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 TITLE: Older & Wiser ARTIST: Ada WRITERS: Ada von Wannemaker LENGTH: 4:14 GENRE: Indie folk, baroque pop, indie pop PRODUCER: Reza Vranitzky LABEL: Take Action Records RELEASED: September 17th, 2014
 "Ada von Wannemaker released new music. Yes, you read that correctly. The German lo-fi princess has returned to make some new music, and we at Spin couldn't be happier. I know that I personally hold Ada in a very special place in my heart. She been one of the few artists keeping the quickly dying lo-fi indie folk/rock alive, and for that, I thank her. Ada has walked a fine line between love and hate for a long time in the music world now. When she first arrived on the scene, many of us labeled her as a folk artist sweetheart with a few mental problems. After her debut album was released, Ada was checked into a psychiatric hospital for suicidal ideation, only to leave again a few days later after what Culture Uncut reportedly called "a dramatic and destructive exit." Ada laughed off the article - and truly, the rest of the world did as well - because nobody could ever imagine that the redheaded sweetheart could ever do anything so chaotic. It seemed completely out of character for her. But our perception on Ada changed, little by little, as time went on...
Our first surprise was when Ada announced that she and the notorious Erich Hess had secretly been married. Honestly, like most people, I didn't even believe the rumors that they were dating. Ada, who at this point barely knew enough English to carry on an interview, seemed far too sweet and innocent for a man like Erich Hess. While many assumed that Erich's personality was just a front for public attention, the people who truly knew Erich knew that there was no way he could be the one not showing his full personality. The entire Hess clan seemed to live under one rule at the time, and that rule was "bare all." Ada's actions were watched closely, seeing if there were any more cracks in the porcelain.
It probably wasn't until the fight between Nina "Rum" Tarantino and Ada that anybody saw any true signs of unfavorable traits in Ada. Although there have been several different stories as to what happened on the Duke of Winchester (the ship that the Hess clan used to live on), the one that most people agree on is that Ada, unaware that Rum was even on the ship, walked in on Erich and Rum hanging out together. Although Ada has stated that she didn't catch Erich and Rum in any scandalous situation, she did feel that Rum was getting "too close" and should know boundaries when pursuing a friendship with a "married man." In a surge of shock and jealousy, she demanded that Rum be removed from the ship. When that demand was not met, Ada fell back into an intense depression, locking herself in a room and claiming that she was going to kill herself if Rum didn't leave. Psycho. Months later, there was a rehashing of this fight when Rum arrived at a party that Ada and Erich were throwing, and Ada immediately threw her out without hesitation. Although there hasn't been any other major public fights between Rum and Ada, there hasn't been any burying of the hatchets either, leading us to believe that there is still negative feelings between the two.
Of course, this isn't the only time that Ada has publicly threatened to kill herself in emotional times. When both she and Erich were on different tours, a fight started between the two on Twitter, which escalated to Ada implying that she had the means and the want to end her own life. Like several times before, Ada's best friend - and Erich's ex-wife - Erica Kobayashi was the one to clean up the mess between the two. "Erica has been on 'suicide watch' more times than I can count," Ada said in an interview once, tears in her eyes. "She is very skilled at picking up the pieces of my broken psyche." Ada has attributed her constant emotional downward spiral to a personality disorder known as Borderline Personality Disorder, and also PTSD from events in her childhood, although she's never been open with what those events are. In fact, very little about Ada's past is known, except for that she lived in Bonn, Germany, and discovered her love for music when she was in college, where she was an Industrial Design major. She started off as a backup singer in the German metal band Mannheim (I know, right? Ada used to be in a metal band), where she dated the lead singer, Richard K., who took his own life suddenly, leaving her alone. She became friends with Nichole Shade and Castor Drake from Vile Hour, and followed them around on tour, where she met The Harlots and Atomic War Bride, who supported her in starting a solo career. Erich Hess, leader of Atomic War Bride, met her on this tour, but they reportedly didn't start seeing each other until much later.
And then there was Ada and Erich's sex tape. But we'll try not to talk about that.
The biggest event that has happened so far in Ada's life is giving birth to her and Erich's daughter, Marlena - named after Marlene Dietrich, whom Ada has sited as one of her major influences. For the most part, Ada's intense emotional reactions have slowed down now. In fact, she almost seems like she's back to the Ada that we were introduced to at the beginning of her career. Her English has improved greatly, and her attitude, although occasionally slipping into the depressive side, seems to be greatly improved since the birth of Marlena. So there you go, ladies and gentlemen: Proof that having a baby can fix everything wrong in your life. (That's not true, don't quote me on it.)
Anyway, I know that I personally was more than a little bit excited when Ada said that she was releasing new music, especially when I heard the name of the new single: "Older & Wiser." It's exactly the kind of title that I wanted Ada's newest single to be called. She's older and wiser now. She's matured. She knows how she seemed when she first started the crazy game of thrones/music, but she's ready to show people how far she's come. God, I was excited, guys. And the song exceeded my expectations. She doesn't spend the entire song trying to explain herself, or even trying to apologize for how she acted a year ago. She simply sings, "We're so much older and wiser now / We've made it this far and we don't know how," in that absolutely exhausted voice that Ada seems to take on in her songs when she's singing about something very emotional - as if the emotions are almost too much for her to bear. She's not ashamed of how she was. In fact, she's almost the opposite. She's proud of how far she's come from where she was to where she is now - and not only her, but her husband, too.
Of course, the song could be taken several different ways, but the most accepted analysis of the song is that Ada is singing to her husband, telling him that they have made so many changes in their life for their daughter, and that she's willing to change more if it were benefit Marlena in the end. She takes a very minimalist approach to the music, making sure that her voice and lyrics is the focus of the song - as is the case in many folk and indie songs. Julia Lawless, a friend of Ada's, sings back-up on the track, adding the "Da, da, da's" throughout the song. At the end, after "Of you," Ada joins in with her, their voice flowing perfectly together until the sound is cut. The first time I listened to the song, I was dumbfounded by how a simple song could be so emotional. I'll admit it, I almost cried. Ada once again cut out her soul and threw it on the table, saying, "This is who I am. This is how I feel. Take it or leave it."
In the end, would I say that this was the track that I would have chosen as a comeback single? No. But that's the thing about Ada - she isn't trying to impress anybody. The fact that she came back with such a slow song - that may not attract the mainstream listener, but does mean a lot to her - is more indie than anything else. It's nice to see an artist that is making music for herself rather than for the fame. And it's also nice to have a reminder that artists need the healing power of music just as much as we do." - Bridget Mauly
I hope we're alive this time next year
And we can say we have time to share
I'd say it's going well thus far
I'm so in love with who you are
And I am a stronger person for you
And I am knowing every part of you
(Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da)
We're so much older and wiser now
We've made it this far and we don't know how
Will we ever understand our sounds?
Will we become part of what we've made?
And I am talking like I understand
And I'm destroying every plan I've made
And I am a stronger person for you
And I am knowing every part of you
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da
Of you
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da da
Da da, da da da da, da da, da da daSOUNDS LIKE:
Sufjan Stevens - All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands
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