More about: Aurora
The Norwegian rising star opens up about Bowie, Oasis, her fans + what comes next
"I just really understand ‘the girl with the mousey hair’ who gets quite disappointed over the world," nods Aurora, as we unwind in an East London pub after she performs a breathtaking cover of David Bowie's 'Life On Mars' for us. Kicking her legs, she twirls an animated gesture towards the window. "She hears about this greater, more beautiful life and world that there might be somewhere.
"She asks herself the question of if there is life on Mars, is there a purer life that I don’t have access to? I get that. We’re down here and we can’t really get anywhere."
That's why Aurora has done everything in her power to make her own world. One where the dizzying highs of every joy and the crippling depths of darkness that come with 'ordinary life' are viewed through a fantastic prism, highlighting the beauty and spirit in every moment of being human.
This journey in sound and vision is far from contrived, however. You can tell by the wonder with which she views her surroundings and the situation that she's found herself in, this just-turned-20 Nordic phenomenon is quite simply sees everything as an adventure. Just don't allow her vision and eccentricities to paint her as a cartoon. She is anything but.
"David Bowie himself is just a hero, isn’t he?," she continues. "He was so special; he was a genius. It’s very important to embrace your inner quirkiness and he helped me to not be ashamed of anything."
That same dreamlike sense of wonder and escapism is what elevated her cover of Oasis' 'Half The World Away', to make it so universal that it could go beyond any notion of a 'cynical festive ad campaign' to worm its way into the hearts of so many. That's why she took up the challenge in the first place (“I didn’t even know what John Lewis was…for real," she admits."
But it turns out having the soundtrack to the John Lewis Christmas advert is in fact, a pretty big deal. It put her on a much larger platform and provided her with a very enviable level of exposure for an artist who was about to release her debut album.
Such exposure and taking on a track by a band with such a tribal following was only ever going to inspire some pretty extreme reactions. Fans took online to either fawn over her angelic take on it, or to spit acid at what she'd whitewashed over all the grit. Even Alan McGee was less than pleased - telling us that while he was glad of Noel Gallagher's Christmas royalties, he found her rendition ultimately 'rubbish'.
We disagree. Fortunately, Aurora paid it no mind.
"I try not to pay attention to anything that people say," she shrugs. "I don’t want to be effected or become cocky – is that a bad word?
“I don’t want to be arrogant. You get a lot of good and bad feedback and bad feedback can be exciting, but it’s funny how people put things. I want people to be so passionate that they either love it or hate it, but when a grown man picks on a 19-year-old girl from Norway – that’s a bit funny!"
Photo: Jon Mo
The lofty ambitions of her aesthetic and the sonic realm she rules over have indeed had that very divisive reaction she was hoping for. So much so that the fanatical drive and dedication of her following has earned them the official name of 'Warriors and Weirdos'.
Look at the front rows of an Aurora gig or scroll through some Youtube comments and you'll find nothing but love and hopeless devotion.
"It’s amazing that I have fans, I love them all," she beams with a wide-eyed smile. "I wouldn’t be here without them, and I need them as much as they think they need me. I love the way that they give me a lot of love – more than I usually get. I mean I get love from my family but..."
She laughs, shakes it off and returns: "My fans see me as an angel, but I’m not an angel. I’m just a normal person from Norway who writes music. They expect from me what I expect from them. They would be surprised if I was ever mean or inappropriate, but I want to be a good role model. You become that immediately when you get fans."
And that choir of love only grows louder. Her debut album, All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend, was critically adored - hailed as 'an exquisitely-crafted record' and 'a beauty to behold'. Her familiar yet enchanting presence as a performer as she relentlessly continues to tour is only winning more hearts and minds too.
She describes the release of her album as "the most wonderful and horrible feeling I’ve ever had. Like giving birth, both painful and beautiful". The wonderland contained within is the direct result of letting her dreams lead the music down the garden path.
“My mind drifts away, and for many many years of my life I’ve spent it in a daydream," she smiles, unphased. "I daydream and I dream at night, so my songs adopt that different world. They can be quite beautiful but also brutal and quite sad. They’re wrapped in a dreamish way of seeing things.
"The sound world I’ve created is strange because the album was done for over a year so now it feels very old. I’ve gone into a portal into another world. That’s why it feels painful, because I’ve moved on. I know so much more about myself as an artist now than I did when I made the album. It’s going to be a bit difficult knowing that it will be the new Aurora for everyone, when it’s actually the old Aurora. I have to let things go.”
So can we expect album No.2 fairly soon?
“I have already written many songs that nobody has heard yet," she admits. "I want all of them on the album. I want to release a second album as soon as I can because I can’t wait.
"I love eating pizza, I love swimming and I love making albums – they’re my three favourite things.”
Just don't eat pizza before swimming...
"Oh no! That would be a bad idea."
Indeed, but as long as she lets her dreams lead the way, the unfolding future of Aurora will be a joy to behold. Free of inhibitions, she's always looking skywards, making life on Mars seem all the more possible.
As well as performing at a run of European festivals including Oya, Sziget, Lowland, Rock En Seine, Electric Picnic, Festival No.6 and Bestival, see Aurora's forthcoming UK tour dates below. Get tickets and more information here.
