Question Time with Lenka

I had the chance to ask lovely Lenka from Australia a few questions. Here are the results…

When you wrote The Show, did you ever think that it might become a worldwide hit?
No, not at all! We (me and the co-writer Jason Reeves) thought it was just a cute goofy ditty. We knew it had some appeal, but not quite like this. We wrote it in an hour and a half!

How did your songs end up on the soundtracks to Ugly Betty, 90210 and Grey’s Anatomy? Did you approach them or did they approach you?
A bit of both, there are people that do that stuff for a job, finding music, pitching music. I was very lucky to score Ugly Betty ‘cause I’m a big fan of that show.

What do you think it is about your music which makes it so perfect for soundtracking TV shows and adverts?
Not sure exactly, but I guess there is that emotional, dramatic element that helps in emotional, dramatic scenes!

What did you think of the film Somersault which your old band Decoder Ring famously did the theme song for? (Personally I thought it was a bit overrated!)
I loved it! It was very poetic and strange – the soundtrack was phenomenal. 😉

With you, Daniel Merriweather and The Veronicas all doing well, it seems that being Australian is a tip for success at the moment. Are there any other Aussie acts you think might break through in the UK in 2009?
Perhaps! We do seem to be taking over a little bit. Some of my other faves are Sam Sparro, The Presets and Empire of The Sun.

Why did you remove Lady from the start of your name? Was it because of Lady GaGa?
Actually, I never had a “Lady” on my name! It’s strange, a few fans call me that when they write to me. I suspect there may be a blogger called Lady Lenka or something.

Which song do you plan to release as your next single in the UK?
I think it will be Trouble Is A Friend. Yay!

I hear you’re performing at some festivals this summer. Which ones are you most looking forward to playing?
Summer Sonic in Japan. I’ve been wanting to go to Japan forever, so I’m jumping out of my skin with excitement for that one.

Thank you Lenka! And I’ve done some research on the name confusion. It turns out that The Show has often been mistakenly attributed to a Czech singer called Lady Lenka, but their styles are quite different as Lady Lenka sings reggae and is influenced by UB40 and Aswad.