Ada Lea—the nom de scene of Montreal-based musician Alexandra Levy— has announced the release of her new album, “when i paint my masterpiece”, on 8th August 2025 via Saddle Creek. This marks the third album from Ada Lea and follows “one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden” (2021). Levy is a master of lower-case titles. “when i paint my masterpiece” is said to be an exploration of the transformations art can bring: the vision of an uncompromising artist dancing bravely and freely between registers and across mediums.
The album, which comprises 16 tracks, marks a reset following years of relentless international touring. Levy felt an urgent need for community and renewal. “For me, that looked like resting, extending my creative reach, going back to school, studying painting and poetry,” she explains. “Taking a step away from music as guided by industry expectations. Simplifying things. Getting a job, starting to teach. Engaging with the process rather than the product.”
“when i paint my masterpiece” was largely recorded in rural Ontario towards the end of 2023. The core Ada Lea band—Tasy Hudson on drums, Chris Hauer on lead guitar, and Summer Kodama on bass—recorded the album largely live-off-the-floor and acoustic in one room. Relinquishing the process to the whims of chance allowed for the sanctity of human error to rear its head. The album was co-produced with Here We Go Magic’s Luke Temple, who has produced records by artists like Adrianne Lenker and Hand Habits. You can pre-order the record via this link.
Ada Lea has released as a single, “baby blue frigidaire mini fridge.” Of the inspiration behind the song, Levy reflects: “The Chantal Akerman film where the camera moves in slow circular pans around her apartment. Then what if the frame quickly zooms out as far as it could possibly go? And in that wide pull back, what we recognise as universal is still ‘this chair, this window, this mountain view.’ Then, move out again, even further. What we are left with—three things: ‘our old-time souls, this old-time moon.’ Two things, I mean.”
