Scott Clay – Aurora – Remixed
Scott Clay has been a featured artist on buffaBLOG before (see here). While you might be used to the “complex but uncomplicated” Americana that he’s been crafting over the course of his six full length releases, Clay has stepped outside of his twangy comfort zone to release something different. Clay enlisted producers Josh Richins and David Murray for a re-imagining of a song off of his 2022 LP Let It All Lay Bare, “Aurora,” which marks his first foray into electronic music with a trip-hop/downtempo approach to an ol’ classic.
Inspired by a friend, Britt Warner, and her experiences viewing the northern lights for the first time, “Aurora” came together eerily quickly, and was a fun challenge for Clay to write from the perspective of someone else. Britt also applied all the video treatment and editing for the song’s stunning visual accompaniment, captured by cinematographer Spencer Johnson. Filmed at the Mount Baker ski resort, the team was rewarded by scenic snowy visuals, a rare bluebird sighting, and of course, a wild display of the dancing auroras that make the northern lights so awe inspiring.
As for the song itself, the final product is sparse, but strong, not unlike Clay’s typical Americana approach. Clay’s vocoded vocals sound alien and robotic in a good way, emphasized by squelching bass swells, blippy percussive elements, and bleats of arpeggiated synth. For fans of more typical pop songwriting, the song never eschews that four-on-the-floor feel that we’re all accustomed to, hitting us with pulsing bass drum hits and a pleasant hi-hat rhythm.
Check out the stunning video for “Aurora” below, or, add it to your favorite Spotify or Apple Music playlist.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna