Eight years after releasing her first album under the alias Ex:Re, Elena Tonra returns with Save As, a new record she never even intended to write. And we couldn’t be happier that she did. The album began to take shape in 2023, when Tonra brought years-old song sketches to Fabian Prynn, the producer behind her debut solo album.
What stands out most about Save As is its compelling blend of dreamy vocals and hypnotic acoustic guitar, creating an intimate, almost otherworldly atmosphere. And, of course, there are the deeply poignant lyrics, offering a window into the artist’s mind and drawing us so close that we feel as though we’re experiencing every emotion right alongside her. The album opens with ‘Radio Station’, the first single, released on 15 September 2026. A powerful anthem exploring the workings of the artist’s mind, it finds Tonra singing, “I’m a changing radio station”, a metaphor for the paralysis that comes with indecision. Its lyrics mix together fragments of her own memories and snippets of overheard conversations, blurring the lines between the personal and the everyday.
The second track, and second single, ‘Sleep’, is, despite its title, one of the album’s most upbeat moments. Clever rhythms and unconventional drumming patterns give the song a captivating momentum, while Tonra’s beautiful vocals draw us into a scene of solitude and longing. Through her words, we can almost picture her writing alone in a hotel room, caught in a fleeting moment of introspection. It’s a feeling many of us know all too well ; the kind of quiet anguish that lingers long after the moment has passed, and that this song allows us to revisit.
The third track, ‘Am I Even Real?’, opens with Fabian Prynn’s remarkable drumming, an element that propels the song forward until its final moments. Once again, Ex:Re poses a question many of us have asked ourselves: who are we when we no longer recognise the person we’ve become in a relationship? It’s a deeply relatable sentiment, and one that makes Save As feel like one of Tonra’s most emotionally resonant records to date.
‘Frozen Aisle’ might just be the most moving song on the album. Through the line “Won’t make a fool out of myself in the middle of the frozen aisle”, Elena Tonra captures the sudden, overwhelming arrival of an emotion that feels almost absurdly out of place. A mundane setting becomes the backdrop for an unexpectedly crushing moment of vulnerability. Through her hypnotic, almost desperate vocals, singing over and over “No good things to say”, we feel the full weight of her anguish, while the delicate instrumentation blends seamlessly with her voice, transforming her emotions into something that feels entirely our own. A poignant and beautifully crafted masterpiece, ‘Frozen Aisle’ may well be the album’s most emotionally powerful and lyrically accomplished moment.
Another deeply moving track is ‘Healing (slow)’, the album’s closing song, in which Tonra reflects on the death of her grandmother. With tender, heartbreaking lines such as “Sometimes she is here, sometimes she is gone” and “People disappear and we’re left to mourn”, she captures the disorienting nature of grief and the painful reality of learning to live with loss. It’s a quietly devastating conclusion to the record, one that leaves us with a profound sense of intimacy and melancholy. As the final notes fade, we’re reminded that Elena Tonra is, without a doubt, one of the most compelling songwriters of our generation.
Save As tracklist
Radio Station
Sleep
Am I Even Real?
Two Chords
Save As
Frozen Aisle
Wasp
Language of Love
Healing (Slow)
Save As is released on 30 October via 4AD