Some of us spend our whole lives trying to appear normal and follow the crowd, but sometimes the key to success is living your own brand of insanity. Artist Luna Aura has fully embraced this concept, by appearing in a straight jacket on the cover of her EP Madhouse, boldly stating “Crazy looks good on me” on the opening track, and radiating a sense of total independence that’s just as prevalent as the catchy pop hooks on her five songs. She may admit to craziness, but she’s free from any restraints, whether they be real or perceived, self-imposed or attempted by outsiders.
Luna took the time to answer our questions about her EP’s concept, production, and the start of her career as well as its future. Read our interview, and listen to Madhouse, below.
AudioFemme: Sometimes, women who think out of the box are dismissed as “hysterical” or “crazy.” Is the title Madhouse, and the act of appearing in a straightjacket, an attempt to spin or dispute that concept?
Luna Aura: The word “crazy” gets tossed around so easily, especially when somebody is doing something that is outside of the social norm, or pushing boundaries. People love comfortability. They spend their whole lives stifling the parts of them that make them special or different because there’s this fear that people won’t like or understand them. The straight jacket I’m wearing on the cover of the EP symbolizes me embracing what makes me different from the rest of the world. I’m reclaiming what it means to be “crazy.” I want to show people that it’s something to be proud of, and something to run towards as opposed to running away from.
Some may say that even trying to pursue a musical career is “crazy.” Did you ever encounter any criticisms in the early stages of your career? If so, how did it affect you?
I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in music, and of course, as a kid, I had adults that I respected telling me that I needed to focus on school or, at the very least, have a plan B to fall back on as an adult. I had this little voice inside of me telling me the exact same things. That voice still talks to me every once in a while. Usually when I’m making artistic decisions or big moves in my life. Everyone has that inside of them, and I want to be the person who never listened to all that negativity. I believe in myself and my dreams, and I’m sacrificing a lot to make them a reality. At least I know I’m not wasting a single moment of my 100 years on this planet.
What is your musical background? How did you become a singer, and who are your idols?
I started singing at the age of three. I fell in love with music early on, and I’ve never stopped making it a priority in my life. I began writing at the age of 10, performing at the age of 15, and here I am now! Some of my biggest influences were Janis Joplin, Bowie, Whitney, Toni Braxton, No Doubt, Norah Jones, and Katy Perry. None of these people were scared to be themselves, and I feel like that was always something that spoke to me as a kid.
How was the experience of writing and working with producer Evan Gartner?
Easy. Evan is brilliant, and so young, and so full of inspiration. Working with him was like doing a school project with your best friend. We knew what our end goal was and we just laughed, built off of each other’s insanity, and knew by the end of it that we made something very special.
Do you have any upcoming releases we should know about?
We are currently in the process of filming music videos for each song. Three of the videos are already pretty much finished which is exciting. I’m just so excited to show the people who love my music who I am as a person. I think these videos are great representation.
https://soundcloud.com/lunaaura/sets/madhouse
