Lena Rayne Allen - Reptile House

Born and raised in Athens, Georgia, singer/songwriter Lena Rayne Allen currently calls Boston home. Growing up, she couldn’t decide whether she wanted to pursue a career as an orchestral percussionist or research biologist. While trying out the former, she got her degree in the latter but never let go of her love for music and her obvious musical talent.

It was in Boston that she experimented with modular synthesis. Here’s hope she continues to experiment some more because her new single “Reptile House” combines classic folk elements with some unexpected sounds, which make the track all the more beautiful. “Reptile House” delights with its mellow, hypnotic flow and beautiful harmonies, which makes me think of the movie Jungle Book and the scene with Mowgli and the snake Kaa. And like in the movie, Lena’s song also has a positive outcome when she sings: “I know there’s so much much more to see but I’d be happy to resign / myself to stay inside the reptile house for the rest of my life,” appreciating the wonder of existence.

I asked Lena why she chose the Reptile House of all possible zoo exhibits, and she said:

“The reptile house has always been my favorite part of the zoo, even with all of the more spectacular animals (lions, giraffes, etc.) available to see. In the face of external pressures that instruct us to always want more, this song is a reminder that it’s okay to be content with a simple, conventionally un-spectacular life.”

Listen to “Reptile House,” our Song Pick of the Day:

Connect with Lena Rayne Allen and add “Reptile House” to your playlist as we add it to our #glamglarepick playlist on Spotify and YouTube:

Photo Credit: Julia Finocchiaro

Cover Art: Lena Rayne Allen