Author: leilaadu.com

saturday may 12
Bill Direen
Hamish Kilgour
Leila Adu
@ The Cakeshop
152 Ludlow Street
New York, NY 10002

friday may 11
Bill Direen
Hamish Kilgour
Leila Adu
@ Kung Fu Necktie
1250 N Front St
Philadelphia, PA 19122

saturday april 13
Hamish Kilgour + Leila Adu
@Ding Dong Lounge
929 Columbus Ave
Upper West Side
New York, NY 10025

monday march 18
The Miz’Ries (Leila Adu/Jeff Snyder/Quinn Collins)
@ Public Assembly
70 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Photo by John Munson, The Star Ledger

“The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra musicians rehearse new works by Princeton University graduate student composers at Richardson Auditorium. Professor Michael Pratt sits on the conductor’s stool and discusses revisions with graduate student Leila Adu-Gilmore after hearing her piece played.” Princeton, Tuesday, December 11, 2012, The Star-Ledger

See more photos by John Munson of the NJSO readings at The Star Ledger

The Electric Foundry — Past and Present Electronic Works

Celebrating our LAST PIANOS RESIDENCY SHOW THIS WEDNESDAY 19th at 9PM. Futurospective: Song of the Day No. 6 is the electronic alter-id, rare and unreleased oh!

Rare Cuts from the Lilburn Electroacoustic Studios (2003.)

Chronological clips have caught up to an EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW to the 5th album! Now for the moment you would have waited for had you known it was about to happen…

This is my first fully created album track programmed in Ableton with beat loops, vocal layers, some warm real vintage synths and final mixing wizardry from Mike Gibson in Wellington, NZ.

Recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audion in Chicago on a brill small Wurlitzer!

“Still got my teeth and my nine pairs of shoes

Still got my teeth n’ food n’ shelter n’ shoes oh
Am I torturing you?

My neighbour is no better than you
My family is no better than you
My skin is the same if not darker than you
Well, I’m sorry if your skin’s a ticket to disaster for you”
— Ode the Unknown Factory Worker, Leila Adu

I have a huge soft spot for my second album, ‘Cherry Pie.’ I wanted to record with New Zealand producer David Long who is lead guitarist in NZ indie band, ‘The Mutton Birds’ (love the lead guitar lines in that band!) makes music for TV and film, including hobbit music for Lord of the Rings, music for dance projects – a close collaborator with amazing dancer Douglas Wright. I digress… We received funding from NZ on Air which I was extremely grateful for, allowing us to rehearse with my amazing line-up (more soon…), with plenty of time for my vocal overdubs and David’s banjo, electric guitar and mellotron loops. Usually bound to chords and accompanying myself, I even had time for organ bass (with my feet?!?) and keyboard melody lines!

Bokoo: “Bokɔɔ” (sounds like “bockaaw”) means ‘soft’ in my father’s native language, Ashanti Twi – as in, “How are you?” “Soft” (cool.) The vocal line reminds me of Roy Orbison a bit…

[this kitten is still available in CD from NZ; otherwise email – info at leilaadu.com ; or you can buy it digtially at Bandcamp ]