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- Despite moving to England at a young age, new wave icon Lene Lovich says she still feels a deep connection to Detroit, where she was born.
- Lovich is set to open for Devo and the B-52s at Pine Knob on Sept. 25 — her first Michigan show in decades.
Before she commanded the stage as new wave’s “Queen of Quirk,” Lene Lovich was a self-described Wednesday Addams — a strange, quiet kid whose eccentric streak would become her signature.
Now 76, the Detroit-born post-punk/new wave pioneer, who first drew major attention in the late 1970s, is still touring and will return to Michigan on Sept. 25 to open for Devo and the B-52s on her first full North American tour in 35 years.
Though she moved to Hull, England, with her mother and siblings around the age of 13, Lovich says Detroit remains “very deep-rooted” in her.
“I think where you’re born is always going to have an almost spiritual connection to you,” Lovich told the Detroit Free Press in a phone interview ahead of her North American tour. “That’s where I came into the world. … Although I haven’t lived any of my adult life there, I still feel a very strong connection.”
How Detroit left a lasting impression on Lovich’s creativity
Lovich’s earliest Detroit memories include simple pleasures, such as buying comics with pocket money, enjoying her favorite foods and spending time with friends on the street.
“I was always a weird child. I was weird when I was in Detroit, and then I was weird again when I came to England,” she said. “It’s like I was the Wednesday Addams of my class at school, so I probably spent a lot of time trying to be invisible so I didn’t get beat up by the other kids.”
Lovich said those early experiences taught her lessons she would later carry into her creative life, helping her embrace her edge.
“Although I’m a creative person, at some point, you learn that it’s not always good to express your ideas in certain situations,” she said. “So, as soon as I was able to create my own situation, as I got older, then it was really quite a release for me to be able to be creative and say the things that I wanted to say.”
A “reclusive figure” with an enduring legacy
Known for her theatrical stage presence, playful vocal acrobatics and avant-garde style, Lovich helped shape the new wave sound of the late 1970s and ’80s. Her 1978 debut album, “Stateless,” included the single “Lucky Number,” which climbed the U.K. charts in 1979 and became a cult hit in the United States. Her second album, “Flex” (1980), gained her even more traction in America.
But after the release of her third album, “No Man’s Land,” in 1982, Lovich stepped away from the spotlight. She clashed with her record label over demands to conform to the look and sound of mainstream media at the time, unwilling to compromise the offbeat style that set her apart. Since then, she has recorded only two more studio albums, “March” (1989) and “Shadows and Dust” (2005).
Through the decades, however, she has kept that distinct, quirky energy — maintaining a dedicated following that appreciates her authenticity.
Described as a “reclusive figure,” Lovich took a break from the limelight once again in the 1990s and early 2000s — this time to focus on raising her two daughters. She only made occasional appearances before forming the Lene Lovich Band in 2012; she has since been consistently touring the U.K. and Europe.
Lovich returns to North America, touring with new wave legends
Now performing across North America for the first time in decades, the band’s website lists 27 shows in the United States and Canada, beginning in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 16. Of those dates, 12 will see Lovich opening for fellow new wave artists Devo and the B-52s on their Comic De-Evolution Tour, including a Sept. 25 stop at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston.
Buy tickets to see Lene Lovich open for the B-52s
“Both Devo and the B-52s were starting out at the same time as me. I know them from the ’80s, bumping into each other,” Lovich said. “We have quite a few things in common, and they just invited me.”
Lovich also recalled joining the B-52s in animal rights events and campaigns earlier in her career. As part of her activism, Lovich even co-wrote and recorded the 1986 PETA anthem “Don’t Kill the Animals” with Nina Hagen, which became an iconic track for the movement.
A shout-out and throwback from Thomas Dolby
Musician and producer Thomas Dolby shared his excitement for the upcoming tour on social media, writing, “Great to see Lene Lovich is touring again.” He posted the message alongside a photo of himself with Lovich and Les Chappell, her longtime partner and collaborator, taken in 1981 shortly after she recorded “New Toy.”
Great to see Lene Lovich is touring again. She will be with the B52s and Devo (on their farewell tour) this Fall. This is Lene, me and Les Chapell in 1981 shortly after she recorded my song New Toy. [TMDR]
Posted by Thomas Dolby on Thursday, July 3, 2025
In addition to “Lucky Number,” Lovich’s single “New Toy” is considered by fans to be one of her biggest hits in the United States. Dolby, best known for his hit “She Blinded Me With Science,” has said he wrote the song specifically for Lovich after seeing her perform live. The track pokes fun at consumerism and a materialistic society constantly seeking the next best thing, a theme that remains relevant nearly 45 years later.
Lovich’s look: Bold, unconventional and often secondhand
During her Detroit tour stops years ago, Lovich said she’d shop at places like Cinderella’s Attic, a vintage clothing store that once operated in Dearborn before relocating to Birmingham. The store has since closed, but Lovich still remembers it as a place full of unexpected treasures.
“I was always into wearing secondhand clothes because I didn’t have much money. But when I was younger, (Cinderella’s Attic) was always a great place to be because it was unpredictable,” Lovich recalled. “I’ve never been a fashion person or followed fashion trends. I just like to go into shops like that and try to find something unique.”
Her appreciation of pre-loved clothes hasn’t just been about affordability. She said she also “totally” likes wearing secondhand pieces and still seeks them out today.
“I’ve always wanted to go in a different direction from everybody else. I have a lot of strange things that make me want to go in different directions,” Lovich explained. “I do everything backwards and upside down; I get lost all the time — and so I’m very different and I just decided to embrace that and enjoy it.”
Lovich reflects on past Detroit shows, what’s ahead
Lovich toured the United States extensively in the 1980s, with several performances in Detroit. She said she remembers those shows being “very high energy.”
“The audiences are always hot, which is perfect for me because I feed off their energy,” she told the Free Press. “No matter how I’m feeling, really, once I step on the stage and connect with the audience, we have a great time.”
Looking ahead to her upcoming shows, she said fans can expect classics along with a few surprises in her set list.
While she is currently living in the moment, Lovich suggested the tour “may create some possibilities to come back and do more shows.”
“Luckily, I still have a voice,” she said. “Because sometimes, as you get older, unfortunately, sometimes people don’t have a voice, or certainly don’t have enough voice to perform, but I’m just lucky.”
Tickets for the Sept. 25 show with Lovich, Devo and the B-52s at Pine Knob are available here. The show is set for 7 p.m.
Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.