The world was in a different place when Norwegian songstress AURORA began recording her third studio album, 'The Gods We Can Touch' (released January 2022).
With the pandemic reaching its peak and the world shutting down around her, AURORA retreated into a new life and routine at home, one that she found somewhat comforting.
"You got used to a world that fitted for people with anxiety more – which was kind of nice," she says over a Zoom chat, "but it did kind of enable this irrational fear of people, but also kind of helped me do small things like going to the store.
"I was really scared before of going out of my apartment. That was a huge barrier. [Lockdown] helped me start doing that and get used to it, and I know the store now which helps in my head and small things are easier now. I've eased into it."
Fast forward to now and AURORA is set to venture to the other side of the world, touring Australia including a stop in Adelaide as part of the WOMADelaide 2023 line-up.
"I've performed in Australia [several times before]. I adore it and I'm really ready to get back. I feel excited about everything.
"It's exciting with the [Sydney] Opera House, I've seen it before in ['Finding] Nemo'. [Performing at WOMAdelaide] being outside with the wind – the wind adds drama, and it always seems to come out during the chorus which I love. It knows how to follow the music.
"Also going to venues I've never seen before, and the element of surprise is so fun. I'm just excited in general."
Set to take over Adelaide's Botanic Park 10-13 March, 2023 WOMADelaide offers a diverse selection of music and will see AUORA perform alongside a line-up that features the likes of Florence + The Machine and Bon Iver, the latter AURORA is hoping to see perform again.
"I'm very excited to see both of them. I've seen Bon Iver in New York and that was gorgeous, but I want to see more this time as I was late."
In addition to her hit songs 'Runaway' and 'Halfway Around the World', AURORA is most known by younger fans as the alluring, mystical siren voice (The North Wind) in Disney's blockbuster phenomenon 'Frozen II'.
AURORA's voice is what lures Queen Elsa to leave her kingdom of Arendelle and venture into the unknown. AURORA also lent her vocals to the film's soundtrack joining Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel on the Oscar-nominated track and film's anthem 'Into The Unknown'.
When asked how she feels knowing children for generations to come will be imitating her voice as they belt out the film's main number in the same way adults today recall singing their favourite Disney ballads, Aurora looked in shock and in disbelief.
"Holy sh.tting f... – I never thought about it like that! But that's so true. It's hard to think about that.
"For the things I had in my childhood that I still remember, it's going to be like that for them?! That's so weird, but it's also cool."
AURORA performed the song at the 2020 Oscars ceremony in a memorable performance alongside Idina Menzel and nine of Elsa's international singing voices including those from Thailand, Poland, Germany, and Japan.
"It was really nice and really beautiful, and also the women standing there together in all the different languages, that from a movie about female empowerment is quite a special thing.
"That movie also had a lot of indigenous culture within it and the indigenous people that come from the north of Norway and Scandinavia – the whole soul of that is beautiful. I have no comment about the Oscars, but the performance was really nice in itself."
And while it was "special" being part of such a cultural phenomenon, AURORA is most excited to be back on the road and performing her own original songs.
"People can expect a lot of emotion. I try to create a very kind environment and through the people that come to my shows that environment is also automatically very kind and inclusive. There's a lot of freedom and feeling extremely free and dancing, and no barriers in my mind and in my body."
In addition to performing, AURORA is excited to return down under in general.
"[Australia] has such a beautiful combination of a lot of the things that I enjoy out in the world. It's very new and exotic, the animals, the nature within Australia is very varied, I find the Indigenous culture in Australia very fascinating.
"I love the restaurants. There's so many I want to go back to. Food is the building brick of my happiness. The foundation. I love food so much and wine. I love going to parks, seeing the bats, saying hello to a few animals. So yeah, just saying hello to the food, the wine and the animals."
WOMADelaide takes place at Botanic Park (Adelaide), 10-13 March, 2023.
WOMADelaide 2023 Line-up
ADG7Angel Olsen
AURORA
Bab L' Bluz
Bangarra Dance Theatre
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburh
Billy Bragg
Bon Iver
Cimafunk
Constantinople
Florence + The Machine
Foco alAire
Gaia by Luke Jerram
The Garifuna Collective
Genesis Owusu
Gratte Ciel's Places des Anges
Jaguar* DJ set
Justin Adams & Mauro Durante
Kee'ahn
Kefaya and Elaha Soroor
The Langan Band
Madeleine Peyroux
Mdou Moctar
Nakhane
Nightmares On Wax* DJ set
Pandit Ronu Majumdar & Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh
The Proclaimers
Ripple Effect Band
Rizwan Muazzam Qawwals
Sampa The Great
San Salvador
Small Island Big Song
Soul II Soul
Youssou N’Dour & Le Super Étoile de Dakar
AURORA 2023 Tour Dates
Sun 5 Mar - The Fortitude Music Hall (Brisbane)Mon 6 Mar - Liberty Hall (Sydney)
Tue 7 Mar - Concert Hall @ Sydney Opera House* sold out
Thu 9 Mar - Palais Theatre (Melbourne)
