DIZZY: Can you tell us about your first memory involving music?

AURA: Shoot I wish i knew! </3 I’d actually go back in time just to see my first innate dance move.

D: How did A Love Story come to be?

A: I had the idea for the mixtape back in February of this year and based it off the title track which I wrote and recorded 4 years ago. I *patientlyyy* waited for the perfect time to put the song out, and it started to come together a bit after I recorded flip phone freestyle earlier this year. I had a few other jams in the vault and noticed they all shared an aspect of Love; whether it be heartbreak, self-love, unrequited love, or obsession. SO, I threw all the bops in a pot and out came a mixtape!

D: A lot of the sounds on the mixtape are unlike those of your past discography. What made you turn in this direction?

A: Growth~ Confidence~ I really had just entered into my baddie era and wanted to flex and dance to my own stuffz hehe.

D: When you’re writing music, do you consider the performance aspect?

A: Oh yes! I often think to myself, ‘ah shit this finna sound crazzzzzy at the festivals’. I definitely look forward to performing my work live and seeing the crowd vibe out.

D: You used an iconic sample on the intro track of A Love Story [Get Money by Junior Mafia featuring Lil Kim]. How has hip-hop from the 90s inspired you?

A: I’m influenced by a plethora of sounds but House and 90s hip-hop are definitely the pinnacle of inspiration for me. Hip hop taught me how to tell stories in my music as well as to live and feel much deeper than I was able to before.

D: What is your relationship with social media?

A: hmmm sometimes playful, mostly dreadful though. It's incredible how many people we can reach with it, but I also feel like I have access to too much information like; it’s very strange to know there’s so many people watching you and sometimes doing only that.

D: I’m not sure if you’ve heard of Synesthesia, but it is sooo interesting to me. It is a condition where one of your senses is linked to, and experienced through another. What colors would your music be? What would your music taste like?

A: I would say my music is the color of a shimmering, dreamy lilac.. As well as the color of the sky, the grass, a raging sea, disco lights or a disco ball. Taste, hmm, depending on the songgg, maybe it tastes like the air after it’s rained, a nice fresh green juice, ice, chocolate chip cookies warm out the oven, or fettuccine alfredo!

D: Your artistic practice is so multidisciplinary. You not only make music, but also create collages, animate, DJ, make your own merch, and so much more. Is there one creative discipline that you are most excited about right now?

A: hehehe,,, yeaaaa. Thanks, I mean it’s fun to explore all these fields~ I’d say I'm most excited about designing some new tops to sell this summer, and also making visuals for A Love Story!

D: Your music is bilingual - you sing and rap in both Spanish and English. These two languages of course have similarities, but also differ in their cadence, sounds that form, pronunciations of certain letters, etc. Is there specific intention when choosing to use one or the other, or is it more of a fluid / subconscious decision?

A: It’s been pretty intentional with these first few tracks~~ i literally moved to Puerto Rico to strengthen my spoken/written Spanish(and to eat :]). But my songwriting process is usually just me vibing out and freestyling so I’m sure it’ll become more fluid.

D: Your life, at least in more recent years, has been very nomadic. You’ve traveled to Mexico, Puerto Rico, New York, and more. The beauty about being a writer is that you can do it anywhere - like on the road! But I can also imagine it being taxing in some ways. How does visiting new places / spending time away from home impact your music?

A: When I’m traveling I'm usually alone as it’s an escape for me, so I'm diving deeper within my thoughts and feelings. as well as slowing down and really taking in my surroundings. Whether it’s color, sounds, fashion- I’m continuously putting myself in front of something new and different, my creativity digests that and I get to make music with some sort of fresh outlook.

D: What’s next for Aura!

A: A grammy. Let’s see how long it takes! ‘Til then… xoxo