Unplugged Lounge Conversations with Liset Alea

Cuban-born singer-songwriter Liset Alea has long been a captivating presence in the international music scene. Best known for her eight-year tenure as the lead vocalist of Nouvelle Vague, Alea’s voice has carried audiences through smoky reinterpretations of post-punk classics and into dreamlike realms of her own creation. Now, she returns with a fresh spark of energy through a new collaboration with award-winning songwriter and producer Lowly Light (Matt Gorny). Their single, “Find A Way,” is a shimmering fusion of indie dance and nu-disco — a song that glows with emotional depth while inviting you to move. In this conversation with Sonic Sisters Magazine, Liset opens up about her artistic evolution, the women who have shaped her creative path, and the profound emotional currents that run through her songwriting. From childhood performances in Havana to collaborations that blur the boundaries between vulnerability and strength, Alea reminds us that music isn’t just a calling — it’s a way of life.

Continue reading to learn more about Liset Alea. . . 

Thanks for chatting with us at Sonic Sisters Magazine! Can you share a bit about how your journey into music began?

I began singing as a kid, at eight years of age I was taking lessons and performing in little local TV shows, local theaters. I always knew I had to sing, in fact I didn’t even know it was something you ‘chose’ to do, it was just a fact of my life. I signed my first major deal with Warner at 16, this began a tumultuous love hate relationship with the music ‘industry’ but doing interesting creative projects & authentic collaborations always saved my life and soul, and still does to this day.

Who have been some of the most significant influences on your musical style?

I guess I was always into the emotional, intense and otherworldly vocalists such as Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Bjork, PJ Harvey, Annie Lennox, later on there was Agnes Obel who really resonated with me as well as Tracey Thorn ( what a singer!), Neko Case but I also loved the melancholic Brits such as Morrissey and Brett Anderson (Suede), Richard Hawley, Bowie, Scott Walker, Thom Yorke… okay, I want to listen to all of that right now!

And which female musicians or women in the music industry have inspired your journey?

I’ve always been drawn to women who create their own universe — artists like Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and PJ Harvey, who managed to stay completely authentic while bending genre and expectation. Their work taught me that emotion and intellect can coexist in music — that vulnerability can be an act of power. Also singers like Miriam Makeba & Celia Cruz, women who although they lived challenging lives, sang from a place of joy and power. I’m also inspired by women who carve space for others — from Bjork’s fearless experimentation to Laurie Anderson’s avant-garde vision.

How do your personal experiences shape your songwriting, and what do you hope listeners take away from those connections?

My songwriting has always been a way to make sense of life — to turn emotion into something tangible. I draw directly from personal experience: moments of connection, loss, wonder, displacement… all the contradictions that make us human. Sometimes it’s about forecasting something that has not even happened yet in my life and somehow it always does after I’ve written a song, like I’m casting a spell on myself.

Congratulations on your brand-new single ‘Find A Way’ - what inspired this particular song?

“Find A Way” really spoke to me the moment I heard it — it’s about resilience, self-doubt, and the courage to keep going when life tests you. Even though I didn’t write the lyrics, I connected deeply with the message of finding strength through vulnerability. As a vocalist, my goal was to bring that emotional honesty to life — to let the song feel both fragile and empowering at the same time.

What song (not your own) has had the biggest influence on you and why?

“Moon River” has always moved me in a way few songs do. There’s something about its simplicity — that quiet sense of longing and possibility — that feels eternal. It captures the feeling of drifting between worlds, chasing a dream while holding onto innocence. I love that it’s both nostalgic and hopeful at the same time. It reminds me why I make music: to touch that place where melancholy meets beauty.

Is there a song in your catalog that holds a special personal meaning for you? We’d love to hear the story or inspiration behind it.

“What Is Real” is deeply personal to me — my husband Rodriguez Jr. and I wrote it during the lockdown, a time when the world felt disconnected, and yet we were all craving something genuine. It became our way of asking what truly matters when everything else is stripped away. Beyond being a love song, it’s about connection, truth, and the rare grace of finding something — or someone — real in an inauthentic world. I was also pregnant when I wrote & recorded it.

What are some of the aspirations you have for your music moving forward?

Moving forward, I just want to keep refining what I do — distilling all the experiences, sounds, and stories into something more honest and fine-tuned. I’m chasing that mix of rawness and grace, especially in the voice — fewer filters, more feeling. If I can leave a few beautiful songs behind that still mean something years from now, that’s already a huge accomplishment in my book

What advice would you give to emerging female artists who are just starting out in the music world?

Don’t waste your precious time with boyfriends/girlfriends but also waste a lot of time with boyfriends/girlfriends. You know what I mean?

Before we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?

Cultivate yourself with as much music as possible, you will grow rich in variety and inner life. Push your musical boundaries, listen to all sorts of music and genres. Expand your sonic garden! And then enjoy the silence.