Conversations with Andriana Lehr

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andriana Lehr.

Hi Andriana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up on a farm in central South Dakota and moved to the Twin Cities for college after I graduated from high school. I was musical from a young age, and after losing my dad to leukemia at age 12, started teaching myself to play guitar and writing songs as a coping mechanism. I began my collegiate studies as a vocal performance major at the U of M, but found myself not fitting into the operatic performance world, and was much more interested in pursuing my own, original songwriting instead. I also found my way into working in the local music scene at 19 as a ticket seller at various venues around town, so I was steeped in live music any time I wasn’t in class. It wasn’t long before I started playing local singer-songwriter nights at the Fine Line and slowly dipping my toes into performing my original songs.

I kept hopping around working at various venues for about 15 years, gradually getting to know more people in the music industry – both artists and venue staff alike – and playing more and more venues around town as well. I released 2 albums under my government name – ‘Try to be True’ in 2013 and ‘Artifacts’ in 2016 – and shortly after my second release, got pregnant with my first son, which would spark the powder keg of creative metamorphosis I experienced over the next several years.

I gradually disappeared from the live music scene as I became consumed by motherhood, and just when I thought I was ready to re-emerge with some new songs and a new moniker (Mother Coyote), Covid happened. The immense social upheaval of the early 2020s, paired with massive personal changes I experienced through motherhood inspired an entirely new set of songs that became what would be publicly birthed under the Mother Coyote name – an esoteric alt-pop, piano-based collection of songs entailing my personal journey of evolution set against the unveiling and dismantling of the social structures we all know.

The first Mother Coyote EP, ‘When the War Comes’ was released in February of 2025, and is a small selection of songs from a full-length album that will be recorded in 2026, and hopefully released in 2027.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has definitely not been smooth. When I really started playing out in the mid-2000s, popular music had a formula, and a specific sound got you play and attention, and I did not fit into any of that, so I really struggled to figure out what my place and my *authentic* sound was. Having kids was also considered a career-killer for women in the music industry, so overcoming the idea that my pursuit of music was over because I had kids took a lot of deconditioning. In fact, one of the best surprises for me was how much my songwriting expanded and improved *after* having the experience of having my children. It gave me perspectives and emotions to write from I never could have accessed otherwise.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My current musical project/identity is Mother Coyote. The songs that have come forward under this moniker are what I consider esoteric alt-pop. There’s distinct darkness and lightness, emotional intensity, disillusionment, and joy, all wrapped into the songs that take the listener on both a collective and personal journey of the last few years. I’m incredibly proud of the collaboration with producer Andy Thompson on ‘When the War Comes,’ and I really look forward to working with him again on the remaining songs for the full-length album. His pop, classical, and jazz sensibilities mesh well with the music I grew up on that is woven into my songwriting. He does an incredible job of helping me take the songs to an expression beyond what I could achieve on my own, along with the incredible band of players, of course – Ian Martin Allison (bass), Dan Lawonn (guitar, cello), and Grady Kenevan (drums).

Outside of songwriting and occasional performing, I also facilitate yoga classes and sound baths, really specializing in creating soothing, calm spaces for people to be held and deeply connect their mind, body, and spirit. This work is such a gift, especially when our culture prizes productivity-to-the-point-of-burnout over peace and presence. Giving people the tools and the opportunity to slow down and practice deeply tuned-in movement or stillness is something that really fills my cup.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I find the greatest joy in my life when I am with my husband and our two sons. There is nothing that compares to the moments we all get to spend together, which are most precious because my husband travels for work 6-8 months out of the year.

Music gives me the next greatest amount of joy. The ability to express myself or guide people through an experience with instruments, my voice, and intentional lyrics, is something I’m eternally grateful for.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mothercoyote.com
• Instagram: @mothercoyote
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mothercoyote/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mothercoyote
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mothercoyote/when-the-war-comes
• Other: https://mothercoyotemusic.bandcamp.com/