MJ Lenderman Pulls Out Of Zach Bryan Tour To Recalibrate

MJ Lenderman will no longer be supporting Oklahoma singer-songwriter Zach Bryan on his tour this summer.

The Asheville, NC artist posted the following statement on his social media today:

We don’t know the shape he’s in, but I’m not surprised that he could use a break, and I’m happy he’s prioritizing his health.

The first time that we ever saw Jake Lenderman perform was at Pickathon in 2022. Not only would he and The Wind do a second set on another stage, but he was pulling double-duty that weekend as a member of Wednesday, who played two sets of their own. With the secret sessions… who knows how many sets he played on the farm that year. Maybe 6? More?

Lenderman would soon come to Seattle on a tour that saw him as both an opener and a member of Wednesday. Months later, he would return as part of an acoustic duo with Karly Hartzman. This is all before his breakthrough LP, Manning Fireworks, was released. Credited as his 4th album, MJ has put out more music than is usually recognized. He even had a stint playing drums for Indigo De Souza. The acclaim for Manning Fireworks, coupled with his work on Waxahatchee‘s critically acclaimed Tiger’s Blood LP, quickly elevated his notoriety. Lenderman played Seattle again twice last year, each show finding him in a larger and larger venue. I’ve already seen him twice so far this year: once at Big Ears in Knoxville and, more recently, on his co-headlining tour with Waxahatchee, with whom he’s also formed a band and released an LP as Snocaps.

Lenderman has been grinding in the shadows for years before most of us ever heard his name. Now that he’s achieved so much of what he’s been working toward, it can be difficult to know when to tap the brakes and risk losing that momentum. This is doubly true for someone who’s proven to be such a prolific force in recent years. His consistency has been remarkable, especially through lineup changes and everything he’s been juggling. He’s been in the zone, but there’s a limit to how long someone can maintain that pace and output without taking a moment to recoup and reset.

We commend MJ for taking a step back and making this call, not only for his own health but as an example for others in similar positions. Allowing ourselves rest should become more normalized in this society, overall, in spite of everything around us shaming and conditioning us against it.

We look forward to hearing what comes out of this recalibration process. No rush of course. We can wait.