Ex:Re

Ex:Re

Ex:Re is the solo project of Elena Tonra, the London-born frontwoman and guitarist of Daughter. Tonra is associated here as a person rather than a group act, and Ex:Re draws on alternative rock, indie rock, indietronica and singer-songwriter styles.

Formation and debut release

Ex:Re begins in November 2018, when Daughter announces a break from activity and Tonra starts work under this name. The project’s self-titled debut album appears later in 2018, following the single “Romance”. The record is shaped around absence and memory, and Tonra describes it as dealing with the space left by another person rather than direct relationship detail.

Collaboration with 12 Ensemble

In February 2021, Tonra announces Ex:Re with 12 Ensemble, a collaborative album that reimagines the original Ex:Re songs for strings. The string arrangements are made by composer and Ex:Re cellist Josephine Stephenson, and the performances are captured live at Kings Place in London in November 2019. “Where The Time Went” is issued as the first single from the project, with a video directed by Tonra showing empty London streets.

Writing and themes

Tonra says that writing for Ex:Re leads her to examine her own behaviour, including her relationship with alcohol. She also characterises the project’s writing as very personal, but centred on the experience of missing someone and the presence of absence rather than explicit relationship narratives.