Chelsea Cutler on Stellaria and Upcoming AUS Tour

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American singer-songwriter, Chelsea Cutler is no stranger to baring her soul in the name of her art. Known for mega-hits such as ‘This is How You Fall in Love’ and ‘Your Bones’. Cutler went from releasing music onto Soundcloud almost a decade ago, to performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in October. Honing her skills in Americana, electronica and folk, Cutler has continued to flourish and mature in her songwriting with vulnerability and grace. Upon her visit to Australia this May, we got to chat with the singer/songwriter.

Cutler's latest album ‘Stellaria’, released in October, is her most vulnerable release yet. Diving head first into the growing pains of your mid-twenties, falling deeply in love, finding beauty in what is right in front of you, living in the now and the self-reflection it all entails. “It comes from a really honest place. In a time where content is consumed so quickly, and culture moves so rapidly. Hopefully, it's just a little bit of a breath of fresh air amongst all the noise right now”. 

It’s been 18 months since Cutler has hit the road, having kicked off her North American tour in early Feb, “It's been so refreshing to be back on the road. It's electric And it reminds me why I love it so much”. Cutler performed at the iconic Radio City Music Hall, a venue where the likes of Lady Gaga to Aretha Franklin have performed. Reflecting on the show, she says, “It was unforgettable, it has to go down as one of the best nights of my life. A real milestone”. 

With almost a decade of songwriting under her belt (the earliest tracks being written about her family's dog), Cutler has always stuck to authenticity and feeling “liberated” in her creativity. “Hopefully, I’ve become a little bit more polished and refined.” The main difference for her since the beginning of her career is how she sees her future in the industry, “I think a lot more about my legacy now. I think about what kind of music I want to be playing live in 10 or 15 years. So that's a factor that I don't think I ever considered five or 10 years ago”. 

Cutler is a hard and fast songwriter, having written many of the tracks in just a couple of sessions. She explains, “Generally if something feels like it's taking a long time, I usually lose interest. There are a lot of extremely successful songwriters who are patient and will spend a lot of time writing and rewriting something to get it right. But music has just never been that for me. It's how I'm feeling at that moment. So it's either gonna come out right there and then for me or it’s not”. It’s hard to believe lyrics like; “You tried to be the cool gir//lYou know the way that boys are//You just wanna talk but it's your body that he counts”, could just fall out of someone and onto paper. It is clear Chelsea was born to do this. 

Cutler co-produced all but two tracks on ‘Stellaria’ saying “I just enjoy the creative process of producing” When asked if it was more daunting or freeing to have such control over the final cut, she says “It’s liberating if anything. Anything that I've had my hands in, in some capacity, usually feels like a more authentic representation of me”.

Over the years, Cutler has collaborated with industry heavyweights such as Noah Kahan, Jeremy Zucker, Quinn XCII, and most recently Matt Maeson on track ‘Hold Me While It’s Ending’, A heartbreaking ballad examining the agony of a relationship in its final act. However, Cutler teases that she may be keen on dipping her toes back into the electronica scene. “I'd love to grab another collaboration with KYGO and I'd love to do something with FLUME eventually. Anything in that world I'm pretty interested in right now”. This is an intriguing point to make after dropping an album like ‘Stellaria’ that is so grounded and organic. “So many of the artists that I look up to are honestly so versatile, every project goes somewhere new. To see how far you can push boundaries and how far you can mesh different influences. I don't have a plan yet, which is exciting”. 

‘The Beauty is Everywhere’ Tour is headed to Australia in May. This will be Cutler’s first tour down under, kicking off in Sydney. What can Aussie fans expect from the show? Cutler says “We give a vivacious and energetic show. And at the same time, I think it also has these really beautiful slower moments that are a little bit more emotional. If anything, I’d say it’s a thorough experience”. In terms of what she wants to see and do while in our beautiful country, Cutler has just two things on her mind: “I know it might sound a little touristy, but I really, really want to see a koala and I want to see a kangaroo”. I don’t think that’ll be a problem for you Chelsea. 

Chelsea Cutler is a master at articulating those big and often overwhelming feelings you experience in your mid-twenties. ‘Stellaria’ is the kind of album you put on with no distractions and completely immerse yourself in. With emotionally raw, sensitive and at times melancholic lyrics, she guides you through the discomforts of growing up while making you stop and appreciate all the beauty that is in front of you. 

What Chelsea is listening to right now: 

1. Roddy - DJO 

2. August - Flipturn 

3. Staying Down Low - Angie McMahon

Make sure you visit one of Chelsea Cutler’s shows coming to a city near you this coming May. See dates below:

CHELSEA CUTLER – AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES
Thu 2 May 2024 – Metro Theatre, Sydney
Sat 4 May 2024 – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne
Sun 5 May 2024 – Princess Theatre, Brisbane
Tue 7 May 2024 – Astor Theatre, Perth 

Tickets available at secretsounds.com