Conversations with Aurora Sage

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aurora Sage.

Hi Aurora, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Southern California for most of my life. I feel like music has been a part of my life since I can remember. I started playing piano and violin when I was 8 years old and music just kind of had a hold on me ever since. I did a lot of theater with my brothers which is where I learned how much I loved to sing and perform. From there I would write random songs about anything and everything but I started writing more seriously when I used music as a way of expression and healing. When I started high school I also learned how to play guitar which is when my writing took off. I was set on being an artist by my junior year. I moved to Nashville in 2021 to pursue songwriting at Belmont University. In my sophomore year, I released my first single ever called “Habit”. Since then I’ve released 3 more singles that all sound completely different. It took a long time to try and find my sound and develop what felt authentic to me. This past July I released my single “Pearl” which is probably my favorite song I’ve ever written. I’m now working on an EP that will hopefully be released in the spring of 2025. My goal is to blend singer-songwriter pop with soul and R&B.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing ever feels like a smooth road. I think the hardest part of being an artist in the music industry today is submitting to the world of social media. Content creation is one of the biggest parts of being a musician and it’s been really hard for me to try and market my music in a way that felt real and heartfelt. I didn’t even have tik tok until I wanted to release my first single and I downloaded it to try and promote my song. Trying to balance the pressure of posting all the time with my own mental health has been a learning curve. I think I’m finally starting to have a better relationship with social media. Ultimately I love singing and creating music. Social media is just another medium to share that.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As an artist, I specialize in blending singer-songwriter pop with soul and R&B. My voice loves to sing soul and jazz but I also love writing songs where the main focus is on the lyrics. I try to combine jazz instrumentation, chords, and melodies with lyrics that are meaningful and relatable. As a songwriter I write across all genres such as pop, country, folk, R&B, and jazz. Along with studying Songwriting, I also study classical voice at Belmont. That’s something that sets me apart from others. Although it’s not showcased in my music, classical voice has created a strong foundation for my voice to be able to do what it does.

As a songwriter, I always have a song in my head. Some of my best ideas come from just going throughout my day and then a melodic hook or line comes to me that I write down and come back to when I’m ready to write. I can’t even count how many voice memos I have of started songs or ideas that I’ll go through.

Since living in Nashville I’ve had to learn what sets me apart from others. There are a lot of people here trying to do the same thing but everyone has a unique story to share. No one else has experienced life the way that I have and I think tapping into that as a creative is what sets someone apart. I feel like my style of writing doesn’t copy anyone else in the industry right now. I draw inspiration from a lot of different artists such as John Mayer, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Leon Bridges, Lizzy McAlpine, Bruno Major, and Etta James. This assortment of my favorite idols creates an interesting blend of styles which are all showcased in the music I sing and write.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
It’s hard to predict exactly what the music industry is going to look like in 5-10 years but I think with all the change that’s happened over the past 10-20 years, some things will never change. Live performance has been speculated to move more digital since COVID-19 but I think if anything Covid made people crave that in-person connection even more. There’s something special about a live performance that can’t be replicated and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon. It will be interesting to see if content creation and social media will still have the same brevity in the industry in 10 years. Maybe there will be a new app or a drastic shift back to how it used to be. I hope that streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music will start to pay their songwriters more. Right now streaming does not provide a sustainable income for Songwriters or Artists to survive.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aurora.sage/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@aurora.sage