Name: Alexandra Helmig aka Ada Morghe

Nationality: German
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, actress
Current release: Ada Morghe's conceptual album Lost is out via Lalabeam.
Recommendations: One of the books that inspired me as an artist is the classic Letter to a poet by Rainer Maria Rilke in which he asks the young poet to find beauty in the ordinary.
Musically I would recommend listening to “Leavin” by Shelby Lynn. This song makes me cry whenever I listen to it, it's sad, strong and hopeful at once.  

If you enjoyed this interview with Ada Morghe and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her official website. She is also on Instagram, and Facebook.



When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

I started playing the piano when I was six, but for a very long time it was my hidden treasure, my soul reliever. A very important mentor was my first piano teacher, who taught me to improvise and to listen carefully, not only to the notes but also to the silence in between.

As my professional music career started very late, in my 40s, it cannot be told without my other artistic ways. Experiences from my work as an actress and a writer influence my songwriting and vice versa. Since childhood I had the need to express myself and create islands as I often was overstimulated by the world. As a teenager I wanted to be a jazz singer, then a friend encouraged me to audition for an acting school as music lessons were part of the education.

While working as an actress I started writing monologues for me and other actors which led me to start writing my first play. I then turned one of my plays into a script and the composer of the movie chose one of my songs for the soundtrack. This is how I got to meet my producer Hans-Martin Buff who introduced me to my amazing musicians in London. This was 2017 and that's where it all started.

My influences come from many artists. I admire Patti Smith and the performance artist Marina Abramovic for their power and strength following their artistic way. Musically I am inspired by Sade, Michael Kiwanuka, Lady Blackbird, Adeline, Labrinth, Liane le Havas, Emeli Sandé and many more.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colors. What happens in your body when you're listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

A friend of mine also sees colors when she listens to music and each letter corresponds to her in a specific color.

I'm fascinated by people who have that multi-sensory perception. Some great artists have this special ability, called “synaesthesia” as well. Kandinsky i.e. saw colors when he heard music. In his art you can really see the connection between color and sound, and it absolutely makes sense that some of his paintings have musical titles such as “composition” or “Improvisation”.

At first, I was a bit jealous of my friend, because I imagine her world being extremely colorful. On the other hand, my brain is constantly working, so I guess I should be thankful not having this special form of perception. When I listen to music, it's primarily a physical response. It makes me either loose myself in daydreaming or dancing, depending on the style of music.

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

A personal breakthrough in my life was the making of my movie Frau Mutter Tier. I wrote the script, produced the film, played one of the main roles and wrote a song for the soundtrack. The main challenge was not to mix my different artistic roles, to still be open to the creative process, while trusting and following my inner voice.



I've been told many times that I should focus on one way, but I realized that I limited myself as an artist. I think an idea/a story that wants to be told finds its form. I just happen to be the mother of many different children, which is sometimes exhausting, but also very inspiring. The actress and my knowledge of the importance of timing inspires the singer and the writer and my passion for rhythm inspires the songwriting. Everything is connected, but it's all coming together in the music.

This is why from an artistic point of view I would say Lost is my most personal album, as I fully trusted my voice and the musicians, and my producer followed my vision and helped me bring it to life.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

I grew up in a very small village. There was little variety there, so I had to use my imagination to color life.

I often went for long walks with my best friend at the time. Especially at the weekends we went for long hikes to explore the world. Most of the time we only got as far as the next village, but to us it felt like a huge adventure, a journey into the unknown.

These early childhood memories and the feeling of boundless freedom still feed my fantasy. Even though I was often quite bored, I've learned early to see loneliness as something positive and very useful and I need moments of solitude to recharge my artistic soul.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

No matter what art form, I want to inspire people and encourage them to follow their passions and dreams. To look for their stories, their approach, and their voice. Storytelling is a fundamental part of being human. In stories we share information in a way we can emotionally connect. Being creative is something very powerful, we are forced to deal with our fears, which can be very healing.

I see myself as a storyteller. Every story leaves a mark in the world and might inspire other people to create their own stories. This is also the theme of my album Lost: “Beyond every story, there's a story and another one and another one …”

How would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

When I write a song, I don’ think in genres. As an artist I don't want to be put in a box. I want to surprise myself as much as possible. Even though I think it's not possible for any art to be made completely outside of traditions. Our culture heritage influences our lives and creative outlets. No matter if it's music, literature, or visual art, I am inspired by both the old masters and contemporary works. I love Gregorian chants as much as I love to listen to soul, acid jazz or techno.

