Norwegian singer-songwriter AURORA has an immediately familiar yet wholly idiosyncratic sound, hinting at the ethereal delicacy of Florence + The Machine, the vocal intonation of Ellie Goulding, and the arty quirkiness of Joanna Newsom.
Having released her first two singles ‘Under the Stars’ and ‘Runaway’ in late 2014 and early 2015 respectively, the latter quickly reached a staggering 1 million listens on Spotify in just over 6 weeks. Subsequently releasing ‘Running with the Wolves’ in April, she secured prestigious BBC air time on Radio One, Radio Two and 6Music.
On the back of that exposure, a summer festivals jaunt soon followed, with her performing at Way Out West, Wilderness and Green Man Festival. Gradually releasing a string of singles over the ensuing year, her debut effort All My Demons Greet Me as a Friend arrived back in March.
The album received overwhelmingly positive praise, and she’s now embarking on a tour of the UK in October along with up-and-coming neo-soul maverick XamVolo; whose astonishing single ‘Down’ burst onto the scene back in July, promising great things to come from his upcoming release Chirality. You can read my review of the track and its accompanying music video here.
With two burgeoning artists of equal talent and individuality, AURORA+XamVolo at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on the 13th October is surely a gig not to be missed.
Tickets for the show can be purchased online from £18.65 here.
