Ada Lea Announces North American Tour, Releases New Single “Something in the Wind”

Ada Lea—the moniker of Montreal-based musician Alexandra Levy— releases “something in the wind,” the second single from her new album, when i paint my masterpiece, out August 8th via Saddle Creek and announces a North American Tour. Following the sprawling, Chantal Ackerman-inspired lead single, “baby blue frigidaire mini fridge,” “something in the wind” is a meditation on love born out of a dream. Reflecting on the creation of the track she says: "I had a dream about this song and remember nothing. There is a constant in everyone’s life, which is the dream. When we recorded the song, Luke, who produced it, suggested we slow it down so Tasy could improvise a busy drum solo. Then, Jonas, engineer, sped the song up to its regular speed. Like a slowed down wink to Leonard Cohen himself."

After watching “the miracle over the mojave”, performed by Nathan Fielder on his show “The Rehearsal”, Ada Lea realised anything was possible. In just 6 months, under the guidance and direction of Brittney Canda, Ada Lea learned how to figure skate and trained rigorously for this video that would serve as a miracle of sorts. The performance to “something in the wind” marks her return to the joys of music. Skating seemed like the perfect metaphor for the challenges of navigating the music industry—it’s icy cold, there are judges everywhere—and when you fall, you can only rise.

when i paint my masterpiece is an epic, 16-track opus. It’s a kaleidoscopic exploration of the transformations art can bring: the vision of an uncompromising artist dancing bravely and freely between registers and across mediums. The album marks a reset—a quiet revolution. After years of relentless international touring, Levy felt an urgent need for community and renewal. Gruelling road schedules with very little support left her wondering: who am I really doing all this for? The system was uncaring and broken, and so she envisioned a new healthy and healing mode of musical genesis. Levy went back to school to study painting and poetry, got a job, and began teaching.

Ada Lea’s albums have been swelling in scope alongside the evolution of her artistic life. Her recent turn toward pedagogy—teaching a songwriting course at Concordia University and co-facilitating a community-based group called “The Songwriting Method”—weaves another vivid thread into her multifaceted practice. The shapely, intuitive songs that comprise Ada Lea's third album are surprising, imagistic, tactile. They stand before us and we feel their brushstrokes.

By the end of these sixteen songs, it’s clear: when i paint my masterpiece isn’t chasing perfection, it’s comfortable in the magic of being. These songs are alive with poetic specificity and a wide-open heart—deeply felt, often strange, and always reaching. There’s an optimistic and plainspoken wisdom in the lyrics, building on Ada Lea’s singular songwriting style of surprising harmonic and melodic turns—now with a newly rich, organic sound that rewards slow listening. The masterpiece, not a product, is the process.

Levy will embark on an extensive North American Tour in September following a string of dates in the UK. The tour will see Levy stopping in New York, Chicago, Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles and more. Tickets go on sale xx and will be available at xx local time.

Tour Dates

Fri, Aug 16 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club w/ @

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

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