to the singer. Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the difficulty of expressing one's feelings and the complexity of human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Use every chance you've been given
She is advised to utilize all opportunities that come her way
She replied after several days
She responded after a few days
It's no good to be perfect
Being perfect can be futile and unproductive
You know so well things are easy to tell
You're well aware that things can be easily revealed
There is one thing I know
I'm certain about one thing
It goes like this
It can be explained as follows
It's that when I lose my sleep it's you I miss
I long for you when I can't sleep
I have told you this before
I have mentioned this to you previously
And my transparent mind
My honest thoughts
Won't cover see-through hearts
Can't hide transparent feelings
I'll be straight with you now
I will be frank with you at this moment
Now I'm not what you want
I'm not the one you desire now
Just like the rest
Similar to everyone else
And you feel like you're subject to a test
You sense that you're being evaluated
But if there's one thing I know it's this
But I am certain about one thing
When I lose my sleep it's you I miss
My inability to sleep makes me miss you
You sleep all night
You sleep soundly through the night
You know you lie awake
You are aware that you stay awake
Tell me, yeah
Can you explain it to me?
And time is running out
There is limited time left
And you know so well
And you understand perfectly
It may never be
It may never happen
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: SONDRE LERCHE VAULAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FROGPRINCEJG
i've had this song on my mind- this cd means a lot to me- sweet genius this man is- brilliant song
Mariah Conklin
Wow going through my old stuff and found this dude again. Love and miss his music.
Pietro M P
he is still doing music
AngieEnz84
This song is positively gorgeous.
DKcrew
This track was featured on legendary Norwegian skate movie «FireTre». Awsome song!
Toothless Dragon
Criminally underrated
Ronald Poon
good job sondre
noam16loveu
Beautiful :)
Hans Wurst
thanks to Josh Radnor who brought me here
Dan Noo
i put my commend here before this video get recomended worldwidely
i play this playlist for medication