Ada Lea
“the party”
what we say in private
There is something so heartbreakingly lonely in the music of Ada Lea (aka Alexandria Levy). Her music seems simple, but every beat, every musical instrument, have their place and just emphasize the loneliness of the protagonist. The simple, plucked riff that starts “the party” sets the tone for the song. Ada Lea herself has said that her work is inspired by great women artists of various media including the writer Sylvia Plath, visual artists Frida Kahlo and Eva Hesse, and musicians Karen Dalton and Nina Simone. What started out as a record of her recovery from a failed romantic relationship turned into something quite different. As Lea herself says:
Following a tormented period of staying up all night (sometimes days at a time), frantically painting or writing songs as a means of coping, she journalled for 180 days in the hope of finding herself again. She conducted this period of analysis and introspection in private, like most of her creative pursuits, and the process eventually resulted in a rebirth: a rediscovery of self and a new sense of freedom and self-acceptance.
These chaotic feelings and the resulting catharsis are deeply felt in the final recording of what we say in private. Levy wanted the Ada Lea album to feel like a journal entry from those 180 days as she cycled through emotions.
The Ada Lea album does make one feel like peering into the private life of one individual who, through her talent, brings one along on her private journey. This is an amazing record by an amazing artists.