Ships in the Night (musician)
Electronic synthwave project by Alethea Leventhal.
Alethea Leventhal performs as Ships In The Night, a synthwave and electronic solo project. She splits her time between New York City and Charlottesville, Virginia. Her third LP, Protection Spells, came out on Metropolis Records on May 2, 2025.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Charlottesville, Virginia, US
- Genre
- electronic
- synthwave
- darkwave
- witch house
- goth
- dream pop
- ambient
- Years active
- 2014–present
- Label
- Cleopatra; Metropolis
- Current members
- Alethea Leventhal
Facts from the source article.
History
Leventhal formed Ships in the Night in 2014 after earlier music projects in high school and college. The debut EP, Ships in the Night, arrived in 2015, followed by the self-released full-length Myriologues in 2017, a witch house and chillwave album centered on loss and grief. Work on a new EP began in 2018, with recording starting in early 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed For a Sick World until 2021. That summer, Leventhal signed with Cleopatra Records and released her second album, Latent Powers, which explored themes of possibility and cathartic strength within darkness. In 2024 she signed with Metropolis Records for her third album, Protection Spells. The first single, "Some of Those Dreams", came out in November 2024, followed by "Blood Harmony" in April 2025. Protection Spells was released digitally on May 2, 2025, and on CD May 9, 2025, via Metropolis Records. The album contains ten original tracks, including the two singles and a cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence". Leventhal celebrated the album with a release show and tribute to David Lynch called "The Black Lodge Ball" on May 3, 2025, in Charlottesville and again on May 9, 2025, in Richmond, Virginia. Critics described Protection Spells as "magical and mythological" and noted its shift toward "good electro-pop".
Style and influences
Leventhal, the artist behind Ships in the Night, blends electronic, synthwave, darkwave, vaporwave, witch house, goth, dream pop, ambient, and neo-classical genres. Her sound relies on layered harmonies, synthesizers, and driving beats, contrasted by emotionally charged vocals and lyrics. Personal experiences, sleep issues, movies, ambient sounds like bird songs and church bells, and physical movement all fuel her creativity. She cites influences ranging from The Cure, Joy Division, and Depeche Mode to David Bowie, Kate Bush, Björk, Missy Elliott, Patti Smith, and the surreal world of Twin Peaks and David Lynch.
More in Cleopatra Records Artists
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced