Alt-pop sensation Au/Ra has unveiled her debut album, ‘Heartcore,’ a vibrant tapestry woven from the threads of her childhood escapism into fantastical realms. This ambitious project unfolds like a retro dungeon crawler, with tracks such as ‘This Is Character Building,’ ‘Last Heart <3,’ and ‘Lo/Re’ drawing on video game tropes to narrate a compelling journey of betrayal, personal growth, and ultimate liberation. The album resonates with the same high-concept artistry found in Bring Me The Horizon’s ‘Post Human’ saga, blending playful video game elements with the emotional depth of art-pop. It’s no wonder Au/Ra captured the spotlight at this year’s Great Escape Festival, where she commanded the stage wielding a giant faux sword as a microphone stand.
Her dynamic electro-pop sound is influenced by the ethereal soundscapes of Imogen Heap and the pulsating energy of Grimes’ ‘Art Angels.’ Additionally, the soundtracks from popular action role-playing games like Genshin Impact and the multiplayer phenomenon League of Legends, along with its animated Netflix series Arcane, have also left an indelible mark on her eclectic album. To introduce fans to the world of ‘Heartcore,’ Au/Ra creatively revealed the tracklist through her own top-down dungeon adventure game, complemented by a ‘Heartcore’ comic book. “It’s a nerd dream come true,” Au/Ra, whose real name is Jamie Lou Stenzel, shared in a Zoom interview with NME.
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Reflecting on the album’s creation, Stenzel noted, “It’s not surprising that it turned out this way. As I was making this record, I started going to therapy to work through childhood traumas.” Growing up between Ibiza and Antigua, she revisited the passions that once served as her coping mechanisms—video games, creative writing, and The Lord Of The Rings. “Making this album was my way of forgiving my childhood self for feeling out of place and rewiring the part of my brain that made me feel guilty for being different.”
Her journey began with a pink Nintendo DS, where she immersed herself in charming games like Nintendogs, Cooking Mama, and Barbie In The 12 Dancing Princesses while her parents, a producer and a songwriter, worked in the studio. This early exposure blossomed into a love for Final Fantasy 15 and The Lord Of The Rings, where she found inspiration in the enchanting elves. “Those fantasy worlds are where it felt like I belonged,” she remarked, using them as a refuge from feelings of dissociation. “Creating my own worlds or diving into fandoms always helped me ground myself.”
Stenzel channeled her outsider experiences into her music, debuting with the shimmering electro-pop track ‘Concrete Jungle’ at just 14, followed by the angst-filled ‘Outsiders’ and the haunting ‘Panic Room,’ which candidly addressed her struggles with anxiety. The song’s slow-burn success was amplified by a remix from CamelPhat and its popularity among players of the anime role-playing game Gacha Life, who used it in their DIY music videos.
“I don’t think I ever actually wanted to be a pop star; I just wanted to create cool little worlds,” she explained. Her 2021 mixtape, ‘Soundtrack To An Existential Crisis,’ was followed by a tumultuous period marked by a dispute with her label, Sony, which hindered her ability to release new music. Although she eventually left the contract, she had to abandon a significant amount of work due to rights issues. “There was this mourning of art,” she recounted, feeling lost and uncertain as a newly unsigned artist. During this time, she turned to creative writing as a safe haven. “It was a safe space for me to go to that didn’t hurt.”
Despite her challenges, Stenzel remained connected with her fans through her Discord server, engaging in gaming sessions of Minecraft, Genshin Impact, Valorant, and Overwatch on Twitch. This sense of community and escapism rekindled her hope. “My anxiety was really bad around that time. When you’re in a bad situation and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore, it’s really hard to convince yourself that there is one,” she shared. “I did think it wasn’t possible for me to try and have a career in music again, but the people around me convinced me to keep going.”
The first song she penned for ‘Heartcore’ was ‘Blah,’ a cathartic release of the anger stemming from feelings of betrayal and abandonment. “Once I’d done that, I wasn’t blinded by it anymore,” she reflected. This clarity allowed her to delve into the creative process, ultimately leading to the poignant ‘Last Heart <3,’ which encapsulates the feeling of being lost and low on hit points. This track sparked the entire dungeon crawler concept for the album.
“The whole album is a big metaphor for the dungeon of the mind,” Stenzel explained, with each track representing a level the character of Au/Ra must conquer to reclaim joy and wonder. “Obviously, it was very, very inspired by my real life, but I’ve always enjoyed telling stories. It felt like I needed to escape into my own world to process what I was going through—and creatively express that in a way that would make sense to other people.” The more she invested of herself into this glitching alt-pop album, the more invigorated she felt about her music. “It’s a very hopecore record.”
‘Heartcore’ is out now via Polydor Records.
