After seven years as a member of Montreal’s close-knit musical community, ambient folk singer-songwriter Alexia Avina was ready for a change last spring — and she knew western Massachusetts was just the place after visiting the region’s vibrant arts and music scene several years ago.
“I discovered this area, it was about four or five years ago,” Avina says. “It was the first tour I’d done. A friend had booked it and so that was my experience of this Valley. It was our favorite spot to play on along the tour. It was such a magical time. And so, I was looking for any opportunity to come back and play shows here because it’s definitely one of my favorite spots. It had been one of the few spots that I’d considered moving to in the U.S.”
Now Avina, 26, lives at the same house venue in Hadley that she played a show at all those years ago. Her Canadian visa was set to expire this year, so she decided to make the Pioneer Valley her new home in mid-June.
After moving to the Valley, Avina released her third full length album on Oct. 9 titled “Unearth.” The 11-song record combines her folk guitar and vocals with synth, piano, bass and drums.
Some of the songs are about processing the relationship through an introspective lens. Other songs are about “fumbling my way through other relationships” after a breakup, as well as acknowledging personal barriers in her life.
“It was kind of this album that helped me to process my breakup in a very graceful way filled with a lot of gratitude and acceptance,” she explained. “It was a recognition of what was there that was beautiful as well.”
The album was recorded during the past few years at Breakglass Studios in Montreal. She spent up to a year rehearsing with a backing band before going into the studio, which resulted in a “seamless recording process.”
“Most of the songs we got down in just two takes,” she added. “Often it was the first take and we were like, ‘Yup. We got it. But let’s take one more to be sure.’ It was just a relief to have that feeling. Right now, I’m looking to record the next batch of songs and it’s so stressful, particularly because I don’t have that synergy in place with the band.”
Avina started writing songs around 14 years old, but had been taking piano lessons since she was 9. Though she and her family lived in Thailand for most of her formative years, she was able to attend an all-girls rock camp in the Portland, Oregon area where her father’s side of the family is from. That experience helped shape her as a performing artist.
“I think I was 12 when I went to my first girls’ rock camp in Portland, Oregon,” she added. “I went two times to that camp. The first time I learned how to play electric bass. The instrument was bigger than I was. The second time, I learned electric guitar. I was around 14 at the time. I got my first acoustic guitar after that point. That’s when I started learning and playing and writing songs on my own.”
And then, in her early 20s, Avina moved to Montreal, where she was introduced to more experimental music styles and discovered an interest in ambient electronic music.
“I experienced what it’s like to be part of a music scene and community,” she added. “I was kind of welcomed into this ambient electronic experimental world and through that I definitely gained a lot more knowledge and experience.”
Though the new record is out, these days with the COVID-19 pandemic, she’s not playing gigs on a regular basis.
“It’s interesting,” she noted. “I feel like with all my releases there’s been something. I’ve never had a proper release show, so on the one hand it’s consistent with my history of releases. But on the other hand, this is definitely my biggest production to date. Not being able to support it with a tour is not ideal.”
Despite the circumstances, Avina felt the timing was right for the album’s release, with its “calming” atmosphere.
“I feel like the pandemic has caused a lot of people to spend more time that is just slowed down with themselves and they can focus on other aspects of their life and their psyche,” she added.
For more information about Avina or to listen or purchase “Unearth,” visit alexiaavina.bandcamp.com/album/unearth.
Chris Goudreau can be reached at cgoudreau@gazettenet.com.