December 8, 2025 • 26 mins
From a shy kid singing Christina Aguilera behind a bedroom door to teaching voice at Concordia, Alexandra Levy the power behind Ada Lea has lived every side of finding your sound. In this episode, she talks tendonitis, creative do-overs, and the three-day songwriting challenge that sparked When I Paint My Masterpiece. We dig into mentorship, Montreal roots, and the art of building a music career you can actually live with.
If you’ve ever felt late, stuck, or told you’re “not a singer,” this one’s for you.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
colleyc (00:37):
Alright, hello everyone.
Here we are, anotherepisode of ifitbeyourwill
podcast coming to you.
I love when I can getMontrealers to come on the show.
And today I've gotten thebiggest bass Montrealer, in my
humble opinion, to come on theshow.
I have Alexandra Levy fromAdelia from Montreal with us
(01:01):
today, and we're gonna exploreher latest record and her
protests and what is coming downthe road as well.
So Alex, thanks so much firstoff for coming in and and uh
sharing some of your yourstories and your process and
stuff like that.
But uh before we start, maybelike uh I tend to ask this first
(01:22):
question to most artists iswhen the the bug of music hit
you.
Like some of your earlyrecollections of when music
really started to elevate inyour mind to more than just you
know, yeah, that's cool, coolhobby.
Like, when did it start to belike, hmm, I think I really want
to continue doing this for along time?
Ada Lea (01:44):
Hmm.
I mean, just recently Istumbled across a home video.
I was about nine.
Maybe younger or maybe older,I'm not exactly sure, but I was
in my room singing along toChristina Aguilera's I Am
(02:05):
Beautiful, or You Are Beautiful.
Yeah, I am beautiful.
colleyc (02:09):
Yep.
Ada Lea (02:10):
And then my mom and brother are filming secretly,
and I get so mad at them.
But I really I like I really Ididn't remember having done
that.
And as I was watching back, Iwas like, oh, it it's
interesting that as a young kidI wanted to be able to sing and
really couldn't, and then themoments that I did, I was kind
(02:33):
of embarrassed or like made tofeel like I was doing something
embarrassing, and that's whythey were filming or laughing
and stuff.
So I think it started as ayoung kid, and then when I was
in high school, I don't know, Ican't I can't exactly remember,
but just feeling like it wasthis magical world, and I hadn't
(02:57):
been exposed to very much musicplaying.
And I just wanted to knoweverything.
I wanted to know how the notesworked, how like the theory
would line up, how you couldread music.
You know, this thing that youcan't that's so ephemeral, you
can't grip your hand around ityet.
(03:20):
You can read it on a page andit comes to life.
I don't know, the somesomething somewhere along along
the high school road.
colleyc (03:29):
And yeah.
And were you when is it thatyou first picked up an
instrument and and what was thatinstrument you first started
playing around with?
Ada Lea (03:40):
I had it it was my brother's bass, and at my high
school they were needing a bassplayer, and my friend was in the
band, and I really wanted to itwas like an after school and
before school activity, and itjust seemed so fun, like
(04:00):
everyone playing together, and Ifound it impressive too that
you know she was so good at mathand sciences and pretty
English, and then she also wasable to play music, so I just
felt inspired by her and Iwanted I wanted to play with
her.
colleyc (04:20):
And did was it always an interest too to not only play
but actually write your ownmusic?
Like was that always kind of inyour mind when you were like
getting into it and you knowplaying bass in high school and
like was it was that idea almostright away when you were when
you encountered music that yeah,one day I want to write music
(04:41):
and write songs and perform themfor people?
Ada Lea (04:44):
Yeah, I started writing songs almost immediately.
And yeah, I I I knew that Iwanted to write songs, but it
wasn't until much, much laterthat I actually started playing
them and recording them.
That I remember with um myfirst boyfriend, he would play
(05:06):
guitar and I was playing bass,and I wasn't really singing, he
was singing.
And I just it was so fun.
I I wanted I wanted to recordall the time.
colleyc (05:15):
Yeah.
I think that it's amazing whenyou first have that first
encounter with another musicianas well, and you're like
conversing through the music.
Like it's it's hard todescribe, right?
It's uh it's this feeling, thisthis joy that that erupts out
of you.
And like, what was your how didyou uh go about finding your
(05:38):
voice?
