LiAura shares her cinematic cover of “Thunderstruck”
British Columbia-based South African-born Auret Esselen is no stranger to the music industry, having released music under her name, Auret, after deciding to pursue music and follow her dreams.
Now, she’s unveiled her project, LiAura, and has released her cinematic orchestral cover of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” Read our single review here.
If you like what you hear, stay tuned for more epic music to come from this up-and-coming artist!
Listen to “Thunderstruck” below and learn more about LiAura via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey, lovely to meet you! 
I’m LiAura (lee-ora), a cinematic music artist and songwriter based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. I create epic orchestral music with a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern flare that transports listeners to otherworldly realms.
Think Hans Zimmer, Tommee Profitt, or soundtracks to The Mummy or Gladiator, with a hint of Fluerie.
I’ve been singing and performing for over a decade – opening for Mos Def, aka Yasiin Bey, touring across Canada, and winning the Director’s Award for songwriting in Nashville -. Still, it wasn’t until the stillness of 2020 that I really started to discover who I was as an artist.
I went from just ‘pop music’ to a fusion of classical orchestration, brooding vocals, exotic sounds, and contemporary production techniques – this is, in a sense, a rebirth. And I can’t wait to share some unforgettable musical experiences with you.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
What if ACDC did a collab with Tommee Profitt or Hans Zimmer and re-recorded Thunderstruck for an upcoming soundtrack of “The Mummy”?
Yea, that’s my new single 🙂
It’s a cinematic cover of the classic rock song “Thunderstruck.” 
I may be crazy taking a classic hard rock song that EVERYONE knows/loves and reimagining it into an epic orchestral cinematic song with a middle eastern flare.
But this is about seeing something familiar in a new light.
It’s about nostalgia for the future.
And taking risks.
Because nothing worthy was ever created without risk.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
Life experiences. Each song is a story, usually one of transformation. Because transformation is where the drama (the good kind!) lives, it’s where growth lives, and I think that goes so well with epic cinematic soundscapes.
Specifically, if we’re talking lyrics – I also love to pull inspiration from the books I read. As a business owner, I’m constantly reading books on personal development and marketing. So sometimes, I’ll read a line or a paragraph that inspires me and note it in my lyric book.
If we’re talking inspiration for melodies and music – that would be a combination of my background and musical influences.
I was born in South Africa, but my cultural background is Israeli, Egyptian, and Moroccan so to a certain extent, I’ve always gravitated toward songs with a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern flare.
In fact, my parents would always play music from different countries at home – these songs would be in Arabic, Greek, French, Hebrew, Russian – and a single instrument or vocal riff will just make me ooze. I’m so blessed to have had such a culture-infused upbringing with music.
I’m also obsessed with epic film scores (does anyone else have the entire soundtrack of Dune in their Spotify library 
) or any songs that have a ton of contrast in them (crazy highs mixed with soft lows) to create that drama.
Ultimately, combining this ethnic cinematic music with thought-provoking lyrics to create a musical experience that evokes a sense of adventure and empowerment – THIS is what I live for.
Do you have any upcoming shows or albums you want to tell us about?
Yes! I’ll be releasing my first EP (as LiAura) later this year in October. It will include a few original songs I wrote – “Rise” and “Escape” – and a reimagined cinematic version of Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes. If you like what you hear so far, you’ll dig what I have in store for you in October 2023. I invite you to follow my journey on Instagram or on YouTube.
What’s your goal for 2023?
A big goal of mine is to land a sync placement this year in a film, TV show, or game. I’m also working on finding my people – humans from all over the world who love immersive musical experiences and are just as passionate about epic orchestral music as I am. If that sounds like you, join me on this journey and connect with me on my socials – I truly look forward to meeting you and geeking out on this stuff with you! 