Classically schooled Canadian vocalist and composer Katie Stelmanis is back as AUSTRA with her fifth album ‘Chin Up Buttercup’.
As the title suggests, ‘Chin Up Buttercup’ is a cathartic record that captures the aftermath following her break-up with her long-term partner in early 2020; “I was completely blindsided” Stelmanis said, “the person I loved woke up one day, told me she wasn’t happy, and I basically never saw her again…”
Stelmanis kept smiling outwardly and with her co-producer Kieran Adams, she found solace in the sound of Madonna’s 1998 album ‘Ray of Light’ which was produced by William Orbit. Inspired, the end result is a set of hypnotic dancefloor-friendly arias to soothe a broken heart.
With Stelmanis admitting “I’m so chaotic in love”, the opener ‘Amnesia’ starts delicately before engaging into a rhythmic Europop bounce. However, like a discontented ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’, the superb ‘Math Equation’ offers a sad syncopated dance tune shaped by elegiac synths with frank observations on modern dating and the revelation that “you said I needed my own friends and then you f*cked them”
The very short ‘Chin Up Buttercup’ title song combines flute with drum ‘n’ bass in a delightfully oddball style but providing another fine highlight, the angelic ‘Fallen Cloud’ clubs it up but the tune remains atmospheric, melodic and uplifting throughout without resorting to EDM clichés. Meanwhile the emotive ‘Siren Song’ utilises subtle percussive chatters in its backbone.
Taking proceedings down slightly with rests and gentle arpeggios, our heroine gets ‘Blindsided’ as ‘Think Twice’ bleeps and beats in an avant operatic style with bursts of “oh whoops!” as she questions her lover’s dropping of the hand grenade.
‘Look Me In The Eye’ starkly captures Stelmanis’ upset and disbelief to declare “I don’t want to cry…” but as the longest offering on the album, ‘The Hopefulness of Dawn’ builds from an ambient, almost acapella intro to go full-on rave complete with happy hardcore chipmunks signalling that optimism might be on the horizon. Now with an acceptance of the need to move on, ‘Good Riddance’ gives the finger in a blippy minimal ballad that is almost like an electronic hymn.
Photo by Lamia Karic
Everyone has experienced romantic grief in one form or another… while many see break-up as an embarrassment, the reality is that it cuts much deeper. Unafraid to express contrasting emotions like anxiety and excitement, pleasure and pain, jealousy and attraction, Stelmanis gets into an uncomfortable but relatable headspace.
Heartbreak set to a dance beat, ‘Chin Up Buttercup’ presents AUSTRA’s most accessible album since 2011’s debut ‘Feel It Break’ as Katie Stelmanis exposes her vulnerability in a manner not heard previously.
‘Chin Up Buttercup’ is released 14th November 2025 by Domino Recordings, available on limited edition neon orange vinyl, standard black vinyl, CD and digitally
AUSTRA 2026 UK + Ireland live dates include: Glasgow Stereo (21st March), Salford White Hotel (22nd March), London Village Underground (23rd March), Dublin Workmans Club (25th March)
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Text by Chi Ming Lai
13th November 2025
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