Because I mean you have such anamazing voice.
And you were saying that, youknow, at first you were kind of
shy about it, and like how didhow did that evolution happen
with finding your voice and andfeeling confident with it?
Ada Lea (05:53):
Yeah, it was a long, long journey, but I was pretty
much tone-deaf in CJEP.
I remember my first class, wehad mandatory, I went to Vanier
for music, and they have anamazing music program.
And at the time there was thiswoman named Erica Fair who
(06:15):
directed the Vanier choir, andyou had to do mandatory choir
and mandatory ear training.
And I remember not being ableto tell the difference between
two notes.
And this is, I mean, it justblows my mind too because I
somehow managed to get into theprogram with an audition.
So yeah, so at the time Icouldn't tell the difference
(06:38):
between two notes, I couldn'treplicate a sound, and I
couldn't match the notes.
And she it, I think she hadnever seen that in the program
before.
And yeah, my voice was just soblob.
And then after that, shortlyafter that, I was practicing in
a cubicle.
(06:58):
I remember in the basement ofSandy.
They haven't changed theirfacilities whatsoever.
It's still the same.
But yeah, in the basement, andthen my friend, these two girls
next door were playing, and Istopped practicing and I was
just listening to them.
They were singing, they hadwritten their songs, and then I
asked if I could join in with mybass, and then we just started
(07:22):
playing together.
And about a year later, theywere singing in harmony, and I
really wanted to sing along too.
And, you know, I would practiceand practice, and I still
couldn't hit any notes.
And then they said, like,maybe, you know, but we had a
show approaching, and I rememberone of the girls was like,
maybe it would be better if youdidn't sing.
(07:43):
And that was just so shatter,yeah, and shattering for for me.
And I stopped singing, yeah, Istopped trying to sing, and then
it was, I ended up getting afull scholarship to the new
school in New York.
And I, after the three years ofthe Vanier program, and so when
(08:05):
I went to New York, you know, Iwas very serious about bass,
and I was there on, you know, onthe big scholarship to to play
bass.
And when you are out of likethe mandatory lessons, you get
to choose who you want to, whoyou want to be your teacher, and
you have all of New York Citybasically to choose from.
It's an amazing opportunity.
(08:25):
And so I was studying with allof you know my base legends, and
I started to like get so muchpain in my I basically developed
tendonitis, and I couldn't doanything.
I couldn't hold my phone.
It was just horrible.
Couldn't, yeah, like I rememberlike trying to dress myself and
(08:46):
everything was hurting.
There would be tingling, couldand my hand would go numb.
And so I stopped playing bass.
I it was really, I had to stoptemporarily.
So for the next semester, mychoice of teacher was a voice
teacher.
And it was, to be honest, likebecause I saw Joanna Sternberg,
(09:07):
we were mates, we were friendsin school, you know, bass
buddies.
And I saw Joanna Sternbergplay.
They invited me up to this jamsession at Cleo's, and I didn't
know that they they were, youknow, they could sing.
It was, you know, they werehosting a jam session, so they
(09:28):
were playing bass, and Iremember them singing.
I didn't know what time it was.
And just singing, you know,there happened to be a mic, and
they were like, oh, can I tryand sing this one?
And I was, I couldn't believeit.
I couldn't believe that youcould sing and play these
standards.
And I love to sing them as Iwas learning them in my, you
(09:51):
know, the the comfort of my ownsmall spaces, but I would never
ever do it in public.
So uh yeah, after seeing Joannasing, then I saw my friend Dita
also sing standards.
I remember Dita singing at atFat.
She was singing T for Two inkind of uh Yeah, this yeah, it
(10:15):
like kind of a blossom deery-ishthing.
Anyway, I was so inspired.
And then after we went out tolike a diner, and then, you
know, with like the whole gang,and I was like, Dita, like where
where where do you learn tosing?
How do you sing like that?
And she's like, oh, like, youknow, I always sang in my in my
small spaces, but then I startedtaking lessons with this woman
(10:38):
named Kate Baker.
And so that was the same personthat Joanna had studied with.
And I was like, what are theodds that like two of my friends
are studying with the sameperson?
So I reached out to Kate and Icouldn't afford the lessons, but
I was like, Can I like I'llclean your apartment for you?
(11:00):
I'll I'll you know, I'll doanything to get some lessons.
