Canadian musician Austra, AKA Katie Stelmanis, has returned with two previously unreleased singles from her 2025 album Chin Up Buttercup. “Bittersweet” is a dance floor-ready bop while “Chains And Anchors” is more meditative and balladic in nature, showing off the duality of the Austra project.
Speaking on the newly released tracks, Stelmanis offered, “’Bittersweet’ was one of my favorites from the Buttercup era but didn’t quite fit on the LP. I’m glad it’s having its moment now. And ‘Chains and Anchors’ is a track I wrote with Sean Nicholas Savage, a crooner pop songwriting master (in addition to ‘Look Me In the Eye’ from the LP), with a totally reimagined weirdo production from my collaborator Kieran Adams.”
Back in January, Stelmani released a short film to accompany Chin Up Buttercup which was directed by Hedia Maron and featured the title track, “Amnesia” and “The Hopefulness Of Dawn.” The visual coincided with Austra’s North American, European and UK tour in the winter and spring.
Austra has also announced a Canadian tour taking place fall 2026 and winter 2027. The trek will kick off with a show at Knox Hall on November 26 in Great Sadbury, Ontario. She will also stop off in Guelph, Hamilton and Whitchurch-Stouffville to conclude this year’s run before picking up again in February 2027 with a show at The Broom Factory in Kingston on the 25th. Throughout February and March, Austra will visit Quebec, Montreal, Gatineau, Toronto, Windsor and St Catharines before finishing off with a concert at Rum Runners in London on March 26.
Austra 2026 & 2027 Canadian Tour Dates
November 26, 2026 | Greater Sadbury, ON | Knox Hall
November 27, 2026 | Guelph, ON | Sonic Hall
November 28, 2026 | Hamilton, ON | Bridgeworks
November 29, 2026 | Whitchurch-Stouffville, ON | Harmony Hall
February 25, 2027 | Kingston, ON | The Broom Factory *
February 26, 2027 | Quebec, QC | Grizzly Fuzz *
February 27 | Montreal, QC | Le Studio TD *
February 28 | Gatineau, QC | Minotaure *
March 19, 2027 | Toronto, ON | The Opera House *
March 24, 2027 | Windsor, ON | Meteor *
March 25, 2027 | St Catharines, ON | Warehouse Concert Hall *
March 26, 2027 | London, ON | Rum Runners *
Photo credit: Nicole Sacks
