Who'd imagine a person that small would have such a powerful voice?
I know, right?
Welcome, Aurora.
Thanks.
You'll just have to squeeze in between your sisters.
No problem.
Beautiful performance!
Thank you.
I hear you sisters work together?
Yep.
All of you?
Yes.
So you two sisters are a part of this project?
As often as we have the chance.
When did you two first realize that this tiny person had such a great talent and such a beautiful voice? Viktoria?
I think it was...wasn't it in your own confirmation, Aurora?
Yes, I think so.
So she was fourteen years old back then, and she had already been writing and singing songs for years.
Without showing them to anyone.
I see.
So we didn't realize her talent until that confirmation, when she performed a song she had written for the occasion.
And everyone there were like: "WHAT?!"
Turned out she had already come a long way with songwriting and so forth. It was a big surprise!
Ah ha. And now you've all come very far. Most recent happening was Bergenfest, Aurora?
A show home in Bergen met with postive reviews...was it rainy when you performed?
Yes, it was very rainy, but it was really nice.
It wasn't a big deal?
I think the rain is pretty poetic. It's actually really lovely to be on the stage when it's raining.
The music reviewers bring out the big superlatives when they're reviewing your concerts.
The reviewers of Bergen might be a bit biased as they consider you to be one of their own.
But they use words such as 'solid', 'dramatic', 'confident', 'charming', 'intense' to describe you and your performance.
"Even when she forgets parts of the lyrics the crowd loves her so much that it's easy for them to forgive her."
How does it feel to be you, and read such positive things about yourself?
Um. I actually usually don't read a lot of the things other people write about me in the media.
I usually just...I mean...I think it's unhealthy for an artist to get used to reading too many reviews on your work.
It's very nice when people write good things about me and my music, and I really appreciate it.
But I prefer to judge a show by how the audience members acts and treats me and my music right there and then.
The Bergenfest crowd had a very nice energy.
What do these two sisters mean to you? On one side you have Viktoria, who made sure you looked absolutely fabulous on the stage in Bergen.
On the other side, Miranda who takes care of your make-up.
Mhm.
You guys are a team, and it's been that way for a long time. How important have they been for you and your career?
At the start of my career I found it frightening to spend too much time and energy on how I looked.
After a while it felt very nice and empowering to put on a uniform and 'go to war' in a warrior outfit. One that perhaps can intimidate the people on the other side a bit.
Oh, and that jacket over there is from Fårikål and was designed by Viktoria.
Which is her brand?
Yeah.
It looks cool.
Yes, it's really gorgeous. They had a dark, black version of it with beautiful brown wool that I fell completely in love with.
So we decided to make a version of it in white, and that was really nice.
It was the first order from my brand, so that was fun.
And this wool here is from a sheep named 'Perlemor' or something like that.
A sheep who happily grazes on Osterøy island today, a bit more naked than it used to be.
Yes, it's probably feeling a bit chillier. It's so beautiful.
This was your first time on stage with a complete outfit from your older sister's brand.
Mhm.
How was that for you, Viktoria?
It was really great. I've sewn a lot of clothes for her in the past.
Some clothes that I've just made without her asking and some she's "ordered" by asking me "Do you think you could make something like this?"
But the fact that she pre-ordered a whole outfit through my brand without me pulling any strings was really awesome.
That's neat.
Miranda, how is it for you to be a part of this team?
It's fantastic. It's a journey. We've been lucky enough to get to travel with and help her on her projects.
But do you take part in everything?
Everything related to promo. Music videos, photo shoots and so on.
And TV-shows!
But you have a degree in education?
Yes, I'm a certified teacher.
But you're not teaching at the moment?
No. I wanted to work with something creative, and working with make-up was my dream. So that's what I started doing.
The past year you've spent a lot of time traveling together for shows.
Aurora has played concerts all around the globe and appeared on some of the biggest American TV-shows.
And there's you, Miranda, telling the crew "I've got the make-up covered, guys".
Yes.
How do they react to that?
Really calmly actually. When Aurora lets them know that she only wants to use me they don't really have a choice either way.
You're the boss, Aurora?
Yes.
Because you're not a big fan of having a bunch of strangers all up in your face, Aurora?
