# MJ Lenderman

Mark Jacob Lenderman (born 1999), also known as Jake Lenderman and MJ Lenderman, is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has released multiple solo albums. He is a non-touring member of the alternative rock band Wednesday, with whom he has played with for several years. He also has played drums for Indigo De Souza. Lenderman's style has been described as alt-country, classic rock, and indie rock music.

## Biography
### Early life and education

Lenderman was born in Asheville, North Carolina, and grew up in a family of musicians. He started playing guitar around seven or eight years old. His great-grandfather was saxophonist Charlie Ventura. He was raised Catholic and was an altar boy. He played basketball and obsessively watched tapes of Michael Jordan. He grew up listening to Mark Linkous and Jason Molina. In his junior and senior years of high school, he began posting his music to Bandcamp. Lenderman studied at UNC Asheville for three semesters.

### Career

In 2018, Lenderman played the drums for fellow Asheville artist Indigo De Souza on her albums I Love My Mom and Any Shape You Take. Lenderman met Karly Hartzman, lead singer for the group Wednesday, and he joined the band for an EP called How Do You Let Love Into the Heart That Isn't Split Wide Open (2018).
In July 2019, he released a self-titled album, his first solo album. At that time, he was working in an ice cream shop to support himself financially.
Lenderman toured with Wednesday in early February 2020, until the COVID-19 pandemic ended the tour. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while collecting unemployment insurance, Lenderman wrote the songs that became the album Ghost of Your Guitar Solo, released in 2021.
His third album Boat Songs was released in 2022 on Dear Life Records. It was listed as one of the best albums of 2022 by Pitchfork, The A.V. Club, Rolling Stone, and The Ringer. After the success of the album, Lenderman signed a recording contract with Anti-. In 2023, he released the singles "Rudolph" and "Knockin'".
Lenderman contributed guitar and vocals to the album Tiger's Blood by Waxahatchee, released in March 2024, and was listed as featured guest artist on the album's lead single, "Right Back To It". In March 2024, Lenderman performed "Right Back To It" with Waxahatchee on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Lenderman's next album, Manning Fireworks, was released in September 2024.
Lenderman departed as a touring member of Wednesday in 2025. He stated that he still planned to record with the group.

## Critical reception

Critic Jeremy D. Larson, writing for Pitchfork, gave Lenderman's album Manning Fireworks an 8.7, calling it "witty and sincere, the mark of a songwriter finding his voice."

## Personal life

Lenderman was in a relationship with his Wednesday bandmate Karly Hartzman for six years. In July 2024, The Guardian reported that the two had split. In a February 2025 interview with GQ, Lenderman revealed that the two broke up in March 2024 while on tour in Tokyo and initially kept it a secret from other Wednesday members.

## Discography
### Albums

List of albums, with selected details :
| Title | Details |
| MJ Lenderman | Released: June 15, 2019 Label: Dear Life Records |
| Ghost of Your Guitar Solo | Released: March 26, 2021 Label: Dear Life Records |
| Boat Songs | Released: April 29, 2022 Label: Dear Life Records |
| And the Wind (Live and Loose!) | Released: November 17, 2023 Label: Anti- |
| Manning Fireworks | Released: September 6, 2024 Label: Anti- |

### Extended plays

List of EPs, with selected details :
| Title | Credit | Details |
| How Do You Let Love Into the Heart That Isn't Split Wide Open | MJ Lenderman & Wednesday | Released: December 13, 2018 Label: Self-released |
| Faucet | Nash to Stoudemire$^1$ | Released: November 7, 2019 Label: Self-released |
| Lucky | MJ Lenderman | Released: December 25, 2019 Label: Self-released |
| Guttering | MJ Lenderman & Wednesday | Released: January 22, 2021 Label: Super Enema |
| DLDRG 002 – Knockin' | MJ Lenderman | Released: August 20, 2021 Label: Dear Life Records |
$^1$Lenderman and Karly Harztman

### Singles

| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
| Title | Year | US AAA | Album |
| "Hangover Game" | 2022 | — | Boat Songs |
| "TLC Cage Match" | 2022 | — | Boat Songs |
| "Rudolph" | 2023 | — | Manning Fireworks |
| "Knockin'" | 2023 | — | Non-album single |
| "She's Leaving You" | 2024 | 23 | Manning Fireworks |
| "Wristwatch" | 2025 | 23 | Manning Fireworks |