What do I need to do?
And she was like, Yeah, comeand do admin work for me.
So yeah, I like tidied herplace and then did some admin
work.
And then and yeah, that it wasjust so amazing.
I I I was obsessed.
(11:20):
And she's so yeah, she she's acharacter of herself.
But yeah, so that's kind ofthat was the interesting
beginning of it.
colleyc (11:30):
It's unbelievable.
Like you never gave up.
You were like, no, yeah.
Find a way, I'll find a way.
And was it that mentorship thatthat started to unleash on all
these records that we now getthe privilege of listening to?
Like it was it shortlythereafter where you like said,
okay, I'm do I'm gonna do this,like be out there with your
(11:54):
voice and and record.
Ada Lea (11:57):
Yeah, so like the the following semester, which was my
last semester at the newschool, we had to do a concert,
and I still was like recoveringfrom tendonitis, but I could
still choose who I would get mylessons with, and so I chose
Kate and it could and they gaveme approval to to study with
someone outside of my maininstrument.
And she helped me, you know,all I wanted to do was sing
(12:21):
standards.
I loved singing standards.
So she helped me get like asmall quote unquote set and
together for the recital.
And so that's that's kind ofthat was the beginning.
And then kind of right afterthat, I moved back to Montreal.
And yeah.
colleyc (12:40):
It's just I love it.
You know, and I mean it's kindof a bit of your beginning
story, is what you're helpingnow young artists to do through
Concordia University.
I watched your two it's yoursecond year teaching there.
Is that is that accurate?
Ada Lea (12:54):
Is that it's gonna be yeah, my third in January.
colleyc (12:58):
Right.
So I saw your recitals at theend.
I they're not recital, them Iguess you're choking.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I really was impressed withuh what your students were able
to do.
How do you how do you seeyourself on that other side now?
Where you know you're coming upthrough trying to find people
(13:18):
to support you and and nowyou're doing that.
How does that process feel?
It feels like kind of youyou've you've come full circle
from needing support to nowgiving support.
Ada Lea (13:32):
Yeah, I mean there's I feel like I don't do very much.
They're there to I'm there tofacilitate you know, and to
offer support, but really they Ithink I think you're either
like compelled or you're not.
And the people that sign up forthat class because it's not a
(13:56):
requirement, they're either cuthey're like there's some level
of curiosity there, so it's it'skind of it's an easy role to be
in because then everyone that'sthere wants to to be exploring
and right.
Yeah.
colleyc (14:13):
It's really cool too, like there's such a variety of
of your students' styles andapproaches to songwriting.
Did did did those did thatcourse inspire you in a way with
your own art in your own, youknow, creative process?
Ada Lea (14:32):
For sure, seeing the students you know, do their
their thing and explore and in away they it's everything is new
for them, most of them.
So they're taking risks that Ihaven't taken in a while or I
hadn't taken in a while, and Ifelt kind of I mean for the past
(14:54):
few years I felt just kind ofblocked creatively can't get
can't get myself to to reallylike lock in.
You know, being so distractedand just recently I've I've
(15:14):
tried to to find another wayaround it, but yeah, the
students kind of helped merealize how blocked I had been.
colleyc (15:25):
Yeah, and uh just reading about your latest
release when I paint mymasterpiece.
I mean just a spectacularrecord.
I was so happy the first listenthat I had of this just to hear
your your music again, freshstuff.
Uh because I must admit I out Iwore out the other two records
through overplaying them.
(15:45):
So it was great to to hearthese new new songs.
But in in the re in the thehistory of this record, I heard
that or I had read that it was,yeah, you were kind of coming
out of this period where it wasmuch more difficult for you to
be creative.
And did you look at otheroutlets to kind of help inspire
(16:06):
the music?
Because I I know also you'reyou're you're a great painter
and like you're you're an artistoverall, like you you dabble in
art and creativity.
Did you find a vehicle in otherart to help you with your music
ever?
Like when you get into thatkind of funk where nothing just
seems to be flowing anymore,like maybe you could describe a
(16:29):
little bit of like what wereyour tools to kind of get out of
that and and refine you knowthe the beauty music that's
stored inside you already that'sjust waiting to come out.
Ada Lea (16:41):
So burnt out.
And I felt so inspired byschool and you know, in in
Quebec, school is so cheapcompared to everywhere else,
even just in Canada.
