She is the lead vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter of the band big thief, as well as an established solo artist. The singer (adrianne elizabeth lenker) identifies as queer and sings about their experiences being in relationships with both men and women. In this interview adrianne address it
Big Thief debut new song, Simulation Swarm
“pretty things’ contains the lyrics
“men are baptised in their anger and fighting / there’s a woman inside of me, there’s one inside of you too / and she don’t always do pretty things”
When pressed on the lyric, lenker takes a moment. Lenker has been in romantic relationships with men and with women, and doesn’t feel any particular obligation to outline her sexuality in precise terms, though she is comfortable being called queer. This metaphor of queer love and addiction that adrianne lenker sings about in “love love love” is also at the core of film director luca guadagnino’s 2024 film “queer” William lee, the lead of the movie—played by actor daniel craig—is a remarkably lonely man who struggles with connection and uses heroin to cope.
The finest lyricist of her generation is explaining why words are, ultimately, inadequate “everything you say is only a fraction of everything you feel,” says adrianne lenker, the dizzying.
