Montreal-based musician Ada Lea (aka Alexandra Levy) will release her new album, when i paint my masterpeice, this Friday. The albums acts as reset for her, a reevaluation of priorities and desires — it allows her to simply exists in the moment, tying together vignettes of experience that tap into universal constants. From gently rolling acoustic wanderings to songs which build a more considerable musculature, this collection is Levy’s way of reassessing the direction of her life.
And on her latest single, “bob dylan’s 15th haircut”, she looks to the past and to her present to gauge the impact of inspiration and adaptation. Tapping into a folksy twang, she channels The Band and Waxahatchee, musical histories inextricably bound by intent and execution. It’s breathtaking and further grounds the album as an avenue for emotional reconciliation and self-excavation.
“Sometimes I get into these moods where I feel like there will always be a gap between what I want to say, and what I actually end up writing,” explains Levy. “I start comparing myself. The mood that evening was comparing myself to Bob Dylan. And why not? In order to pick myself up off the floor after saying things like ‘I could never write a song like Bob Dylan,’ which of course, is true, I had to reverse the thought ‘could he write one like me?’ Whether or not that was a good thing, it was something.“
Listen to the song below and check out Ada Lea’s upcoming schedule of tour dates.
Tour dates:
Fri, Aug 16 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Sat, Aug 17 – Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade Bristol w/ Allegra Krieger
Sun, Aug 18 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s w/ Allegra Krieger
Mon, Aug 19 – Glasgow, UK @ Nice n’ Sleazy w/ Allegra Krieger
Tue, Aug 20 – Chester, UK @ St. Mary’s Creative Space w/ Allegra Krieger
Wed, Aug 21 – London, UK @ Lexington, Line of Best Fit w/ Allegra Krieger
Sun. Aug. 31 — Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, QC @ FME (Festival de Musique Émergente)
Wed, Sept 10 – Burlington, VT @ Radio Bean
Thu, Sept 11 – Providence, RI @ AS220
Fri, Sept 12 – Catskill, NY – Avalon
Sat, Sept 13 – Turner Falls, MA @ Brick House
Mon, Sept 15 – New York, NY @ NightClub 101
Tue, Sept 16 – Washington, DC @ Quarry House
Wed, Sept 17 – Durham, NC @ Pinhook
Thu, Sept 18 – Nashville, TN @ East Room
Fri, Sept 19 – Chicago, IL @ Judson & Moore
Sat, Sept 20 – Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge
Sun, Sept 21 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
Tue, Oct 14 – Montreal, QC @ Toscadura
Wed, Oct 15 – Hamilton @ Rooney’s
Fri, Oct 17 – Kalamazoo, MI @ TV Station
Sat, Oct 18 – Milwaukee, WI @ Sky High
Sun, Oct 19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cloudland
Mon, Oct 20 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
Wed, Oct 22 – Butte, Montana @ Carpenters Union Hall
Fri, Oct 24 – Seattle, WA @ Ballard Homestead
Sat, Oct 25 – Vancouver, BC @ Kingsway
Sun, Oct. 26 – Whidbey Island, WA @ Bailey’s Corner
Mon, Oct 27 – Portland, OR @ Turn Turn Turn
Wed, Oct 29 – San Francisco, CA @ The Knockout
Thu, Oct 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Scribble
Sat, Nov 1 – Salt Lake City @ The Pearl on Main
Sun, Nov 2 – Denver @ Hi Dive
Tue, Nov 4 – Lincoln, NE @ Reactor Coffee
Thu, Nov 5 – Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel
when i paint my masterpiece is due out August 8 on Saddle Creek. You can pre-order the album here. Follow Ada lea on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
