Julia Belle Shares Atmospheric New Single ‘Aurora’
Pōneke singer-songwriter Julia Belle enters a new chapter with Aurora, an atmospheric indie-pop single that explores longing, nostalgia and the fantasies we create around the people we can’t let go of.
The first taste of Julia’s upcoming sophomore EP, Aurora marks a natural evolution from the folk-pop foundations of her debut EP Dreamland, expanding her sound into something more cinematic, layered and emotionally restless while retaining the intimate, confessional songwriting at the heart of her work.
The song began with a strange night spent listening to Pink Floyd with an old flame. When Julia mentioned the aurora, he told her it didn’t exist in this part of the world – before putting on The Dark Side of the Moon. That surreal moment became the starting point for a song about memory, escapism and the strange ways we romanticise people and moments long after they’re gone.
As references to Pink Floyd weave through the track, Aurora captures the feeling of being caught between reality and the version of someone that exists in your head – knowing something has ended, while still finding yourself returning to it.
On the track, Julia says: “Aurora is about missing old lovers while knowing you have to leave them behind, and realising you might have to leave parts of yourself behind too. It’s that feeling of looking around and wondering, what I’m I doing here? Am I wasting my life away? It’s nostalgic, messy, and marks the start of a new chapter for me”
While Aurora signals a sonic shift for Julia, the emotional core of her songwriting remains unchanged. Her music continues to draw from heartbreak, nostalgia, feeling out of place, maladaptive daydreaming and escapism, often sitting in the uncomfortable space between pretending you’re doing better and actually not being okay.
Julia’s debut EP Dreamland, released in April 2025 was praised by New Zealand media as “one of our country’s strongest independent releases in years”. She has also continued to collaborate within Pōneke’s music community, co-writing and featuring on fellow Wellington artist Danica Bryant’s 2025 single Narcissist.
Julia Belle is establishing herself as one of the emerging voices in Aotearoa’s indie landscape. Aurora opens the door to her next chapter – one where the folk foundations remain, but the world around them becomes bigger, stranger and more atmospheric.
Adding to the momentum around the release, Julia will also take to the stage at Wellington’s The Undercurrent on release day, Friday 25 September, supporting Floyd Marsden at her Good Times show. Tickets can be purchased here.
