Jens Lekman Might Write a Song About Your Story

Jens Lekman is working on a new project with the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center in Ohio. He’s asking people he’s never met to tell him their stories, and then he’ll write brand new songs about what he’s heard. The project is called “Ghostwriting”, and in order for a story to be eligible, the storyteller must be able to meet Lekman in Cincinnati. Submit your story here.

Submissions are being accepted until October 28, and meetings with Lekman will take place from November 16-19. Each song will become available online. Lekman says he’ll give each participant a USB drive featuring their song “as a memory and a thank you”.

Lekman said the project, which he recently explored at the Gothenburg International Biennial for Contemporary Art, came from the desire “to find a more spontaneous and free outlet for my songwriting.” He wrote:

The idea behind this is that I believe everyone has an amazing story in them and I want to hold it up to the world, but also to the participant as a mirror, allowing them to get a glimpse of who they are. 

Lekman will perform on November 20 at the Woodward Theatre in Cincinnati. He’ll be accompanied by a string sextet, who will perform arrangements prepared by Van Dyke Parks.

Lekman’s regular “Postcard” series is still going strong. Here’s this week’s installment:

Watch Lekman peform “I Know What Love Isn’t” for Pitchfork.tv:

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