Montreal singer-songwriter Ada Lea shared news today of her third album, “when i paint my masterpiece,” scheduled for release on August 8 through Next Door Records and Saddle Creek. The announcement arrives alongside lead single “baby blue frigidaire mini fridge” and its accompanying video.
The 16-track album follows 2021’s “one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden” and represents a marked shift in the artist’s approach. After extensive international touring, Alexandra Levy—the musician behind Ada Lea—stepped back from industry expectations to explore painting and poetry while studying at Concordia University.
Recorded in rural Ontario during late 2023, the album features live, acoustic sessions recorded without click tracks. Producer Luke Temple, known for his work with Adrianne Lenker and Hand Habits, helped shape the organic sound alongside Levy’s core band: Tasy Hudson on drums, Chris Hauer on lead guitar, and Summer Kodama on bass.
Watch the video for “baby blue frigidaire mini fridge” below:
Levy explained that the album emerged after reassessing her relationship with the music industry. Following years of demanding tour schedules, she prioritized community building, teaching songwriting at Concordia and co-facilitating “The Songwriting Method” workshop series. This pedagogical turn coincided with her expanded creative practice encompassing visual arts and poetry.
The lead single demonstrates this multidisciplinary approach. When discussing the track, Levy referenced Chantal Akerman’s filmic techniques, particularly the Belgian director’s use of slow, circular apartment pans. The song features Levy’s characteristic lowercase titles and harmonic unpredictability while introducing warmer production values that recall classic Canadian folk recordings.
The album’s title functions literally rather than metaphorically—Levy appears on the cover holding her guitar against a backdrop of her own paintings. It’s an image that captures her current artistic practice, where music and visual art exist as parallel rather than competing pursuits.
“when i paint my masterpiece” marks Ada Lea’s first full-length release since embracing what she describes as “engaging with the process rather than the product.” The album suggests a mature artist comfortable working across mediums, trading tour fatigue for creative renewal while maintaining the poetic specificity that has defined her previous work.
when i paint my masterpiece tracklist:
- 1. death phase of 2024 (rainlight)
- 2. moon blossom
- 3. baby blue frigidaire mini fridge
- 4. something in the wind
- 5. midnight magic
- 6. it isn’t enough
- 7. snow globe
- 8. everything under the sun
- 9. just like in the museum
- 10. bob dylan’s 115th haircut
- 11. diner
- 12. there is only one thing on my mind
- 13. dogs playing in the backyard
- 14. down under the van horne overpass
- 15. i want it all
- 16. somebody is walking in the water
Photo Credit: Tess Roby
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