The Texas-born experimentalist brings her shape-shifting sound to The Substation for a rare Australian headline show.
Claire Rousay creates music that feels like eavesdropping on the universe thinking out loud. Blending ambient drift, folk introspection, hyper pop sparkle and bursts of noise, the US/Canada-based artist has carved a deeply personal sonic universe that somehow feels open to everyone.
Her work reframes everyday observations into immersive environments where song and atmosphere blur, inviting listeners into spaces that are tender, chaotic and strangely comforting all at once.
Claire Rousay and Lisa Lerkenfeldt
- Saturday 18 July
- The Substation
- Tickets are on sale now
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On Saturday 18 July, Rousay lands at The Substation for what promises to be a transportive night of experimental sound. Presented by The Substation and Room40, the show pairs her with Melbourne artist Lisa Lerkenfeldt, whose hypnotic piano and tape loop constructions melt time through layers of decayed ambience and cyclical warmth. Together they offer a bill rich in texture and emotional depth, perfect for those craving something more than the usual live experience.
Rousay’s ever-expanding catalogue has quietly positioned her as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary experimental music. Whether she’s threading delicate field recordings through pop-adjacent structures or letting noise flare in unexpected directions, her approach stays generous and grounded. It’s music that rewards close listening while still wrapping itself around you like a familiar room viewed from a new angle.
Lerkenfeldt’s support set of endless piano variations and analogue manipulation will provide the ideal slow-burn entry point, dissolving the edges of the evening before Rousay fully takes the stage. In a city that loves its adventurous sounds, this is one for the curious and the converted alike.
Expect an atmosphere where time loosens, details sharpen and the ordinary world briefly slips away. If you’re drawn to artists who make the intimate feel infinite, this is essential listening.
To get tickets to see Claire Rousay and Lisa Lerkenfeldt at the Substation, head here.
