Bataung Moeketsi

UPCOMING R&B singer and songwriter Aura Griffith’s debut extended play (EP) 3AM is proof of her intention to conquer the world.

Aura’s entry into Lesotho’s male-dominated music industry is refreshing as the talented and soulful musician has put her best foot forward to come up with a mature product despite being only 22 years old.

With 3AM, she says her dream of becoming an established artiste could one day be fulfilled, judging by how the new compilation has fared so far.

Despite being released only 17 July 2020, the EP has enjoyed attention on account of the singer’s vocal talent and her ability to pen songs that her audience can relate to.

The five-track compilation introduces the listener to some of Aura’s insecurities as a young woman in her early 20s, her past relationships and her sensual side.

“I tend to gravitate towards writing about what I know, be it past or present experiences, and so it was inevitable for me to do so on my debut project,” Aura told the Xpress People yesterday.

“Besides that, it’s all I could write about when I started, so there really was no escaping it. In general, I think these are the issues that make us human and I chose to embrace that in the EP.”

Aura said the title, 3AM, was befitting given the nature of the songs on the five-track EP that make reference to time or the memorable moments in her life.

This comes out clearly on the song, 21hrs, when she sings: “I’m just barely getting by, 21… guess I got some time”.  On another track, Run It Back, she pleads with a former lover to repay her for the time she wasted on him before breaking up with him.

“I decided not to overthink the creativity while penning my lyrics but the songs that I compiled for the EP complimented each other in a way.

“The title 3AM was suitable because each of the songs is basically about things one thinks about in the wee hours.”

Aura was inspired to become an artiste by music from the early 2000’s and the ability of artistes of the time to evoke various emotions through their songs.

She said she was drawn to music from a young age when she would ask her mother to purchase a pink toy guitar she fancied year after year from the age of four.

She would even ask her mother to fetch her a toy microphone that she would use to perform in the yard of her family home. However, it was only around the age of eight that she realised she had the talent for singing.

“As for song writing, I started out with poetry which came naturally and became an outlet to express my feelings. I have always been a person who feels deeply,” Aura said.

According to Aura, pursuing a career in music seemed farfetched but she would not allow this to stop her.  Initially, she struggled with song writing but went on to write her first song in 2012.

“Even writing my first song was a struggle, so I put that on hold until around 2016 when I decided to nurture the potential that others had seen in me,” Aura said.

It was in 2016 when she began to record music with the likes of SirNic, who featured her on her first musical recording, Secrets.

“The reception 3AM received is overwhelming considering that it was a surprise release and I had not released music of my own prior to that, apart from being featured on SirNic and DJ Veenushka’s projects.

“I am truly passionate about my craft and look forward to telling my story through music that I will be releasing in future,” Aura said.