Ada Lea - one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden

Limited edition "Electric Lemonade" transparent yellow vinyl!

Limited time album download included

one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden is the name of the second album by Canadian songwriter Alexandra Levy, better known by the moniker Ada Lea. On one hand, it's a collection of walking-paced, cathartic pop/folk songs, on the other it's a book of heart-twisting, rear-view stories of city life. Ada Lea has followed up the creative, indie-rock songcraft of her debut what we say in private with surprising arrangements and new  perspectives.

The album is set in Montreal and each song exists as a dot on a personal history map of the city where Levy grew up. Due on September 24, 2021 from Saddle Creek and Next Door Records in Canada, the physical record will be released alongside a map of song locations and a songbook with chords and lyrics, inspired by Levy's love of real book standards. Levy penned and demoed this batch of songs in an artist residency in Banff, Alberta. After sorting and editing she made her way to Los Angeles to record with producer/engineer Marshall Vore (Phoebe Bridgers) who had previously worked on 2020's woman, here E.P.

After a long walk to the studio each morning, Levy spent her session days diving into the arrangements, playfully letting everything fall in place with complete trust for her collaborators. She notes "Marshall's expertise and experience with drumming and songwriting was the perfect blend for what the songs needed. He was able to support me in a harmonic, lyrical, and rhythmic sense." Other contributors who left a notable fingerprint on the soundscape include drummer Tasy Hudson, guitarist Harrison Whitford (of Phoebe Bridgers band), and mixing engineer Burke Reid (Courtney Barnett). Many songs came together with a blend of studio tracks and elements from the pre-recorded demos.

The resulting sounds range from classic, soft-rock beauty to intimate finger-picked folk passages and night-drive
art-pop. And the textures are frequently surprising due to the collage of lo-fi and hi-fi sounds that tastefully decorate the album without ever clouding the heart-center of the song. Tracks such as "damn" and "oranges" feel timeless with their AM gold groove and 70's studio sheen, while songs such as "my love 4 u is real," "salt spring" and "can't stop me from dying" sound completely modern in their use of electronics, sound effects, and pitched vocals. In their subtle, sonic variety, all of the album's songs flow together with ease into one big, romantic dream for Levy's silken vocals to float above.

Side A

1. damn

2. can’t stop me from dying

3. oranges

4. partner

5. saltspring

6. and my newness spoke to your newness and it was a thing of endless

Side B

1. my love 4 u is real

2. backyard

3. writer in ny

4. violence

5. hurt

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