THE 18-YEAR OLD NORWEGIAN MUSICIAN AURORA AKSNES IS NAMED ONE OF THE RISING STARS 2015. A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE HYPE, HOPE AND HORRIBLE BROWN CHEESE.

YOU ONLY JUST GOT SIGNED TO A MAJOR LABEL AND ARE ALREADY BEING NAMED ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST YOUNG TALENTS TO HIT THE CHARTS IN THE COMING MONTHS – AND YOU HAVEN’T EVEN RELEASED YOUR FIRST ALBUM YET. DOES THE HYPE SCARE YOU? 

IT’S WONDERFUL THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE IN ME, IT’S ALMOST LIKE THEY SEE MORE IN ME THAN I DO MYSELF. THINKING ABOUT THAT I MIGHT GET TO DO MUSIC MY WHOLE LIFE IS A GREAT THOUGHT, IT’S THINKING ABOUT BECOMING SOMEONE, A FACE, A FAMOUS PERSON SCARES ME THE MOST.

IN WHAT WAYS HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED IN RECENT MONTHS?

I’M TRAVELING A LOT, AND I GOT SOMETHING TO DO EVERY DAY. I ALMOST HANG OUT WITH MY BAND AND MY MANAGER MORE THAN MY FAMILY, WHICH IS OKAY, CAUSE THEY ARE GREAT PEOPLE. SPLENDID PEOPLE. BUT I MISS MY FAMILY, AND I REALLY TREASURE EVERY MOMENT I GET TO SPEND WITH THEM.

YOUR LYRICS FIND PRAISE EVERYWHERE – ARE THEY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL? 

SOME OF MY SONGS ARE WRITTEN TO HELP ME COPE WITH THE WORLD, MOST OF THEM WRITTEN TO HELP ANYONE, OR AT LEAST TO MAKE THEM FEEL SOMETHING. ALL MY LYRICS ARE STORIES, SOME OF THEM ARE INSPIRED BY MY OWN LIFE, SOME I FOUND IN OTHER PEOPLE, AND SOME STEM FROM MY OWN IMAGINATION. LIKE A SONG I HAVE ABOUT A LADY THAT KILLS MEN AND HIDES THEM UNDER HER BED. THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IS NOT INSPIRED BY ME OR ANYONE I KNOW.

SCANDINAVIA HAS BEEN A REGULAR PROVIDER OF CREATIVE TALENTS. WHAT IS IT IN THE NORTHERN AIR THAT MAKES YOU FOLKS SO CREATIVE?

MAYBE IT’S THE LACK OF SUN IN THE WINTER. WE LEARN TO MAKE OUR OWN LIGHT IN THE DARK TIMES. MAKING MUSIC HELPS US COPE WITH THE DARKNESS IN OURSELVES, WHICH GIVES A SPECIAL SOUND TO IT. OR MAYBE ITS JUST THE BROWN CHEESE, IT TASTES TERRIBLE.

ARE YOU STILL ENROLLED AT SCHOOL? 

NO, NOT ANYMORE. IT’S SAD, CAUSE THAT WAS THE ONLY PLACE I COULD HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS AND PEOPLE MY AGE. BUT I’M HAPPY I QUIT. MY BAND IS AMAZING, AND MY NEW BEST FRIENDS. I WOULD NEVER HAVE TIME FOR BOTH SCHOOL, MUSIC AND SLEEP ANYWAYS. WHEN SCHOOL IS OUT OF THE PICTURE I HAVE TIME FOR STUFF LIKE HARRY POTTER AND HOT CHOCOLATE BEFORE STUDIO OR IN BETWEEN TRAVELS. AND I NEED THAT IN MY LIFE.

WHAT DOES MUSIC MEAN TO YOU? 

IT’S ALL I AM AND ALL I DO.

DID YOU GROW UP IN A CREATIVE SURROUNDING? 

I GREW UP AN HOUR AWAY FROM BERGEN, WITH NATURE AROUND ME. MY HOUSE LIES BY THE OCEAN, SURROUNDED BY TREES AND MOUNTAINS. THE NATURE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, I WILL NEVER BE A CITY GIRL. AT HOME I CAN STAND OUTSIDE AND ONLY HEAR THE SOUND OF THE TREES AND THE WIND. I NEED THE SILENCE TO CREATE MUSIC. IT INSPIRES ME. ALSO THE WEATHER IN BERGEN IS QUITE DARK AND FOGGY. I THINK THAT’S WHAT MAKES ME SUCH A MELANCHOLIC SONGWRITER. I LOVE GREY DAYS.

WHO OR WHAT HAS BEEN THE GREATEST INSPIRATION TO YOUR MUSIC?

BOB DYLAN AND LEONARD COHEN. AND MY FAMILY.

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF AN ARTIST?

NOT REALLY, I CONSIDER MYSELF A MUSICIAN AND A SONGWRITER. I NEVER DREAMED ABOUT STANDING ON A STAGE, AND THE WHOLE PACKAGE THAT COMES ALONG WHEN YOU BECOME FAMOUS.

THERE ARE ALSO TRACKS WHERE YOU SING IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE SINGING IN YOUR NATIVE TONGUE? 

I FIND IT MORE DIFFICULT TO SING IN MY NATIVE LANGUAGE, I FEEL MORE NAKED AND VULNERABLE. MOST OF MY SONGS CONTAIN QUITE SAD AND TRAGIC STORIES, AND I DON’T THINK I COULD EVER SING THEM IN NORWEGIAN. STILL THERE IS ALSO SOMETHING WARM AND SAFE ABOUT IT, SINCE IT’S CLOSER TO MY HEART AND SOUL, BUT I WON’T START WRITING IN NORWEGIAN BEFORE I’M BRAVE ENOUGH.

IF THE MUSIC DOESN’T WORK OUT, WHAT IS THE ALTERNATIVE?

THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE. IF I SOMEHOW MESS IT UP, OR WRITE A TERRIBLE ALBUM THAT MAKES PEOPLE PUKE, I’LL CONSIDER FINDING ANOTHER PROFESSION. BUT IF MY MUSIC DOESN’T HARM ANYONE, I’LL NEVER STOP TRYING.

IS THERE A SINGLE PHRASE YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR MUSIC? 

I HAVEN’T READ MUCH, ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE WRITE ABOUT MY MUSIC. I DON’T WANT TO BE INFLUENCED BY EVERYONE’S OPINIONS… BUT I THINK  I HEART MOOSIQ WROTE SOMETHING LIKE: 

‘THERE IS SOMETHING EXCEPTIONAL AND MAGIC ABOUT HER’

AND THAT IS THE MOST WONDERFUL THING ANYONE HAS EVER SAID ABOUT ME.

ANY FAVORITE ANIMAL YOU’D IMMEDIATELY CHANGE PLACES WITH?

 A POLAR BEAR. A MAGIC POLAR BEAR. SO I COULD FOREVER RUN I THE SNOW.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 9TH 2015 ON INTERVIEW.DE