Austra Album Release
Feel It Break is the spellbinding debut album from Canadian four-piece, Austra.
The newcomers from Austra have some of the coolest-sounding names in the business. Combine Katie Stelmanis (vocals), Dorian Wolf (bass), Maya Postepski (drums) and Ryan Womsiak (keys) and you end up with Austra, the ethereal new four?piece out of Toronto. Katie Stelmanis has been dabbling in music since the tender age of ten, with influences rooted in classical music, dance, pop and punk. Tipped as the next big thing to come out of Canada, Austra have already begun to make waves worldwide. Unlike a lot of other rock and folk acts to hail from the Great White North, Austra's sound fuses Stelmanis' operatic vocals with a dark brand of electronic pop that is reminiscent of The Knife but also errs on the sleazier side of eighties New Wave. With subtly sensual, otherworldly melodies and song titles like 'Spellwork', 'The Villain' and 'Darken Her Horse', these dark masterpieces are appropriate for both seances and dance parties alike. Oyster caught Katie in London via the telephone wires to chat about Latvian goddesses of light, performing in an Estonian cave and her DIY approach to touring.
Rosie Dalton: How did Austra form?
Katie Stelmanis: I've been playing with Maya for about seven years; we were in Galaxy together. I just called her up out of the blue and she started playing with us. Then about a year ago, I started working with Dorian Wolf, who I met through friends and even more recently, Ryan has joined us on keys.
Would you say that the musical process for you guys is a dynamic one?
Yeah, it's definitely a constant evolution. The way that I write songs and play with other people is always changing. For example, when I started playing with Dorian we were on quite different pages musically, but we've come to know and appreciate each other's style over time.
Who are your main influences?
I get influences from a lot of different places and artists, but there are some mainstays. For example, Bj
Rosie Dalton
