Aussie tunesmith savors doing her own thing

Lenka Kripac's new album shows her departure from upbeat commercial hits. Provided to China Daily

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Australian-born singer-songwriter Lenka Kripac, better known as Lenka, will kick off her first China tour in support of her new album, The Shadows. It marks her transition to being a new mother, an independent singer-songwriter and her departure from the upbeat commercial hits on her previous two albums, such as The Show and Trouble Is a Friend.

"When I left my label, I felt very liberated and wanted to try being completely in charge for once. To be in the studio with no one's expectations but your own is a pretty special kind of happiness," says Lenka, 36.

The singer-songwriter's third album is a step in a different direction. Released on her own Skipalong Records, The Shadows keeps Lenka's voice soft and sweet. She describes the new album as "lullabies for adults".

"We usually think of lullabies as kid's music, but songs in this album are lullabies for everyone," she says. "The sound of this album has become more dreamy, folky and more indie. I wanted to make a lullaby album for myself and my fans to sleep and dream. You listen to it, you drift off to sleep, and then I'm in your subconscious."

The title of the album, The Shadows, is also a symbol for her. For Lenka, the shadows are memories, dreams and thoughts, which make up her life.

"I've always been a bit obsessed with shadows and their meanings. My final high school artwork was all about shadows and I often refer to them in lyrics," she says. "It's almost like the songs are my shadows, remnants of myself that I've left behind."

Her new motherhood, Lenka says, has helped her grow up a lot in the past two years and her whole perspective has shifted. She has re-evaluated everything and it has affected her song writing and approach to music in general. She even uses her newborn's heartbeat to open one of the songs.

"It feels like everything has become more weighted and important, almost serious, but still full of wonder and optimism," she says.