Introducing… Liesa Van Der Aa

Sitting somewhere between Olga Bell and Oh Land, Belgian singer-songwriter and artist Liesa Van Der Aa has been creating unusual alternative pop-rock for over a decade. There are usually keyboards, synths, and some chunky beats involved somewhere, but anything else is fair game. Expect unusual song structures, odd motifs, and emotionally charged vocals. Vocally, I’m reminded of Olga Bell, but sonically, Lisea jumps from electric violins screaming like guitars to hip-hop beats and R&B smooches. Part of the fun is seeing what she is exploring.

For her new album ‘Caramel’, Liesa Van Der Aa focused on chopping her music into cut-and-paste elements. Vocals were performed in one take. Synths, loops, pianos, and samples were sliced up into tiny snippets and then put back together like Lego bricks. The single itself is smooth and buttery on the surface. Electric piano and vocal layers pour like warm honey over the sharp razors of the percussion, whilst strange effects and violins with a hint of tension quiver around them. It’s one of those tracks that takes a few listens to truly appreciate, but I am fully on board!

‘Caramel’ is the central track for the forthcoming album of the same name, due out in November. Whilst we don’t know what the themes of the album will be, Liesa has said the 12-track album is her most personal work to date. She describes the album as “like a snail on a razor blade”. ‘Caramel’ is available to pre-order on Bandcamp. If you are near Amor, Antwerp, Liesa Van Der Aa will be performing the new album on 9th December.

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