Gundersens: Talented Siblings Make Their Way in Music

Ask any of the musically talented Gundersen siblings where their love of music began and they all have memories that revolve around one thing: family.

Noah, 22, remembers family Christmases where their father, Greg, played the piano, and mother, Sarah, led the eight children (five biological and three adopted) in song.

Abby, 19, recalls drifting to sleep to the sound of classical music at her grandmother’s home.

Jonny, 17, remembers the Neil Young and Bob Dylan music that intermingled with Christian music on the family’s stereo.

Lizzie, 16, recalls musical instruments and music lessons, although not always met with enthusiasm, abounding.

“There was music going on at all times in our home,” she said. “You couldn’t help but be inspired.”

Inspired they were. From a young age, all four of these siblings have seriously pursued musical careers. Noah and Abby make up the group simply called Noah Gundersen, which has been performing for six years. Jonny, Lizzie and Abby also are the core of the band Le Wrens, which was formed two years ago. They all say music is a passion they hope to pursue as a career. They also said it was the support, honest critique and musical exposure they received from their parents and siblings that brought them to where they are today.

“There’s something really special about my family,” Abby said. “We all still share our deepest, darkest secrets with one another. Sometimes I worry about ‘what if I tell them this?’ But they always love me just the same.”

Noah Paves the Way

Noah Gundersen’s roots took hold at the age of about 9 when be began taking piano lessons. It was required learning in their household, which Noah admitted he did not enjoy. A few years later, he switched to guitar and began to teach himself the instrument. Aside from a couple of lessons later in life, Noah is mostly self taught.

It was not the instruction but his love of music that pushed him to get better. He remembers wanting to perform music since about the age of about 11. Noah’s first performance was at the age of 16 at Starbucks in Centralia. He played then, as he does now, with Abby, who was 12. And he knew then, as he does now, music was his destiny.

“I remember when I was about to graduate high school everyone was asking me ‘what are you going to do?’” Noah recalled. “I went through the typical stages of ‘what am I going to do for a real job?’ But all I ever wanted to do in the back of my mind was music.”

Abby began her musical career in much the same way with piano lessons at the age of 8 and one year later began violin lessons. Of her musical siblings, she has taken the most music lessons with 10 years piano, 11 years of violin and three years of fiddle lessons. She said she and Noah had always been close siblings and she doesn’t recall exactly how they began to collaborate on music but she thinks it was just an organic growth based on a mutual passion.

“Honestly, I just think it was kind of jamming,” Abby said. “He would have his guitar and I’d kind of say ‘hey, can I play? I want to play.’”

Abby sees her future self living in Seattle near Noah and continuing to be a professional musician, though she sees that happening in many forms. She would love to be a music teacher, a music therapist and also a studio musician, teaming up with a number of other musicians.

“I honestly don’t see myself doing anything else,” Abby said.

For two years, Noah played with a full band called The Courage. But now it is just him and Abby and sometimes a third — Zack Fleury of Hot Bodies in Motion and Maclemore. Noah’s main influences are Tom Waits, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. He said he likes people who take risks and tell the truth, two things he attempts to always do himself. In the beginning, his music could have been categorized as Christian but today, Noah calls himself and his music spiritual, but not Christian. He said that was a hard decision for him to come to, especially given his very conservative Christian upbringing. But he said his parents, like in all his decisions in life, respected his honesty and loved him just the same.

“I think I will always be a seeker in life,” Noah said.

Noah recently moved from Centralia to Seattle and works in a guitar shop while also working on his musical career. He and Abby recently released their third album “Family," which explores the many complexities and incarnations of the notion of family. The title song from that album was featured earlier this month on the television show “Sons of Anarchy.” In the days following, they got 20,000 hits on their Bandcamp.com website and the album rocketed to number four on iTunes and stayed in the top 10 for well over a week.

“That’s how artists are getting deals these days,” Noah said. “The next day I got an e-mail from Universal.”

“I was really just blown away,” Abby added. “The only reason we had that was the people supporting us. My thought wasn’t ‘we’re so great’ but ‘we’re so blessed.’ The fact our music is being played so many places and blessing so many people that’s just a gift.”

It was partially the experience of watching Noah and Abby performing that inspired the formation of the Centralia band Le Wrens two years ago. Younger siblings Jonny and Lizzie grew up with the same musical influences in the home and also the same desire to make music more than just a hobby.

“We’d go to (Noah’s) shows and I was always like ‘oh man I want to do that so bad,’” Jonny recalled of the earlier days of Noah’s career.

Both Lizzie and Jonny also started with piano lessons but admitted with a laugh that they did not enjoy them, though they were where the musical seeds were planted. It was also an open and honest relationship with their parents and siblings that inspired them to put themselves out there and make music for an audience.

“I think people can be inspiring in other ways,” Lizzie said. “Mom has always encouraged us to follow our dreams. Especially now that she’s in college she’s showing us that.”

Lizzie first picked up a guitar at the age of 12. Just a couple days later, she began using the couple of chords she knew to write songs. Jonny’s joy was an electric drum set he received from his parents at the age of 10, on which he practiced many long hours.

They formed Le Wrens in 2009 and released their first album “Dear Emily” in August 2010. Abby collaborates with both Noah and Le Wrens, though they all have an unspoken understanding that since Abby and Noah have worked together longest, his music comes first. Kale Lotton and Michael Porter also round out the performing group.

Much like Noah Gundersen, Le Wrens has started to branch out, from local shows to shows in Seattle and Portland. Lizzie said she doesn't know what the future of Le Wrens will be since all of its musicians are so young, but she hopes they will be able to stay together and keep playing. No insult to their other band members, but Jonny added that he knows one thing for certain, he and Lizzie will always be making music together in some form.

“After playing with my family I don’t think I could go back to playing with just friends,” Jonny said.

“We know each other’s personality and we also know each our musical personalities,” Lizzie said.

Abby agreed. She said there is a different dynamic for family members when they collaborate on music. She said it’s hard to describe but it’s almost as if you know their next move without speaking a word.

“We know each other so well we know where we’re going to go musically,” Abby said. “Plus, all of our voices go together so well.”

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    Carrina Stanton is a freelance writer who lives in Centralia. She can be reached at carrinastanton@yahoo.com.