Lonely Drifter Karen, an aptly named pan-European outfit, has maintained residences in far-flung cities including Barcelona and Brussels, yet the project has consistently centered on Viennese-born singer/songwriter Tanja Frinta. Frinta started Lonely Drifter Karen as a solo venture in Sweden during 2005 and issued the single Sinsweetime. Once she settled in Barcelona, Majorcan keyboardist/arranger Marc Meliá Sobrevias and Italian drummer Giorgio Menossi became part of the lineup. The trio’s first release, 2008’s Grass Is Singing, needed two years to complete and displayed Lonely Drifter Karen’s affinity for whimsical folk and cabaret. Crammed Discs, the same label that had handled the debut, brought out the follow-up album Fall of Spring two years later. After Frinta and Sobrevias moved to Brussels, Menossi parted ways amicably and French guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Clément Marion joined the group. In April 2012 the band delivered its third album, Poles, which featured stronger electronic and rock influences.
