AURORAWAVE – A COOL CONVERSATION WITH NATHAN AURORA
By Ralph Beauchamp
So, all you really have to know is that SoCal’s reggaecore powerhouse, Aurorawave will be the next big thing in the musical hemisphere. The ensemble, led by frontman Nathan Aurora, has been destroying the mystical airwaves with their audacious blend of reggae, metalcore and alternative vibes. Aurorawave’s sound is something both fresh and singular in nature. They mash proper reggae beats with the intensity of hardcore/metalcore in order to create a new hybrid of tenacious textures. The band simply punches hard with adventurous grooves and spellbinding vocals. They are the real deal.
Aurorawave dropped their self-titled album in 2024 via Ineffable Records. The record sent shock waves throughout the musical universe capturing critical acclaim from fans and critics alike. Their music is gnarly with truly spunky accents. In addition, Aurorawave collaborated with a bevy of top tier talent including Atreyu, The Ghost Inside, Surfer Girl and Attila. Since then, Aurorawave have released a slew of dynamic singles that have garnished devotees from reggae lovers as well as those dedicated to harder reaches of the music scene. “Judge Me” features a collab with Aaron Gillespie of Underoath. The song flairs with fearless guitar riffs and rampaging vocals.
“Judge Me” and several already released tracks like “Villain” and “Throwing Shade” with Jesse Royal will be on Aurorawave‘s sophomore full length, Monument, which will be released on August 15th, once again on Ineffable Records. Monument will catapult Aurorawave to the upper echelons of today’s musical backdrop.
Nathan Aurora was kind enough to sit with AMP for this cool conversation.
AMP: Aurorawave infuses a myriad array of musical styles in their songs. Where does the diversity come from?
NATHAN: I grew up playing me in hard-core music, and then spent 10 years playing Reggae. This band is the culmination of all of my years playing music and it just feels right. No rules, no genres just me being my authentic self and making the music that comes to me.
AMP: Do you feel the way the fans and critics describe the band’s music accurately reflects how you would describe the band?
NATHAN: For the most part, yes. I think with the first record, we were really still trying to find our sound, and we found it in a couple of tunes. Once we started playing live, we really figured out who we were and with the second record, it’s definitely stepping into our identity. I think the journey to get there has come across the fans, and now the people who love our band know exactly what to expect when they listen to Aurorawave.
AMP: What’s Aurorawave’s internal energy like?
NATHAN: Honestly, calm and professional. This band is really cool and unique in the sense that we all act like adults. Everyone is here for a mission and a purpose. We’ve all got each other’s back, and we all believe in each other, but we’re all aligned in the same goal and that is taking this band to the top. It’s really refreshing to feel.
AMP: Your newest single, “Judge Me” simply grooves. Can you give us some insight into the track?
NATHAN: Totally. I think it’s one of those songs that’s just perfect for a band. It’s heavy, melodic, and has a strong message. Every song on this album pretty much wrote itself and this is definitely a testament to that. Having Aaron on it was a dream come true and I’m really stoked on this song.
AMP: What do you want your fans to take away from your music?
NATHAN: A number of things. But I think mostly I just want people to know that it’s OK to feel the way that they feel and to believe in themselves. We’re not always gonna feel good all the time and I think coming from the genre that we come from, people always feel like they have to be positive all the time. It’s OK to be pissed off. Turn that into fuel. That’s a positive.
AMP: Your sophomore album, Monument, drops on 8/15 via Ineffable Records. Do you feel that it is an evolution in musical style from your previous work?
NATHAN: Absolutely. Monument to me is our band defined. It’s been a really spectacular journey getting to the second album and I think we’ve really carved out who we are and what we sound like. Every song on this record is cohesive and feels like they belong together. It’s a perfect representation of what this band is.
AMP: What is your creative process like?
NATHAN: It usually starts with the lyric or riff. From that I build and just let the song write itself. Once I’ve got a pretty rough arrangement of the song, I’ll bounce it down and go sit in my truck and sing like a maniac and write all the lyrics to it. Then I’ll wait till either my wife or my mother-in-law can watch our kids and I’ll track vocals. The rest of the instruments I record through headphones when my family is sleeping at night. I send it to Tanner to track drums on, and then I sent it to my producer Matt Keller, and he takes all of that and turns it into a masterpiece.
AMP: Aurorawave has collaborated with some heavyweight talent. Is there an artist(s) you would love to work with and why?
NATHAN: It’s been awesome and I’m so grateful. I’ve got a vision board and on it is three artists. Jeremy McKinnon of A Day To Remember, Hardy and Ronnie Radke.
AMP: Is there an album you wish you had written?
NATHAN: No, not really. Sometimes when you write the songs, you can’t listen to them as just a listener. So I wouldn’t change that about my favorite albums, I just like listening to them as a listener.
AMP: What’s the future like for Aurorawave?
NATHAN: Busy! The goal is to keep dropping records, keep touring, and just keep growing the band as much as we can. Really excited about all the endless possibilities and the future.
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