And it's so affordable thatlike even if you were to take
you know, classes, likecommunity classes, school,
(17:03):
you're getting the top educatorsand and kind of thinkers in the
city, and you're paying likeminimally.
So it just felt like the thebest case scenario that I would
go back to school and actuallystudy literature and that's and
painting and drawing.
So I wanted to do those thosethree things and get like
(17:25):
another degree after my jazzdegree.
And yeah, I had a dream of likegetting a master's too.
So I I think I just I wanted tolearn, I wanted to be in
environments where you knowthere were people that were
really knowledgeable about aspecific kind of thing that
could impart their knowledgeonto me.
colleyc (17:48):
That's amazing.
Oh great.
Again, more resilience here.
I love it.
Yeah.
And how did how did how didyour latest record come come to
be then?
Like, what did you have a hugeinventory of songs that you had
kind of compiled over time, orwas this like a very specific
project with a specific intentbehind it?
How how big or small was itwhen you were approaching your
(18:11):
latest release?
Ada Lea (18:13):
I really wasn't thinking of the release
whatsoever.
I was just kind of writingsongs with my friends.
I've spoken about it before,but we done this, it started off
really small, just a couplepeople where we would each
submit a song every three daysfor a month.
And so right there, you kind ofhave a record within month one
(18:34):
month.
colleyc (18:34):
Right.
Ada Lea (18:35):
And the songs vary, you know, like some songs are are
unlistenable, and then some, youknow, there's like a a bit of a
moment that you found exciting,so then you kind of revisit it
after.
But I I just I wasn't thinkingabout an album, I was just
writing as much as possible.
Yeah.
colleyc (18:56):
That's cool.
And how how is it back on theroad?
Or like you just mentionedbefore that you thought after
one hand on the steering wheeland the other slowing in garden
that maybe that was it.
Like I wasn't like, how did youre how did you refine that?
And are you enjoying it now?
Is it how's it going on theroad?
Ada Lea (19:16):
Yeah, it was really nice to to do this most this
most recent tour.
I I booked it with like Gil,who's my booking agent, and with
Chris who plays in my band, andhe was like, if I'm gonna be
driving, like I don't want todrive for seven hours and play a
(19:38):
show.
Can we have like a kind of capabout driving hours if if it's
show days too?
Because so we really were justtrying out this new system like
can it be sustainable?
Is it more sustainable?
And we were in bed by midnightmost nights, you know, sometimes
11 p.m.
Somehow it was just almostdreamlike.
colleyc (20:13):
So as we kind of come to a close here with what can we
expect from as we as the timerolls down along like are you
still actively writing music?
Is there gonna be are youlooking for next year to release
something else or more touring?
Is there any little highlightsof where the future lies?
Ada Lea (20:36):
Yeah, I'm always reading and I'm ready now.
I would like to do the nextrecord.
colleyc (21:18):
Well, I mean New York is full of you know it's uh
there's a plethora of peoplethat would love to record your
tour.
I mean I think it would be sucha privilege.
I mean I'm excited about thisrecord and about what to come.
(21:38):
I really want to just thank youfor for talking with me today.
Um it's a real story ofresilience, I will tell you to
tell you that.
It's been really fascinating.
We've only just been talkinghere for about half an hour, but
I feel super inspired.
And I wish you all the bestwith your art and your teaching
and your shows.
(21:59):
And if ever you'd uh love tocome in, I I mean, there's so
many other questions we couldtalk about.
I'd love to have you back.
Ada Lea (22:08):
Oh, thanks so much, Chris.
colleyc (22:10):
Well, thank you, and uh have yourself a great day.
Ada Lea (22:13):
Yeah, you too.
Down under the Panova, thecircles on bouncing off the
(22:36):
concrete Down under the spell ofthe Noggest night, the train
screeches by paying us no mind.
I'm looking out at the trainwith my back to bed, with my
(22:58):
eyes to the moon and back trainsmoving fast, like time goes
fast.
When I saw someone standing onthe track When I think of you,
(23:18):
you're in your apartment Morningsunlight streaming in When I
think of you, you're in yourapartment Down under the vans we
(23:59):
stand around Sippin' on greencats Down under the spell of an
aunting night out here.
