Alessi’s Ark

Alessi’s Ark is the musical project of Alessi Laurent-Marke, a British singer-songwriter from London.

The most recent work, The Still Life is  both lucid and heartbreakingly lovely, a sonic landscape that roams a wide range of emotions, with (as the songwriter explains), “Nature and love, as common threads”.

“I wanted to create a musical landscape that varied in sound,” Laurent-Marke says, “but an overriding feeling of ‘stillness’ remained throughout the album. I also wanted to step back from playing acoustic guitar and immerse the songs in very different sound settings from previous recordings.

Only a few short years into her career, the London-based Laurent-Marke is already prolific: her first, self-released EP, 2007’s Bedroom Bound, garnered the then-teenage artist a major label deal and attention around the globe. A debut album soon followed, with Laurent-Marke heading to Omaha, Nebraska to record with producer Mike Mogis(Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley). The resulting Notes from the Treehouse (EMI/Virgin, 2009) was a testament to both Laurent-Marke’s evolving talents and to her affinity with a new wave of American singer/songwriters. 2011’s Time Travel, was widely praised by the press, with MOJO swooning, “The understated arrangements suggest you’re listening to a woman with impeccable taste…”

Warmth is all over The Still Life: in the shimmering production, in the players’ performances and in the slow, sweet sway that underlies all the album tracks. “The phrase ‘the still life’ has always resonated with me,” says Laurent-Marke of the album’s title. “In my mind ‘The Still Life’ is what we’re all aiming for, the chapter in our lives that we find peace and understanding, within us and in our surroundings.”

The Still Life was released 15th April 2013 on Bella Union records.