Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with unsigned UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with Samuel from unsigned Welsh band Finding Aurora to find out more…
Who is in the band, how did you meet, where are you from and how did you come up with the name?
Finding Aurora are: Samuel Wagenaar Jenkins, Sean Spiteri, Nick Williams and Luc Simmonds. We all sort of met in high school like 4 years ago and then Sean came a few years later. The name was inspired by the Aurora lights and finding that light in life, which to us is a number of things but music is definitely one of them.
Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
We were all influenced growing up by a lot of rock music, all the classics: Led Zep, AC/DC, Sabbath, Stones. All that good stuff, and even later stuff like Nirvana, Foos, Smashing Pumpkins too! Now, I feel that we’re definitely all fans of a lot of newer stuff and a lot more hip-hop too, not that that necessarily is represented in our music, but we love everything and that’s something I really like about us as a band, we aren’t those typical close minded people who think pop music sucks, because a-lot of it really doesn’t.
How would you describe your sound?
It’s raw, uncut and loud. That’s how I’ve always imagined what we sound like anyway, it’s like a blend of all your favourite 90’s bands with a lot of influence from earlier rock and metal like Judas Priest, Sabbath etc.
What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
Our latest single is called ‘Kickaround’ it’s out right now! It’s been doing so well since its release last week and we’re so proud! It was influenced by some previous personal events (lyrically) and is about reoccurring thoughts and being stuck in I guess a loop of thoughts and emotions from an event which has triggered these feelings, I never really get too deep about stuff like this but that’s sort of the inspiration behind it!
What’s your local music scene like?
It’s amazing, it’s my favourite scene in the world. The South Wales scene has been thriving for years now and in a way I feel like it’s only just begun, so many exciting and great bands coming out – local shows are always a blast because you see everyone there, lots of different people from different musical backgrounds and types of bands, I love it here – it’s amazing.
What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
More music, more shows and just working on whatever comes next, the last 3 years of being in this band are starting to pay off, we’ve built this up from the ground and we’re not even above the surface yet. There’s so much more to come and we can’t wait for you all to hear and see it!
Is there anyone you’d love to collaborate with?
I absolutely love these questions, it’s gotta be AC/DC, Foo Fighters probably and you know I’d love to do some work with Dr.Dre or something, that man is one bad motherfucker when it comes to producing records.
Any funny stories surrounding your live performances?
Probably seeing Nick (our drummer) standing up on his drum stool during a break in a song, when the riff kicks in and him rushing down to get that beat in. Honestly, if that man came crashing down into his drum set I would’ve cried, of laughter that is. Haha!
What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
We’re honest, we try to communicate with our fans with as much love and thanks for supporting us, and we hope you enjoy our music and we see you at some live shows! Thank you!
You can find out more about Finding Aurora via Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, TikTok, Twitter or YouTube.
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