We're living like we have allthe time And I remember cornerly
(24:21):
Southeast side of the streetWhere we used to meet When I
think of you, you're in yourapartment Morning Sun night
(24:45):
streamin' in When I think ofyou, you're in your apartment
One I think of you, you're inyour apartment When it's the
(25:09):
night One that's a view in yourapartment.
Alright, hello everyone.
Here we are, anotherepisode of ifitbeyourwill
podcast coming to you.
I love when I can getMontrealers to come on the show.
And today I've gotten thebiggest bass Montrealer, in my
humble opinion, to come on theshow.
I have Alexandra Levy fromAdelia from Montreal with us
(01:01):
today, and we're gonna exploreher latest record and her
protests and what is coming downthe road as well.
So Alex, thanks so much firstoff for coming in and and uh
sharing some of your yourstories and your process and
stuff like that.
But uh before we start, maybelike uh I tend to ask this first
(01:22):
question to most artists iswhen the the bug of music hit
you.
Like some of your earlyrecollections of when music
really started to elevate inyour mind to more than just you
know, yeah, that's cool, coolhobby.
Like, when did it start to belike, hmm, I think I really want
to continue doing this for along time?
Ada Lea (01:44):
Hmm.
I mean, just recently Istumbled across a home video.
I was about nine.
Maybe younger or maybe older,I'm not exactly sure, but I was
in my room singing along toChristina Aguilera's I Am
(02:05):
Beautiful, or You Are Beautiful.
Yeah, I am beautiful.
colleyc (02:09):
Yep.
Ada Lea (02:10):
And then my mom and brother are filming secretly,
and I get so mad at them.
But I really I like I really Ididn't remember having done
that.
And as I was watching back, Iwas like, oh, it it's
interesting that as a young kidI wanted to be able to sing and
really couldn't, and then themoments that I did, I was kind
(02:33):
of embarrassed or like made tofeel like I was doing something
embarrassing, and that's whythey were filming or laughing
and stuff.
So I think it started as ayoung kid, and then when I was
in high school, I don't know, Ican't I can't exactly remember,
but just feeling like it wasthis magical world, and I hadn't
(02:57):
been exposed to very much musicplaying.
And I just wanted to knoweverything.
I wanted to know how the notesworked, how like the theory
would line up, how you couldread music.
You know, this thing that youcan't that's so ephemeral, you
can't grip your hand around ityet.
(03:20):
You can read it on a page andit comes to life.
I don't know, the somesomething somewhere along along
the high school road.
colleyc (03:29):
And yeah.
And were you when is it thatyou first picked up an
instrument and and what was thatinstrument you first started
playing around with?
Ada Lea (03:40):
I had it it was my brother's bass, and at my high
school they were needing a bassplayer, and my friend was in the
band, and I really wanted to itwas like an after school and
before school activity, and itjust seemed so fun, like
(04:00):
everyone playing together, and Ifound it impressive too that
you know she was so good at mathand sciences and pretty
English, and then she also wasable to play music, so I just
felt inspired by her and Iwanted I wanted to play with
her.
colleyc (04:20):
And did was it always an interest too to not only play
but actually write your ownmusic?
Like was that always kind of inyour mind when you were like
getting into it and you knowplaying bass in high school and
like was it was that idea almostright away when you were when
you encountered music that yeah,one day I want to write music
(04:41):
and write songs and perform themfor people?
Ada Lea (04:44):
Yeah, I started writing songs almost immediately.
And yeah, I I I knew that Iwanted to write songs, but it
wasn't until much, much laterthat I actually started playing
them and recording them.
That I remember with um myfirst boyfriend, he would play
(05:06):
guitar and I was playing bass,and I wasn't really singing, he
was singing.
And I just it was so fun.
I I wanted I wanted to recordall the time.
colleyc (05:15):
Yeah.
I think that it's amazing whenyou first have that first
encounter with another musicianas well, and you're like
conversing through the music.
Like it's it's hard todescribe, right?
It's uh it's this feeling, thisthis joy that that erupts out
of you.
And like, what was your how didyou uh go about finding your
(05:38):
voice?
Because I mean you have such anamazing voice.
And you were saying that, youknow, at first you were kind of
shy about it, and like how didhow did that evolution happen
with finding your voice and andfeeling confident with it?
Ada Lea (05:53):
Yeah, it was a long, long journey, but I was pretty
much tone-deaf in CJEP.
