In the world of contemporary music, there are rare artists who can convey their unique universes through music. Andrea Aaron is precisely such a creative whirlwind from France, whose music enchants and mesmerizes. Her melodies create a fantastical world where emotions bloom like spring flowers, and every note breathes with life.

Today, we have a unique opportunity to unravel the mysteries of her debut album “Iris” and discover what lies behind the scenes of her inspiration. Join us in this captivating conversation, where Andrea Aaron will unveil new facets of artistry, share insights into her musical roots, and discuss her thoughts and plans. This interview promises to be not only informative but also inspiring for all music and art enthusiasts. In this engaging conversation, Andrea Aaron reveals new aspects of her artistry, delves into her musical roots, and talks about her thoughts and future plans.

photo by Beatrice Dufour

Hey there, Andrea! I hope you’re doing well. I’m really intrigued by your  album’s name, “Iris.” What’s the story behind that choice? Were you drawn to the  enchanting qualities of the iris flower, or is there a special meaning behind it for  you? 

Hello ! When I first thought about the name of the album, I was actually  looking for the name of a tree, as an allegory of the strength of women and  men and a magnificent and immortal being. But they’re all complicated latin  words ! That didn’t fit. So I started to consider plants and flowers, because I  wanted something strongly connected to nature. The iris was perfect, because  they all look different and exist in multiple colors, plus they don’t die during  the hardship of the winter ; the most resistant part of them rests underground  until spring comes again for them to grow. What a beautiful metaphor for our  human life, don’t you think?  The fact that it’s also a name allowed me to personify these qualities to tell the  story of my main character, who’s going through a lot, sometimes losing herself, but always finding a way to survive. It is inspired by my own journey,  but we all do live these difficulties, and we all have to find ways to overcome  the suffering.  

What atmosphere did you want to create for listeners when they hear “Iris”? 

I wanted to create a multidimensional atmosphere when listening to the album.  I come from a more RnB background but never aimed to recreate something  that already existed. I didn’t want to do the sexy/sad love songs combo, even if  some of those songs are my favourite ones. I wanted each song to put the  listener in a different mood, through the different parts of the journey. It can be very playful, with a bit of hidden melancholia, but also violent and raw, or  intimate and vulnerable… I wanted the listener to feel the same rollercoaster of  emotions that I can feel, sometimes on a daily basis. I also wanted to  communicate the confidence and strength you need to go through some of  those feelings. When you finish listening to Iris, I hope your heart is full of  love and you’re optimistic that better days are ahead. 

photo by Beatrice Dufour

Your vocals have been described as stylish and glamorous, but I’m curious,  what other unique qualities do you think they bring to the table? Are they  perhaps paving the way for a new sound, maybe even something futuristic? 

First of all, thank you for that ! When you’re a singer, you always compare  yourself to others but the truth is the best you can do is to find your own voice.  I like to think that my vocals enhance my message. I want to bring authenticity and emotions to the listener. I believe that today’s artists have to free  themselves from the frame they’ve been put into for so long by the industry  and society, whether it is in the way they sing, the way they present  themselves or their work, the way they look… I want my music to be more than just a pretty voice. I like to think that my voice reflects both my inner strengths and vulnerabilities. 

In listening to “Iris,” I found myself transported to a realm where vibrant  blooms and boundless horizons hold sway. I’m genuinely intrigued: how did  you accomplish such a captivating portrayal within your music? 

I’m happy you feel that way ! My teams and I put so much work into creating  this universe. It actually took more than 3 years with my co-writer, the  composer and pianist Cosimo Severi to achieve something we are proud of. I’m very lucky because I had this very precise idea of what I wanted the album to  sound like, and he understood everything so perfectly. That’s when the magic  happens ! We wanted the listener to feel the same deep feelings as our main  character during her journey by taking the listeners into a world made of reality and fantasy, where the border can sometimes be very blurry.  

I’m curious about the inception of your album. Which song did you begin  working on first, and did it ever captivate you to the extent that you became  completely engrossed, momentarily setting aside the rest of the tracks? 

Iris is a mix of unachieved songs and poems that I wrote years ago and new  ones written while making the album. Same as a book, I wanted to tell a story  with an introduction, a development, different characters -main and secondary that appear as all the different voices, and a conclusion. I wanted to tell my  story. I was coming out of a long and very hard time that lasted several years,  marked by a lot of despair, mental illness, violence. I felt that I needed to speak about it to find closure.  

So the first song that I needed to get out of my chest was « Uncrushable ». It  was the starting point of all this project. Originally it was some rules that I  wrote in a notebook for myself after a blunt, painful episode, in order to get  out of the situation I was in. Working on this song was quite heavy for me as I  wanted it to expose the brutality of domestic violence and patriarchy. So it  became quickly necessary to work on other songs for my own sake and  balance! I wrote « Love Guru » and « Lips » in about the same time period,  with very different vibes. Then it was covid, and we started to work on the  other tracks, with enough time on our hands to go back and forth. As musicians and artists, it’s really difficult to be completely satisfied with what you create.  So I think most of the songs changed until the very last minute!  The only tracks that has been done a little bit later was the intro « Flowers »  and the eponym « Iris ». I wrote « Iris » as a poem initially and then decided  that I wanted to include it to the album because it summed up perfectly the  message of hope I wanted to share with people. As an introduction, I wanted to create a different form for the song that intertwines with the the outro. I wanted it to circle back, and that’s why we used elements of the introduction in the  song.

photo by Beatrice Dufour

Could you share some insights into the song “Dream of Her,” Andrea?  Does it draw from your personal experiences, or is it more rooted in the realm  of pure fantasy? 

