Kreative Kontrol Ep. #1039: Austra
Nov 13, 2025
Katie Stelmanis, the talented songwriter and producer behind Austra, dives into her new album, Chin Up Buttercup. She reflects on how personal experiences, including heartbreak, shaped her music, detailing the process of transforming grief into euphoric, danceable tracks. Katie chats about the impact of the pandemic on creativity, her journaling as a source for lyrics, and even organizing social gatherings during lockdown. With a blend of humor and introspection, she showcases a unique approach to songwriting that celebrates resilience and connection.
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Album As Unplanned Grief Map
- The album unintentionally maps grief stages: shock, sustained grief, anger, and then humor/acceptance.
- Katie stopped making music temporarily because music no longer emotionally regulated her during deep grief.
Journal Pages Became Lyrics
- During a year of not making music, Katie wrote daily journal entries in a Google Doc and filled notebooks.
- She later pulled angry lines from those journals to make songs like Math Equation.
Singing Shapes The Words
- Katie separates lyric writing from prose: words don't come as naturally as music for her.
- She often creates scratch vocal melodies first, then shapes lyrics around those sung phrases.