Aurora Aksnes

Background

Aurora Aksnes’ earliest musical memory is of finding a piano in her attic and being fascinated by the music it could produce. Her parents, May-Britt and Jan Øystein Aksnes, encouraged her to pursue music not as a career or hobby, but for growth. So she started her own compositions. She cites renowned songwriters Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan as influences, as well as an affinity for Björk’s style. She decided to start performing her songs publicly when her mother suggested that they could help people — not to gain fame with her work, but to make people see around them, realize their own importance, and how they can affect the world. She began playing the piano at age six and writing music at age nine. Her family didn’t know about this until she was 14. It was never a dream to become ‘Aurora.’ She says she just likes to compose songs. Music to her is the best way to feel anything.

A year after her debut performance at her school, Aksnes caught the media’s attention. A friend of hers heard the song, asked for a copy, and then posted it on a Norwegian streaming site without her knowing. Aurora made her first performance broadcast to the masses through a television channel in her hometown. She was signed to the agency Made Management and soon after to record labels Glassnote and Decca in October 2014.