Interview Daughter’s Elena Tonra on the heartbreak and catharsis of her debut solo album

Daughter vocalist Elena Tonra has announced details of a debut solo album as Ex:Re. The self-titled album is out this Friday (30th November), and is being previewed by first single ‘Romance’.

Helmed by a whirring bassline and earthy percussion, the track circles around ruminations on the end of a relationship, something the record tackles throughout. A breakup record in the truest sense, the album flits back and forth between feelings of regret, sadness and relief, all laid out like diary entries that provide a window into a process of recovery.

The album was recorded at the in-house studio at 4AD, co-produced by Elena and Fabian Prynn (DD Dumbo), who adds textured, thumping percussion to the album, which also features luscious strings from composer Josephine Stephenson. It still keeps the icy, sombre tones of Daughter, amped up by the subject matter that’s embedded in its fabric, but it also sees Elena breaking out into new ground, most noticeably on the bright, vibrant ‘Crushing’, and the rumbling ‘New York’, which recounts a hazy, drunken stumble through the titular city.

With the album out on Friday, we headed to the studio to meet Elena and talk about the heartbreak that inspired the album, and the catharsis gained from creating it.

Watch the video for ‘Romance’ and read the interview below.