Mon October 03 2016 - GLASGOW Art School
Tue October 04 2016 - MANCHESTER O2 RItz
Thu October 06 2016 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE University
Fri October 07 2016 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute 2
Sat October 08 2016 - BRISTOL Trinity
Mon October 10 2016 - BRIGHTON Concorde 2
Tue October 11 2016 - OXFORD O2 Academy Oxford
Thu October 13 2016 - LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
Sat October 15 2016 - CAMBRIDGE Junction
Sun October 16 2016 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Aurora: A delicate tapestry of angelic vocals, swooping strings, irresistible synth-pop and epic, cinematic soundscapes is what Aurora weaves into a totally inescapable world of her own, where the sensual meets the vulnerable. We're a little bit in love - she is going to be massive. Key tracks: 'Runaway', 'Running With The Wolves', 'Murder Song'
Slutface: We don't care if their name offends you - we're going to be saying it A LOT in the next 12 months, and so should you. With the riot-grrrl attitude of Sleater-Kinney met with the pure rush of Blood Red Shoes, the emerging Norwegian quartet Slutface throw out infectious pop punk riffs and irresistible choruses that demand every moment of your attention. Key tracks: 'Bad Party', 'Angst', 'Call To Arms'
Bendik: As captivating as her appearance suggests, Bendik specialises in that shimmering dreampop that seems to flow from Norway like so much water into the Fjords. Here we have an aching melancholy met an ambitious post-rock backing, and a singer who gives her absolute all to her performance. Utterly enchanting. Key tracks: 'Hjertebank og kulde', 'Her', 'Morket foles morkere'
Kverletak: An uncompromising live band (the frontman wears an owl over his face, yes really) that need to be seen to be believed. But this band are far from a gimmick. Terrifying as they may be, what they produce is a unique brand of intricate but anthemic stoner metal like you've never heard before. Key tracks: 'Evig Vandrar', 'Blodtorst', 'Braune Bren'
Emilie Nicolas: With the dark pop-noir melodrama of Lykke Li and the streetwise sass and beats of Banks, it could be easy for Nicolas to disappear in a seemingly endless sea of sultry songstresses, but the fact of the matter is that there's a piercing edge to this rising Norwegian star that puts her in a league of her own. With a No.1 album in Norway to her name, we don't doubt it will be too long until the rest of the world are under her spell. Key tracks: 'Pstereo', 'Fail', 'Nobody Knows'
Susanne Sundfor: With six albums to her name (numerous topping the Norwegian charts) and having collaborated with the likes of M83 and Royksopp, her influence on bringing credibility to the dancefloor over the last decade is never in question. So to many of you, we're probably preaching to the choir - but we won't rest until she's recognised as the universal electro Goddess she deserves to be. Key tracks: 'Delerious', 'Fade Away', 'Accelerate'
Farao: The insanely talented Kari Jahnson can play pretty much every instrument. Her sheer understanding of music is probably what sets her deep and driving brand of folky electro in a league of her own. Her debut album, Til It's All Forgotten drops on 11 September. Get her in your life. Key tracks: 'Bodies', 'Hunter', 'The Hours'
Cashmere Cat: You may know him for working with Ariana Grande or his awesome remixes of the likes of Lana Del Rey and 2 Chainz, but his own futuristic take on chilled electro meets R&B is blissed out enough to send you floating over the North Sea. Key tracks: 'Mirror Maru', 'With Me', 'Adore (ft Ariana Grande)'
Andre Bratten: Do you like your space disco to be dark but sexy? Then this Oslo producer is the only man you need. Key tracks: 'Be A Man You Ant',
Building Instrument: A wonderfully weird whirpool of ethereal folk hidden in a haze of dizzying, warped, ambient post-rock. This is music to get lost to. Key tracks: 'Historia', 'Alt e Bra', 'Bli Med'
Ivan Ave: The world needs more Nordic rap, and this brings just the right amount of old school class and effortless, chilled-out groove to lead the wave. Key tracks: 'Forks', 'Portals', 'Honey Dip'
Ane Brun: A runaway train of raw-nerved emotion, bursting straight out of this Nordic treasure's ribcage. Using the most bare elements with such an expertly dramatic effect, it feels like you're experiencing a full opera in a song. Key tracks: 'Do You Remember', 'Directions', 'These Days'
Drape: Imagine Mew and The Flaming Lips fighting over a ball of wool. Key tracks: 'Pie In The Sky', 'Together We Are Pstereo', 'When You Wake Up Again'
Alfred Hall: Brilliant soaring disguised as bubbling and danceable synth-pop songs - this Nordic duo have all bases covered without ever being cutesy or twee. This is the sound of summer. Key tracks: 'Lose That Gun', 'Safe & Sound', 'Someplace Beautiful'
Wardruna: Bringing ancient Nordic Viking folk music a modern day sound sense of purpose, prepare to go to another world with Wardruna. Key tracks: 'Helvegen', 'Blood Eagle', 'Hagal'
Thea Hjelmeland: She can play anything with strings - including our hearts. What she makes is a kind of fairytale witch-folk pop on a scale to rival the likes of Sigur Ros. We discovered her when she played at the top of a ski slope in Oslo. Now you don't have to go to quite the same heights to get her in your life. Key tracks: 'Feathery', 'Perfume', 'Age'
More about: Aurora
Photo: Press
