Austra are an electro-folk-pop band hailing originally from Canada, with a majority gay membership, fronted by lesbian Katie Stelmanis. Classically trained in music as a child, she began making her own experimental rock compositions after coming out in her late teens, and has indicated that she makes queer music. Out of this, Austra, meaning ‘goddess of light’, was born.
First album ‘Feel It Break’ in 2011 was an eclectic trip through genres, sounds and spiralling creativity, all laced by Stelmanis’ darkly operatic voice. It included excellent singles ‘Beat & the Pulse’ and ‘Lose It’, spawning both critical acclaim and commercial success. Stelmanis and her band of merry men returned in the summer of this year with welcome follow-up ‘Olympia’, but what has got the LGBT community speaking has been the release of recent single and accompanying video ‘Forgive Me’.
A powerful beat laced with synths and strings leads the listener by the ear whilst visually a blonde woman dressed in lilac lingerie visits a night-time park. Other figures appear in the woods: a cyclist, a young man, a lady in heels. As nightvision CCTV flashes images of carnal encounter, we become aware this is an area where people are coming to indulge their desires. Overlooking it all is a blue neon sign spelling ‘Forgive Me’.
The twist is that the woman is transgendered. Judy Virago, a transgender performance artist, is quoted upon Austra’s website as saying ‘the story of this video resonates pretty strongly with me. Society expects trans people and sex workers to apologise for their deviation from the norm and to explain themselves… This video asks no questions about the transgender woman featured and asks no apology.’
And perhaps the best aspect? Our trans heroine leaves at the end with her man, arm in arm. There is no enforced tragic ending in Austra’s vision of the LGBT world. Refreshing.
