Leila Adu Trio feat. PUBLIQuartet
“Moonstone & Tar Sands”
Album, 2024 (Belts & Whistles)
“Moonstone & Tar Sands” is an album of contrasts — the title tracks represent romantic transfiguration into universal love contrasted and clear-eyed response to political reality. With rhythm section David Frazier & Jon Toscano featuring award-winning improvising string quartet PUBLIQuartet, Jazz Weekly asks: “This lady is on to something, both sonically and stylistically, forming a rich and personal language of her own. When’s she touring?”
Available on gatefold LP, digitally from Bandcamp and on all streaming services.
Leila Adu “flowers, or die”
EP, 2020 (Belts & Whistles)
“Adu proves yet again that she won’t allow herself to be boxed into just one genre or style of music in this 2020 EP. The release, “flowers, or die” explores the nuances of singer-songwriter territories, while breaking away from the generic form that this style of music is often critiqued for. In an EP that folds together four lilting, keyboard driven-protest songs, Adu manages to showcase a kaleidoscope of ideas that simply must be listened to on repeat.”
Available digitally on Bandcamp and all streaming services.
Leila Adu “Love Cells”
EP, 2016 (Belts & Whistles)
“Love Cells” is Leila Adu’s partner EP to her 2016 release “Scary Love Monster”. Together the pair is collectively known as “The Love EPs”. “Scary Love Monster” is an EP of global urban and suburban romantic ensnarement, impressionist avant-tronica written and recorded in Rome out of a suitcase and houses in Rome, London, Wellington and New York. With sound worlds of Grimm’s fairytales and Toni Morrison, these dark tales hint at moments of light and love.
Where “Scary Love Monster” warns of the perils of love in Grimm’s fashion, “Love Cells” speaks from the mundane 9-5 romantic love to the most abstract forms of love. The title track “Love Cells” signifies that we are all created out of vibration, light and love: “love yourself, each sacred atom of the world is connected to you”. From the intimate laptop recording moments of a cappella “Je T’aime”… to afrofuturist “The City” and the “Voodoo Lady”, a tribute to the city of New York and Mingus’ “The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady”… to the perverse post-colonial love of “Horror in Black and White”: “Did I bomb your village? Could I set you free?”
Available digitally on Bandcamp and on all streaming services.
Leila Adu “Scary Love Monster”
EP, 2016 (Belts & Whistles)
“Scary Love Monster” is an EP of global urban and suburban romantic ensnarement, impressionist avant-tronica written and recorded in Rome out of a suitcase and houses in Rome, London, Wellington and New York. With sound worlds of Grimm’s fairytales and Toni Morrison, these dark tales hint at moments of light and love.
After four studio releases, this EP is intimate, mostly self-produced, with the help of gear from friends and extra production from London dance producer Alex Morris in London and New Zealand drummer/producer, Riki Gooch and final-mixing in New Zealand. The first video from the EP is Bluebeards and Monsters.
“Between pop, weird jazz, dark lyrics and brainy experimentation at times reminiscent of Brian Eno’s early records…” – NYC Deli
Available digitally on Bandcamp and on all streaming services.
Leila Adu “Dark Joan”
Album, 2009
“Dark Joan”, Leila’s third album as a solo artist, was recorded in Chicago with the legendary Steve Albini (PJ Harvey, Joanna Newsome, Nirvana, Pixies).
“Within seven tracks, Leila Adu takes you on an aural journey that most progressive rock albums could only attempt to do. I see this album as a future classic”. — John M. Ellison IV
“Her resplendent soprano delivery of the line “A love that never dies” during this passage of “Wolfmen” ties her to the wonderful vocal legacies of Josephine Baker, Arooh Lemeen, Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald and Roy Orbison.” — URB ALT Online
Available digitally on Bandcamp.
Leila Adu “Cherry Pie”
Album, 2005
“Crossing the spectrum from sparsely haunting to loud and raunchy, Leila accompanies herself on piano and vintage organ with some of New Zealand’s top musicians. This second album was produced by David Long (producer of the year 2001 sound designer for the “Lord of the Rings”) and has received high acclaim, which only substantiates the awesome talent that is Leila Adu. Adu’s voice combines the ferocity of PJ Harvey and Patti Smith with the raw emotion of Fiona Apple and the unnerving drone of Nico.
– Salient Magazine ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Available digitally on Bandcamp.
Leila Adu “Dig A Hole”
Album, 2003
Leila’s debut album received blazing reviews in New Zealand and Australia. Following live recordings from Wellington’s International Jazz Festival, her music was broadcast nationally on television and radio.
“A unique mixture of jazz, pop, gamelan and bossa, full of striking imagery and delightful dissonant, droning harmonies”. – The Sunday Star Times ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Available digitally on Bandcamp.