– Winner: Best Female Fronted Rock Band, Rock City Music Awards 2003
– Winner: Best Live Performance, LA Music Awards 2004
– “I can truly say that The Aurora Beckons [is] the most exciting new band I’ve seen in at least fifteen years!” Len Fagan, legendary Hollywood nighclub booker
– “[The Aurora Beckons’] eleven-song album is explosive and exciting, with extraordinary musicianship… [T]heir songs are so unforgettable and compelling, they’ll brand themselves into your brain. Highly recommended – [The]Aurora Beckons could very well be the future of rock.”
Bernard Baur
Review Editor, A&R Reporter
Music Connection Magazine
Many bands attempt to create a signature sound by combining a variety of styles. Most, unfortunately, rarely pull it off. The Aurora Beckons are an exception. They nail it. Their shuddering groove-laden rock and funk sensibilities cultivated a large and strong following. In fact, few rock groups break down as many musical barriers as they do.
Powerful, yet vulnerable, they present shows that exude exhilarating energy and intense sexuality. Their sound has been compared to Queens of the Stone Age, Incubus, Jane’s Addiction and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And, while The Aurora Beckons may remind you of those famous acts, they fashion their signature sound from the best those groups could deliver and make it their own.
If that sounds like hype – chances are you haven’t heard or seen this band yet. They take a different approach to their music than other acts. “If our songs become too similar, we’ll take a left turn,“ guitarist Eric Slater states. And, in their hands, that’s not too difficult. Joe Cooper, Johnny Z and Slater form a power trio of virtuoso players. Indeed, each one of them could probably lead a band of his own. “But, it’s not about any of us showboating,” Slater explains. “ We’re here to serve the songs.”
And, singer Darcie Rae does just that. With an uninhibited dynamic that’s both wild and unpredictable, fans of the band flock to the shows just to see what she’s going to do. In fact, watching Darcie perform, you can’t help but think of Jim Morrison, Iggy Pop and, yes, even Courtney Love. She inhabits a territory where performers are so fierce they’re almost scary.
Listen to them, and you’ll find that The Aurora Beckons play some of the most innovative music on the scene today. It’s rock, heavy and raw but still precise, with songs that are as compelling as they are contagious.
After touring California, the college circuit and SoCal clubs, Slater says, “That road time helped us become a real band.” It also helped them build a fan base that can fill venues and sell records. Not content with the status quo, this is the kind of act that will develop and progress forever. Hard working, exciting, and totally different, The Aurora Beckons have their vision on the horizon. Check them out and you, too, will see the future.