I remember my first class, wehad mandatory, I went to Vanier
for music, and they have anamazing music program.
And at the time there was thiswoman named Erica Fair who
(06:15):
directed the Vanier choir, andyou had to do mandatory choir
and mandatory ear training.
And I remember not being ableto tell the difference between
two notes.
And this is, I mean, it justblows my mind too because I
somehow managed to get into theprogram with an audition.
So yeah, so at the time Icouldn't tell the difference
(06:38):
between two notes, I couldn'treplicate a sound, and I
couldn't match the notes.
And she it, I think she hadnever seen that in the program
before.
And yeah, my voice was just soblob.
And then after that, shortlyafter that, I was practicing in
a cubicle.
(06:58):
I remember in the basement ofSandy.
They haven't changed theirfacilities whatsoever.
It's still the same.
But yeah, in the basement, andthen my friend, these two girls
next door were playing, and Istopped practicing and I was
just listening to them.
They were singing, they hadwritten their songs, and then I
asked if I could join in with mybass, and then we just started
(07:22):
playing together.
And about a year later, theywere singing in harmony, and I
really wanted to sing along too.
And, you know, I would practiceand practice, and I still
couldn't hit any notes.
And then they said, like,maybe, you know, but we had a
show approaching, and I rememberone of the girls was like,
maybe it would be better if youdidn't sing.
(07:43):
And that was just so shatter,yeah, and shattering for for me.
And I stopped singing, yeah, Istopped trying to sing, and then
it was, I ended up getting afull scholarship to the new
school in New York.
And I, after the three years ofthe Vanier program, and so when
(08:05):
I went to New York, you know, Iwas very serious about bass,
and I was there on, you know, onthe big scholarship to to play
bass.
And when you are out of likethe mandatory lessons, you get
to choose who you want to, whoyou want to be your teacher, and
you have all of New York Citybasically to choose from.
It's an amazing opportunity.
(08:25):
And so I was studying with allof you know my base legends, and
I started to like get so muchpain in my I basically developed
tendonitis, and I couldn't doanything.
I couldn't hold my phone.
It was just horrible.
Couldn't, yeah, like I rememberlike trying to dress myself and
(08:46):
everything was hurting.
There would be tingling, couldand my hand would go numb.
And so I stopped playing bass.
I it was really, I had to stoptemporarily.
So for the next semester, mychoice of teacher was a voice
teacher.
And it was, to be honest, likebecause I saw Joanna Sternberg,
(09:07):
we were mates, we were friendsin school, you know, bass
buddies.
And I saw Joanna Sternbergplay.
They invited me up to this jamsession at Cleo's, and I didn't
know that they they were, youknow, they could sing.
It was, you know, they werehosting a jam session, so they
(09:28):
were playing bass, and Iremember them singing.
I didn't know what time it was.
And just singing, you know,there happened to be a mic, and
they were like, oh, can I tryand sing this one?
And I was, I couldn't believeit.
I couldn't believe that youcould sing and play these
standards.
And I love to sing them as Iwas learning them in my, you
(09:51):
know, the the comfort of my ownsmall spaces, but I would never
ever do it in public.
So uh yeah, after seeing Joannasing, then I saw my friend Dita
also sing standards.
I remember Dita singing at atFat.
She was singing T for Two inkind of uh Yeah, this yeah, it
(10:15):
like kind of a blossom deery-ishthing.
Anyway, I was so inspired.
And then after we went out tolike a diner, and then, you
know, with like the whole gang,and I was like, Dita, like where
where where do you learn tosing?
How do you sing like that?
And she's like, oh, like, youknow, I always sang in my in my
small spaces, but then I startedtaking lessons with this woman
(10:38):
named Kate Baker.
And so that was the same personthat Joanna had studied with.
And I was like, what are theodds that like two of my friends
are studying with the sameperson?
So I reached out to Kate and Icouldn't afford the lessons, but
I was like, Can I like I'llclean your apartment for you?
(11:00):
I'll I'll you know, I'll doanything to get some lessons.
What do I need to do?
And she was like, Yeah, comeand do admin work for me.
So yeah, I like tidied herplace and then did some admin
work.
And then and yeah, that it wasjust so amazing.
I I I was obsessed.
(11:20):
And she's so yeah, she she's acharacter of herself.
