Austra

Katie Stelmanis, the founder and creative force behind Austra, has been luring listeners into her darkwave-driven electro-pop world for nearly two decades. Her weighted melodic phrasing and distinct bel canto vocals unfurl into ethereal atmospherics that gesture toward a haunted past while wryly tethering the music to a lyrical present.

Across Austra’s entire catalog, Stelmanis’ voice has operated as an ever-evolving instrument — one capable of shaping both mood and structure. Serving as a baseline and infinite source of creativity, her vocals move fluidly through evocative and emotionally charged compositions. During the creation of her most recent release, Chin Up Buttercup (2025), that sensibility became the gravitational pull of the project.

After sifting through a wealth of written material reflecting on a recent past filled with heartache and redemption, Stelmanis entered a close collaborative songwriting process with co-producer Kieran Adams, known for his work with The Weather Station and U.S. Girls. What emerged was a series of serendipitous sessions during which the pair discovered how her voice — captured in various states of tension and release and quiet strength — could guide both composition and production. These moments ultimately formed the emotional architecture of each track on the ten-song release.