Lose It
There are few things I love more in life than I do demos and acoustic performances. They offer a rare glimpse into the origins of a song– the unfiltered, driving ideas behind them, unconcerned with huge arrangements or matters of production. They’re frequently the most honest takes, leaving the artist exposed and alone, with nothing to hide behind save for the words and music spilling out of them.
Austra‘s performance of “Lose It” for the fabulous Paper Bag Sessions hits all of these marks perfectly. On Feel it Break, Katie Stelmanis’ voice is a force of nature, blasting out from between intricate synthesizer runs and tightly-coiled percussion. When backed by only her piano, we hear the creases in her voice that are otherwise hidden by electronic flourishes. The song is taken back to its humble roots, worlds more intimate than its fully realized counterpart, and painting one of the most revealing portraits of Stelmanis that we’ve seen so far.
If taking in Stelmanis live is up your alley, then you’d be wise to catch Austra during their North American tour with labelmates Young Galaxy, which kicks off today with a sold-out show in Vancouver:
Nov. 16 – Vancouver: Electric Owl
Nov. 18 – Edmonton: The Brixx Bar & Grill
Nov. 19 – Calgary: HiFi Club
Nov. 22 – Saskatoon: Amigos Cantina
Nov. 23 – Regina: The Exchange
Nov. 24 – Winnipeg: West End Cultural Centre
Nov. 25 – Fargo, ND: The Aquarium
Nov. 26 – Minneapolis, MN: Triple Rock Social Club
Nov. 28 – Chicago, IL: Empty Bottle
Nov. 29 – Pontiac, MI: Crowfoot Ballroom
Dec. 1 – Toronto: The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Dec. 2 – Montreal: Cabaret du Mile End
Dec. 3 – Ottawa: Ritual Night Club
+MP3: Austra – Lose It
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