But yeah, so that's kind ofthat was the interesting
beginning of it.
colleyc (11:30):
It's unbelievable.
Like you never gave up.
You were like, no, yeah.
Find a way, I'll find a way.
And was it that mentorship thatthat started to unleash on all
these records that we now getthe privilege of listening to?
Like it was it shortlythereafter where you like said,
okay, I'm do I'm gonna do this,like be out there with your
(11:54):
voice and and record.
Ada Lea (11:57):
Yeah, so like the the following semester, which was my
last semester at the newschool, we had to do a concert,
and I still was like recoveringfrom tendonitis, but I could
still choose who I would get mylessons with, and so I chose
Kate and it could and they gaveme approval to to study with
someone outside of my maininstrument.
And she helped me, you know,all I wanted to do was sing
(12:21):
standards.
I loved singing standards.
So she helped me get like asmall quote unquote set and
together for the recital.
And so that's that's kind ofthat was the beginning.
And then kind of right afterthat, I moved back to Montreal.
And yeah.
colleyc (12:40):
It's just I love it.
You know, and I mean it's kindof a bit of your beginning
story, is what you're helpingnow young artists to do through
Concordia University.
I watched your two it's yoursecond year teaching there.
Is that is that accurate?
Ada Lea (12:54):
Is that it's gonna be yeah, my third in January.
colleyc (12:58):
Right.
So I saw your recitals at theend.
I they're not recital, them Iguess you're choking.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And I really was impressed withuh what your students were able
to do.
How do you how do you seeyourself on that other side now?
Where you know you're coming upthrough trying to find people
(13:18):
to support you and and nowyou're doing that.
How does that process feel?
It feels like kind of youyou've you've come full circle
from needing support to nowgiving support.
Ada Lea (13:32):
Yeah, I mean there's I feel like I don't do very much.
They're there to I'm there tofacilitate you know, and to
offer support, but really they Ithink I think you're either
like compelled or you're not.
And the people that sign up forthat class because it's not a
(13:56):
requirement, they're either cuthey're like there's some level
of curiosity there, so it's it'skind of it's an easy role to be
in because then everyone that'sthere wants to to be exploring
and right.
Yeah.
colleyc (14:13):
It's really cool too, like there's such a variety of
of your students' styles andapproaches to songwriting.
Did did did those did thatcourse inspire you in a way with
your own art in your own, youknow, creative process?
Ada Lea (14:32):
For sure, seeing the students you know, do their
their thing and explore and in away they it's everything is new
for them, most of them.
So they're taking risks that Ihaven't taken in a while or I
hadn't taken in a while, and Ifelt kind of I mean for the past
(14:54):
few years I felt just kind ofblocked creatively can't get
can't get myself to to reallylike lock in.
You know, being so distractedand just recently I've I've
(15:14):
tried to to find another wayaround it, but yeah, the
students kind of helped merealize how blocked I had been.
colleyc (15:25):
Yeah, and uh just reading about your latest
release when I paint mymasterpiece.
I mean just a spectacularrecord.
I was so happy the first listenthat I had of this just to hear
your your music again, freshstuff.
Uh because I must admit I out Iwore out the other two records
through overplaying them.
(15:45):
So it was great to to hearthese new new songs.
But in in the re in the thehistory of this record, I heard
that or I had read that it was,yeah, you were kind of coming
out of this period where it wasmuch more difficult for you to
be creative.
And did you look at otheroutlets to kind of help inspire
(16:06):
the music?
Because I I know also you'reyou're you're a great painter
and like you're you're an artistoverall, like you you dabble in
art and creativity.
Did you find a vehicle in otherart to help you with your music
ever?
Like when you get into thatkind of funk where nothing just
seems to be flowing anymore,like maybe you could describe a
(16:29):
little bit of like what wereyour tools to kind of get out of
that and and refine you knowthe the beauty music that's
stored inside you already that'sjust waiting to come out.
Ada Lea (16:41):
So burnt out.
And I felt so inspired byschool and you know, in in
Quebec, school is so cheapcompared to everywhere else,
even just in Canada.
And it's so affordable thatlike even if you were to take
you know, classes, likecommunity classes, school,
(17:03):
you're getting the top educatorsand and kind of thinkers in the
city, and you're paying likeminimally.
So it just felt like the thebest case scenario that I would
go back to school and actuallystudy literature and that's and
painting and drawing.
So I wanted to do those thosethree things and get like
(17:25):
another degree after my jazzdegree.
And yeah, I had a dream of likegetting a master's too.
So I I think I just I wanted tolearn, I wanted to be in
environments where you knowthere were people that were
really knowledgeable about aspecific kind of thing that
could impart their knowledgeonto me.
colleyc (17:48):
That's amazing.
Oh great.
Again, more resilience here.
I love it.
Yeah.
And how did how did how didyour latest record come come to
be then?
Like, what did you have a hugeinventory of songs that you had
kind of compiled over time, orwas this like a very specific
project with a specific intentbehind it?
How how big or small was itwhen you were approaching your
(18:11):
latest release?
Ada Lea (18:13):
I really wasn't thinking of the release
whatsoever.
I was just kind of writingsongs with my friends.
I've spoken about it before,but we done this, it started off
really small, just a couplepeople where we would each
submit a song every three daysfor a month.
And so right there, you kind ofhave a record within month one
(18:34):
month.
colleyc (18:34):
Right.
Ada Lea (18:35):
And the songs vary, you know, like some songs are are
unlistenable, and then some, youknow, there's like a a bit of a
moment that you found exciting,so then you kind of revisit it
after.
But I I just I wasn't thinkingabout an album, I was just
writing as much as possible.
Yeah.
colleyc (18:56):
That's cool.
And how how is it back on theroad?
Or like you just mentionedbefore that you thought after
one hand on the steering wheeland the other slowing in garden
that maybe that was it.
Like I wasn't like, how did youre how did you refine that?
And are you enjoying it now?
Is it how's it going on theroad?
Ada Lea (19:16):
Yeah, it was really nice to to do this most this
most recent tour.
I I booked it with like Gil,who's my booking agent, and with
Chris who plays in my band, andhe was like, if I'm gonna be
driving, like I don't want todrive for seven hours and play a
(19:38):
show.
Can we have like a kind of capabout driving hours if if it's
show days too?
Because so we really were justtrying out this new system like
can it be sustainable?
Is it more sustainable?
And we were in bed by midnightmost nights, you know, sometimes
11 p.m.
Somehow it was just almostdreamlike.
colleyc (20:13):
So as we kind of come to a close here with what can we
expect from as we as the timerolls down along like are you
still actively writing music?
Is there gonna be are youlooking for next year to release
something else or more touring?
Is there any little highlightsof where the future lies?
Ada Lea (20:36):
Yeah, I'm always reading and I'm ready now.
I would like to do the nextrecord.
colleyc (21:18):
Well, I mean New York is full of you know it's uh
there's a plethora of peoplethat would love to record your
tour.
I mean I think it would be sucha privilege.
I mean I'm excited about thisrecord and about what to come.
(21:38):
I really want to just thank youfor for talking with me today.
Um it's a real story ofresilience, I will tell you to
tell you that.
It's been really fascinating.
We've only just been talkinghere for about half an hour, but
I feel super inspired.
And I wish you all the bestwith your art and your teaching
and your shows.
(21:59):
And if ever you'd uh love tocome in, I I mean, there's so
many other questions we couldtalk about.
I'd love to have you back.
Ada Lea (22:08):
Oh, thanks so much, Chris.
colleyc (22:10):
Well, thank you, and uh have yourself a great day.
Ada Lea (22:13):
Yeah, you too.
Down under the Panova, thecircles on bouncing off the
(22:36):
concrete Down under the spell ofthe Noggest night, the train
screeches by paying us no mind.
I'm looking out at the trainwith my back to bed, with my
(22:58):
eyes to the moon and back trainsmoving fast, like time goes
fast.
When I saw someone standing onthe track When I think of you,
(23:18):
you're in your apartment Morningsunlight streaming in When I
think of you, you're in yourapartment Down under the vans we
(23:59):
stand around Sippin' on greencats Down under the spell of an
aunting night out here.
We're living like we have allthe time And I remember cornerly
(24:21):
Southeast side of the streetWhere we used to meet When I
think of you, you're in yourapartment Morning Sun night
(24:45):
streamin' in When I think ofyou, you're in your apartment
One I think of you, you're inyour apartment When it's the
(25:09):
night One that's a view in yourapartment.
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