After amassing a huge following with their 2011 debut, brooding Toronto synth-poppers Austra are returning with their sophomore full-length, Olympia. The album will see release on June 18, courtesy of Paper Bag Records in Canada and Domino in the rest of the world.
Where the band's debut Feel It Break found frontwoman Katie Stelmanis bringing completed compositions to the band (then a trio), Olympia is the product of a more collaborative approach that took input from all six current members (Stelmanis on lead vocals, Maya Postepski on drums, Dorian Wolf on bass, Ryan Wonsiak on keys, and Sari and Romy Lightman on backing vocals).
As such, the record apparently bears a variety of influences and sounds, including marimbas and congas, and, on some songs, a Trax-influenced soulful tinge. The album is also said to feature dark lyrical themes (co-written by Sari Lightman), but ultimately, Olympia is more upbeat and, according to a release, "bubbly," than its precursor.
Says Stelmanis: "We are really into dense harmonies and big beautiful melodies, but I also love techno and dance music. I wanted to bring those elements together."
Olympia was self-produced with help from Fucked Up's Mike Haliechuk, and will be available on CD and double-LP on June 18. Austra will be playing several U.S. and European dates in the coming months, as well as play Toronto on March 23 as part of CMW.
Find the album's tracklist, as well as new single "Home," below.
Olympia:
1. What We Done?
2. Forgive Me
3. Painful Like
4. Sleep
5. Home
6. Fire
7. I Don't Care (I'm a Man)
8. We Become
9. Reconcile
10. Annie (Oh Muse, You)
11. You Changed My Life
12. Hurt Me Now
Tour dates:
3/13 Austin, TX - Vice Land (Vice SXSW)
3/14 Austin, TX - Hype Hotel (Hype Machine SXSW)
3/15 Austin, TX - The Mohawk (Windish SXSW)
3/16 Austin, TX - Elysium (Moog SXSW)
3/16 Austin, TX - Old Emo's (Brooklynvegan SXSW)
3/23 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall (CMW) *
6/2 Dublin, IE - Forbidden Fruit
6/6 Zurich, SE - Plaza
6/7 Luzerne, SE - Sudpol
6/8 Yverdon-les Bains, SE - L'Amalgame
6/10 Amsterdam, NL - Bitterzoet
6/12 Paris, FR - Nouvelle Casino
6/14 Berlin, DE - Lido
6/17 London, UK - Hoxton Bar Grill
6/20 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
6/23 Los Angeles, LA - Troubadour
6/26 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
* with Blood Ceremony, Yacht Club and Lowell
Where the band's debut Feel It Break found frontwoman Katie Stelmanis bringing completed compositions to the band (then a trio), Olympia is the product of a more collaborative approach that took input from all six current members (Stelmanis on lead vocals, Maya Postepski on drums, Dorian Wolf on bass, Ryan Wonsiak on keys, and Sari and Romy Lightman on backing vocals).
As such, the record apparently bears a variety of influences and sounds, including marimbas and congas, and, on some songs, a Trax-influenced soulful tinge. The album is also said to feature dark lyrical themes (co-written by Sari Lightman), but ultimately, Olympia is more upbeat and, according to a release, "bubbly," than its precursor.
Says Stelmanis: "We are really into dense harmonies and big beautiful melodies, but I also love techno and dance music. I wanted to bring those elements together."
Olympia was self-produced with help from Fucked Up's Mike Haliechuk, and will be available on CD and double-LP on June 18. Austra will be playing several U.S. and European dates in the coming months, as well as play Toronto on March 23 as part of CMW.
Find the album's tracklist, as well as new single "Home," below.
Olympia:
1. What We Done?
2. Forgive Me
3. Painful Like
4. Sleep
5. Home
6. Fire
7. I Don't Care (I'm a Man)
8. We Become
9. Reconcile
10. Annie (Oh Muse, You)
11. You Changed My Life
12. Hurt Me Now
Tour dates:
3/13 Austin, TX - Vice Land (Vice SXSW)
3/14 Austin, TX - Hype Hotel (Hype Machine SXSW)
3/15 Austin, TX - The Mohawk (Windish SXSW)
3/16 Austin, TX - Elysium (Moog SXSW)
3/16 Austin, TX - Old Emo's (Brooklynvegan SXSW)
3/23 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall (CMW) *
6/2 Dublin, IE - Forbidden Fruit
6/6 Zurich, SE - Plaza
6/7 Luzerne, SE - Sudpol
6/8 Yverdon-les Bains, SE - L'Amalgame
6/10 Amsterdam, NL - Bitterzoet
6/12 Paris, FR - Nouvelle Casino
6/14 Berlin, DE - Lido
6/17 London, UK - Hoxton Bar Grill
6/20 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
6/23 Los Angeles, LA - Troubadour
6/26 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
* with Blood Ceremony, Yacht Club and Lowell