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Myrthe Loncke in 1970
Myrthe Loncke (born 5 August 1945) is a Brunanter rock singer, songwriter, composer, guitarist and record producer. Loncke first came to notice after providing backing vocals for The Dragons, but she is best known for her work as the front woman of her band Myrthe and the Androids. She achieved wide popularity during the 1970s, mainly thanks to songs like "Electric People", "Woods of Mist" and "A Song for a Thaler". In 1990, she set up Lebal Records and has since collaborated extensively with The Towners and Black Roses. A mezzo-soprano, Loncke is highly respected for her charismatic performing ability and her dynamic feminist views.
Life and career[]
Early years and The Dragons[]
Myrthe was born in 1945 in Koningstad. Her parents, Robert and Renate, owned a small bookshop at the Port. She gained an interest in rock and roll music at an early age and the first record she bought was Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode". At the time, her favorite acts included The Yardbirds, The Animals and The Manchester Four.
After school, Myrthe started working at her parents' shop, as she loved reading and considered taking up their job. At the same time, she became increasingly interested in music and took up guitar lessons. In early 1967, she formed The Freebirds with three former schoolmates of her, providing the vocals. The Freebirds began appearing in local pubs, mostly covering songs of foreign bands. Martin De Clerk, bassist and lead singer of The Dragons, discovered her in the Bicycle club around 1968, and got impressed by her talent. The two of them became romantically involved and soon Martin introduced her to the other band members. As a result, Myrthe participated on their debut album, Olifanten (1969). As a matter of fact, she provided backing vocals on the songs "Maan" and "Mooie Lach".
Myrthe and the Androids[]
Soon after the release of Olifanten, Myrthe broke up with De Clerk and went on to form Androids, a name inspired by Philip K. Dick's Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep?. With help from Michael Cook, owner of Bicycle, she met John "Red" O'Brien who became the bassist of the band. He in turn proposed lead guitarist Stephen Earps and drummer Stefan van der Mei. This lineup played several gigs at various bars, including Bari. In late 1970, they released their first album, Glass. It contains two of the band's best known songs, "Electric People" and "Babe, You're Lost". It made a major impression in Brunant and reached number two in the charts.
Next year, The Sad Myrtle Blues was released. It proved extremely successful and is generally considered the band's finest record. It included classic songs like "Open Envelope", "Woods of Mist" and "A Song for a Thaler". The album is also noted for its cover, illustrated by respected comics artist Jeroen de Moor. On 24 April 1971, Myrthe and the Androids headlined a concert at Adrian I Park in Grijzestad. It is widely regarded as a pivotal moment in Brunanter rock history, as well as in the counterculture movement.
The band's next two albums (Endless Slope - 1973, Goodnight, Babe - 1977) were also well-received, although they sold considerably less copies. In 1975, the band appeared live on Radio 2, alongside other popular artists of the time, such as Vic Manley and Joey Warner. Hosted by Stuart Boyd, it was the first of the two Radio 2 Concerts and a compilation album was released in 2000, featuring parts of the concert.
Solo career[]
Since 1990[]
In 1992
In 1990, Loncke co-founded Lebal Records with experienced producer Tim Tobin. The company was meant to promote new artists. Loncke is accredited with discovering Black Roses, that became one of the most popular rock bands of the early 1990s. She worked with the band as a producer and sang a duet with Norbert Heygh on their second album, Garden of Eden (1993); it was her first record since 1981. Torqy Donaldson's second solo album, Pursuit of Nirvana (1992), was produced by Loncke and Tobin. Other artists that Loncke worked with during this period were Heleen & Dave and Cobaltum.
Personal life[]
Loncke has generally managed to keep facts of her personal life away from journalists and the audience. As of 2024, she lives with translator Ahmet Hisham in Koningstad. There are allegations that Loncke has had relationships with one or more women. She has consistently refused either to confirm or deny rumors that she is bisexual.
Loncke is an avid reader since her childhood. Her favorite authors include Lodewijk van't Kirk, Hannah Jacobson and Toni Morrison.
Discography[]
As singer-songwriter[]
Myrthe and the Androids[]
- Glass (1970)
- The Sad Myrtle Blues (1971)
- Endless Slope (1973)
- Goodnight, Babe (1977)
- The Radio 2 Concerts #1 (2000)
Solo[]
- Meet me under the Bridge (1979)
- Sun (1981)
Compilation albums[]
- The Very Best of Myrthe Loncke (2002)
Guest appearances[]
- Olifanten (1969), with The Dragons
- Garden of Eden (1993), with Black Roses
As producer[]
Black Roses[]
- Guitar Killer (1991)
- Garden of Eden (1993)
Cobaltum[]
- Cobalt Disc (1995)
- In the Rain (1997)
Heleen & Dave[]
- Goedemorgen (2000)
The Towners[]
- The Second Woman (2011)
- Crane is Coming (2012)
- Last Man (2016)