Austra is an electronic-pop band, fused in with various sounds. They were formed in 2009 in Toronto which seems to be the mecca of Canadian music. Metric, my all-time favourite band, was formed in Toronto too. Austra is led by vocalist Katie Stelmanis. Katie Stelmanis, a native of Toronto herself, has been performing in music way before Austra was formed. A classically trained vocalist, she has been part of the Canadian music scene at the age of ten, where she performed in the Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus. Since then, she has used her unique vocal style as part of a solo career and also with her previous band, Galaxy. Katie has been compared to the likes of Florence Welch (of Florence and the Machine), Kate Bush, Bjork and PJ Harvey. There’s no doubt that Katie’s vocal style and range is rare these days. She ranks up there with powerhouses Adele, Florence Welch and the late Amy Winehouse.
Austra is composed of lead vocalist Katie Stelmanis, drummer Maya Postepski (also member of Trust, a band who I will discuss in my next post) bassist Dorian Wolf, backup vocalists (and twins) Romy and Sari Lightman and keyboardist Ryan Wonsiak. According to Wikipedia, the sound style/genre of Austra is classified as: synthpop, dark wave, new wave, dream pop and indietronica. Basically, it’s a fusion of different sound. No song sounds the same. One song can be heavy on the synth and the other can be full of drum sound. Because of that, each song has its own unique vibe. It’s like the album is a novel of sound, and each song is a chapter.
On May 17th 2011, Austra released their debut album entitled Feel it Break on their label Paper Bag Records. While Austra continues to fly under the radar, their debut album garnered plenty of praise. It was shortlisted on the 2011 Polaris Prize (which is a huge award in Canadian music) but sadly, they lost to Arcade Fire and their album The Suburbs. Newspaper Toronto Star called it the number one of album of 2011, saying it was an outright stunner. New York Magazine gave it the same honour, saying it was the top album of the year. On March 14th 2011, Stereogum named Austra as the band to watch. As more time passes, Austra gains awareness, selling out venues across North America. Soon enough, they’ll be a household name.
One of the reasons why Austra is one of my favourites is because of Katie’s vocals. The only top 40 artist that can match up is Adele. Katie’s voice is full of soul, power, passion and emotion. It’s theatrical without being over the top or excessive. Every song on the album showcases her talent. Whether she’s belting it on Lose It or making you feel like your heart is about to burst with emotions during their cover of the hit Roy Orbison, you can recognize that she’s a legitimate musician. While some classically trained vocalists tend to make their music very blah and bland, Katie manages to combine her style with the sound of electro-pop, thus making their music a huge dance fest. I was lucky enough to see Austra live and I would compare their show to a futuristic dance party that you have in your basement with all the cool arts kids. It’s good music without being pretentious, formulaic or styled after all top 40 hits. And if you don’t like electronic-pop, Katie’s vocals will suck you in. Most musicians just sing with their mouth. Katie sings through her heart and soul. She has perfect range and power and if you close your eyes, you would think that you’re listening to a choir of angels. Her voice is truly, truly beautiful. Because the rest of Austra excels at playing their instruments, they allow Katie’s voice to shine through like sunshine on a cloudy day.
Honestly, if I was possible to be in love with a voice, I’d be in love with Katie’s voice. No matter how many times I listen to Austra, I continued to be wowed and in awe like I’m listening for the very first time. I guarantee if you give Austra a chance, you’ll feel the same. And best of all, they’re on tour now so if you’re lucky like me, you’ll get to see them live. You cannot fully appreciate the album Feel It Break, the vocals of Katie and sound of Austra until you see them live. Allow yourself to dance freely and without judgement while being under the spell of Katie's vocals, leaving you utterly enchanted. Listening to Feel it Break will be a whole new experience after watching them perform. I promise. I posted the link to their official site, so please check it out for tour dates and more information.
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