This live performance of ‘Stranger’ removes the fluorescent, heart shaped sunglasses worn in the official video and replaces them with a magnifying glass, honing in on all the raw emotion and sincerity within the track. Stripping the music back to its bare bones – a beautifully resonant piano and Astræa’s alluring vocals – it gives the song a completely different feel, replacing the upbeat retro vibes with a sombre and dreamlike aura.
“I love stripping back my songs and showing them in a different light,” Astræa divulges. “A song always starts with me and the piano first, and ‘Stranger’ was no different. To me, performing ‘Stranger’ acoustically brings out even more of its dark and haunting undertones. I wrote it in my living room during lockdown #1, so it felt fitting to film it there too!”
‘Stranger’ is the third single to be taken from her Looking Up EP and follows the release of her raw and emotional single ‘Scars’, a stripped-back and vulnerable track that was accompanied by a captivating live performance video filmed at Craxton Studios in London. Also released is the EP’s title track, a gorgeous and elating reminder that better days are just around the corner which was accompanied by a music video filmed along the scenic Scottish coast and a stunning live performance video. All three songs provide a tantalising taste of the Looking Up EP, which sees Astræa continue to both share and evolve her creative vision.
Astræa will be making her return to the stage this year, performing a very special headline show at Servant Jazz Quarters in Dalston, London. Taking place on October 14th, the gig is her first live performance since 2019 and will serve as her first opportunity to perform material from her new EP to a live audience. Tickets for the gig are available here.
LOOKING UP EP TRACKLISTING
- Stranger
- Take Me Away
- Scars
- Looking Up