Uh, no, I think it's very strange when other people touch me. I'm not really that fond of other people touching me in general.
So it's really comforting to know that it's Miranda that takes care of stuff like that. She's also really talented.
The most important thing to note here is in my opinion that Viktoria became a designer, and Miranda a make-up artist, before I became an artist.
And it's just a stroke of luck that I...-
I mean. I just became a musician without really planning and knowing it, and it was really fantastic to already have one designer and one make-up artist in my family who could help me out.
It's really great, cause you can be completely honest with your family.
Something we notice is that you three all have somewhat different, or mixed dialects.
Yeah.
Starting off we have Aurora that sounds like she's from Bergen, then we have you, Miranda, with something of a Sandnes dialect? Right?
Yep, that's where I was born.
So you almost have a full Sandnes dialect.
Yes.
And you, Viktoria, have something of a Hordaland/Bergen dialect.
Your dialect is a bit mixed, Viktoria.
A lot of people think I'm from Haugesund when they hear my dialect actually. Geographically it's right in the middle of Sandnes and Bergen.
And what's the reason for all these different dialects?
We moved from Sandnes to Bergen in 1999, when Aurora was three years old.
I was nine. And you were twelve and 'established', Miranda, haha.
But have you always been this close? No sibling fights? Never thrown stuff at each other like sisters sometimes do?
No, not really. I can't really imagine throwing anything at anyone.
I've been tempted sometimes, but...-
Nah, but growing up, we hardly ever fought each other. We've always been very overprotective of each other.
Yep.
I think it's pretty natural considering our age differences that we don't quarrel that much.
We're patient with each other, and they're laid-back.
I just read an article in Os & Fusaposten, your local newspaper. You had a trip back home, right, Aurora?
Yes.
Saw you were interviewed there, at the mall, or wherever it was.
Yes, at a florist shop. We also managed to find ourselves a vacuum cleaner.
Lovely.
The article said that you two, Aurora and Miranda, are moving in together?
Yeah, we've moved in together.
How nice.
It's really great.
So how's that working out for you two? The oldest sister living together with the youngest sister.
It's been completely unproblematic. We're so used to spending time with each other. Traveling together and so forth. No problem whatsoever.
No, it's not problematic at all.
We're actually pretty alike me and Aurora.
Yep, it's all good. We all have a harmonious relationship. And if one of us 'has a storm inside them' the rest of us can easily adjust to and deal with that.
I'm really lucky to have these two by my side.
Viktoria, you're not planning on moving to their shared apartment I assume?
I'm married, so I live with my husband.
You should leave your husband and move in with us!
I spend a lot of time with them at their place though.
Yeah, we've realized.
Everyone that reads your blog, Viktoria, knows that you and your sisters support each other a lot. It's not like you two just put Aurora on a pedestal, and that's that.
No, absolutely not.
You've been open about your struggles. You've experienced many setbacks and 'bumps in the road' in your life over many years.
Not that long ago, you were diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Yes.
What have your sisters meant to you in those years?
So much! They're my best friends.
When your everyday life is like this, where you don't know how you'll be feeling tomorrow or next week, it can be difficult to plan ahead. I can always feel it lurking in the background.
So having these two by my side is fantastic. They're empathetic when I'm having a bad day, and instead of getting insulted or upset, they just give me some time and space to work through it.
In what way has the bipolar disorder affected your life?
It's had a big impact on my life for many years.
Just working every week from Monday to Friday took its toll on me. I worked in a kindergarten before I got myself an education.
I found it very challenging to have to deal with people every day.
It also proved a problem when I started studying. It came to the point where I just had to be honest and tell people about my struggles.
At the time I didn't know I was bipolar, but I knew I had severe social anxiety, so I politely asked if I could spend more time studying at home.
They were very understanding and took great care of me after that.
You know what? I'm sure your parents are sitting at home right now, proudly watching you guys. What a wonderful bunch of women!
And tomorrow it's time for you all to shine again. You're performing at OverOslo festival tomorrow, Aurora.
Mhm.
And now we're all aware of the two strong and awesome sisters that have your back and cheer you on.
Thank you so much for coming, and thanks for the song, Aurora!
Thanks for having us.
And good luck tomorrow.
Thanks.
