Over the years, Jens Lekman’s wry sense of humour has revealed itself in his onstage banter and his songcraft, including EPs and albums with titles like I Killed a Party Again, You Deserve Someone Better Than a Bum Like Me and When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog. But on his most recent record, I Know What Love Isn’t, the 31-year-old Swede confronts the depths of sadness, sketching the fractured pieces of a broken heart through melancholic pop.
But just because he’s crafted a collection of songs in which to weep one’s self into dehydration, doesn’t mean he’s quashed his quick wit or given the heave-ho to hilarity. In fact, Lekman took a few minutes off from his North American tour to share what he loves most about his five favourite comedians. Let the laughter begin to heal.
1. Tig Notaro.
"Tig is a friend, we toured together and I got my record label to release her first record. Recently she released her second album, which is a show she did just after she'd been diagnosed with cancer. It is the most brutal, heartbreaking, honest and funniest set I've ever heard. It's everything I want comedy to be, a way to communicate the darkest things in life. I love Tig so much."
2. Maria Bamford.
"Maria Bamford is in a world of her own, her comedy is on a different level. I finally got to see her live last year and it was a pleasure seeing something that was so unique and different in a field where things don't usually change much."
3. Stewart Lee.
"I was very inspired by Stewart Lee when I wrote a song like 'Waiting For Kirsten.' I love how his stories seem to open portals, a story about entomology or Top Gear opens associations to more serious aspects of politics or life. I also love that he stood up for the politically correct in a time when most comedians tiresomely competed in who could be the most politically incorrect."
4. Daniel Kitson.
"I admire Daniel Kitson not only for his comedy, which he has made perfect over the years, but also for his complete refusal to do TV, DVD, interviews or place himself in any situation where [he] might have to compromise what he's doing. He has complete integrity. We share the idea that a smaller, more dedicated fanbase is always better. In the words of Daniel, 'I'd really like to whittle my fanbase down to about 12 — you can call them disciples if you like.'"
5. Jim Gaffigan.
"As much as I can be a snob when it comes to comedy and as much as I like it dry and intellectual, sometimes it's nice to listen to a pro like Jim Gaffigan just deliver perfect, harmless jokes about food and funny animals."
Watch Jens Lekman’s “Become Someone Else’s”
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