I am a very associative thinker; I like to get involved in the creative process without knowing exactly where it is leading. I have very high-quality standards, but I don't aim for perfection. To me, perfection is boring. The most interesting pieces of music are often the result of supposed mistakes. Somebody messed up and suddenly that's the tone that gives the song its magic touch.

To say it with Leonhard Cohen's words: “There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.”



This is probably what we then call timeless music. The nice thing, however, is that there is no recipe for magic.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

My main instrument is the piano. Since childhood, this was my place of retreat. In improvisation I can let myself go and transfer my emotions directly in this moment.

I started learning the guitar two years ago, because I wanted to expand my songwriting skills. It's quite interesting because the songs I write on the guitar sound different.

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work, please.

My days are very different, depending on whether I'm finishing a book or about to go to a concert or a reading. I used to think I needed that variety to be creative, but just like most creatives, I need routines.

I've been going ice bathing in the mornings in Winter for about three years. Five minutes in cold water is like a long, very intense meditation and awakens my spirits. Afterwards I go into the bathtub for about twenty minutes and read a book. Preferably one whose language excites and inspires me. This changed my life.

If I don't have the possibility to go ice bathing, I start the day with a breathing / meditation technique by Wim Hof.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece, live performance or album that's particularly dear to you, please?

One of the most magic creative processes was the making of the song “Oh my love” from my previous album Box.



I wrote an essay about the element air for a German magazine which turned out to be a love letter to the air. In the studio I read the lyrics to my musicians and hoped, that they would stand up, go to their instruments, and improvise. Which they did.

As soon as I heard the first notes, I knew this was the song. It doesn’t' have the usual structure of verse and refrain, but that's what makes it special. Finding your creative family, people who understand you and are willing to contribute their personality and creativity in your project, is the biggest present you can get as an artist.

As much as I love working in a team and growing with each other, I also love to be in dialogue with myself. This magic feeling when you are in a creative flow and words just seem to gush out, or melodies fly to you from the universe.

Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?

Like everyone, I have many sides. There is the introverted Ada, who needs a lot of time and space for herself to be creative. But there is also the extroverted Ada, who loves to be on stage and feel the energy and connection to the audience and my band.

That's why I very much enjoy the process of writing a song or a story which is usually quite intimate, but bringing it to life, sharing it with others on stage and with an audience is what keeps me going.

How do your work and your creativity relate to the world and what is the role of music in society?

Music can be the vehicle for social changes and transcend borders. It can bring people together, nourish them or have a healing effect. There's probably no art that makes us feel more connected than being in a room together singing, making or listening to music. It allows us to feel nearly all emotions that we experience in our lives.

I love the idea that people around the world listen to my songs and enrich them with their stories and emotions. “We are one” is an expression of that and one of my favorite songs of the new album Lost.



Art can be a way of dealing with the big topics in life: Life, loss, death, love, pain, and many more. In which way and on which occasions has music – both your own or that of others - contributed to your understanding of these questions?

My new album Lost sums up life in a musical way, the circle of life, death, and rebirth. Its highs and lows, its questions, and answers.

My musical journey on Lost was also a time of intensive confrontation with the big themes of life and helped me to understand myself in many places. I hope to inspire people to get lost while listening.

How do you see the connection between music and science and what can these two fields reveal about each other?

I see a strong connection between music and science. Besides the fact that both use mathematical principles, music resonates in our body, it can change our mood, even have a healing effect on our body.

I love what Einstein said: “Life without playing music is inconceivable for me. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music. I get most joy in life out of music.”

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

The process of creating is a journey into the unknown, you need to be willing to leave your comfort zone or even get lost from time to time.

Making yourself a great coffee is a routine action that brings satisfaction (I'm a coffee maniac), it might even be the initial spark for an idea, but it's not comparable to the process of creating a piece of music or a poem or any kind of art.

I love to create and express myself in different artistic genres, but music is the one where it all comes together.

Music is vibration in the air, captured by our ear drums. From your perspective as a creator and listener, do you have an explanation how it able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages?

I think one of the reasons why music touches our souls so deeply is its rhythm.

We are surrounded by sounds and patterns. As an embryo we hear our mother's heartbeat and this has a calming effect on us. Music goes straight into our heart, because our body resonates with the vibration, which can trigger deep emotions.

However, that only happens when you really get into the music. A Tik Tok video certainly can not evoke such deep emotions. There is hardly any art in which we can feel so closely connected. Therefore, singing together is for most people the greatest happiness.