« Dream of Her » is a very special song for me. It does come from my personal experience. Since I started music I tried to write that song, but the pain was too vivid and I wasn’t ready to talk about it, to talk about the death of a loved one. I wanted to be delicate with the subject. Instead of talking about death, I decided to talk about what happens afterward. To keep living after a loss is one of the  hardest human things to do. You have to accept it in order to make the person  who left keep living through you. Their presence remains in your mind, your  memory, but sometimes you feel it in the material world too. Also, I wanted to  go with a simple instrumentation, like a kid’s music box, with no theatrical  development because I didn’t want to add drama on an already painful subject.  The emotion that one can hear in the vocals is real. 

Could you walk us through the process of creating the album cover, Andrea? How was your collaboration experience with Béatrice Dufour? 

I’m so glad you’re asking ! I love working with Béatrice Dufour  (@studiolouche) so much ! She ‘s such a talented photographer and artist, and  an amazing woman. Plus her vision is so unique and beautiful ! The first time I worked with her was a few years ago.. So when I needed  pictures for the new project, I didn’t hesitate one second, I absolutely wanted to work with her again ! I had this idea to recreate a bedroom. I wanted a very  intimate but powerful scenery, in between realism and fantasy. She created  everything ! On the set, it was only her, the excellent make-up artist Sara  Huchet (@saravaletaface) and me. I asked my friend and director Samuel  Bouaziz (@samuelbouazizreal) to come and film for the making of, and it was  so beautiful that it became the music video for « Love Guru ». I created the album cover with another gifted friend, Thiébaud Chotin, graphic designer of Pong Studio (@p.ngstudio). We had a few ideas for it, but decided  to stick with this amazing photo that I love. It captures a lot of me, and  translates both the poetic and the powerful soul of the album. It has a little  sadness to it, but also a lot of hope. Plus it is Iris : a girl who spends a lot of  time in her house observing and thinking about the world by the window. 

Are there any tracks on the album that you’re particularly proud of? Or, you  know, like with kids, do you love them all equally? 

I do love them all, cause the ones I didn’t love didn’t make the cut! However,  some have a special place in my heart for the way they make me feel or the  persons I wrote the songs for, or the story behind them. I think about « Dream  of her ” of course, but also « Furious », which is the song that I wrote the 

longest time ago about my best friend at the time. I cherish « Flowers » cause  it contains the exact message I wanted to share by making this album. Also, it  has my grand mother’s voice at the end, which is my most precious treasure.  Finally I love « Iris » because it helped me hold it together when I wanted to  give up, I kind of write it for myself when I felt very dark inside. It gave me a  will to keep fighting.  

Let’s suppose your album is a person. How would you describe their  character and habits? Would they love coffee in the mornings or prefer  espresso at lunchtime? 

Well, you can say that my album is a person, she’s Iris (even if Iris is a  particular person yet it could be everybody)! She’s super strong, an introvert  yet very determine woman. She doesn’t need to be the louddest in the room to  obtain what she wants, she finds her way to things ! Of course she’s  independent but has the best entourage of loyal, kind-hearted, talented people,  and she loves nothing more than spending time with them. She’s highly  emotional and feels everything strongly but can put up with a lot. She’s  resilient and forgiveful, because she knows unleashing rage hurts no one but  herself and people who love her.  

She can be a little childlish still, more of a tea and cookies at all times than a  coffee person. Her tastes are as ambivalent as her : she loves eating vegetables and healthy food, but also drinks too much soda and love sugary stuff. She  likes to stay home during winter and dream about other places, new  adventures, but will always go out as soon as the sun shows up. She’s not into  hanging out in bars or going to fancy places, but she loves to go to small  venues listening to upcoming musicians and singers. Also, she lives in a big  city but dreams about the sea and to live where the sun shines surrounded by  large fields of lavender or olive trees. One can say she looks like me !  

What exciting plans do you have in store for this upcoming summer? Any  special projects or performances on the horizon that you’re particularly looking forward to? 

Well I’ m already working on the next project! I’m writing new songs but I  can’t say much about it yet. All I can say is that I’m ready to write and sing in  french too now! I also have other projects. On a long term perspective, I would love to help develop other artists. They’re so many amazing musicians that  don’t fit the requirements of the music industry but deserve a chance and a  platform to express themselves ! I see them everyday, and they’re so talented.  Last but not least, I’m preparing to tour for the year to come. Being on stage  and sharing my music live is the best feeling. I also would love to tour abroad ! But it’s quite challenging when you’re an independent artist, so I’m currently  looking for a tour manager to help me with this. And hopefully, after years of non-stop work, I’m going to take some time off and live life a little, just for a  few weeks!