1. How did the band initially come together? Can you share a bit about your journey as a group?
We’re all friends from way back. We started out in 1992 playing Magic the Gathering and occasionally covering Rush and 3rd and the Mortal songs. We no longer play Magic, but we still play together to this very day
2. What would you say sets your music apart from other rock bands in the industry?
We’ve often been called neo-prog. But for a long time we didn’t know what music we made. It’s a mix of Floyd, Doom metal and alternative. We didnt know we made prog until we played ProgPower Europe where we met our fans for the 1st time.
3. Could you describe the creative process within the band? How do you typically approach songwriting and arranging?
We’re a band that jams. For example, have some tea from our latest album was a jam that we honed down with the band to the song it is now. Sometimes Remco writes songs, but the songs typically get finished with the band.
For this project we sometimes applied a slightly different approach with jamming. We already had the part of the story where the song should be about. So having that in mind brought the jam in the mood that we felt with the storyline.
4. Are there any specific themes or messages that you aim to convey through your music?
Mox- So far our main thing has been to make concept albums, and this new album is no different.
The idea for this album actually started taking shape during the creation of our previous album, World of Grey. That album explores the idea of a looming dystopian future, and that got me thinking: What would life look like in such a world? What would it feel like to live in that kind of reality? And more importantly, what would it take to help humanity recover and move forward from that point? Given everything that is happening in our world, I felt that something extraordinary would be needed—something so profound that it will push us into the next phase of our evolution.
From there, I started writing down my thoughts, and I was able to convince the band that this could be an exciting direction for our next project. The ideas evolved and grew into a full story, which is told through the songs on the album. But of course, the songs don’t give you the whole picture—there’s so much more background and context. Since I felt the story had more to offer, I decided to create a podcast to dive deeper into the narrative and give listeners some extra insight into the world we’ve built.
5. How do you feel your sound has evolved since the band’s formation? Have there been any significant changes in your approach or style?
We certainly have an Aurora DNA. We’re always recognisable as Aurora. And we still write songs as a whole. But our albums do differ. World of Grey was very much a prog rock album with orchestral elements, but our latest album has a heavier straight forward sound. You have to keep things interesting for yourselves.
6. What has been the biggest challenge the band has faced so far, and how did you overcome it?
Joris: The passing of Marc Vooijs obviously had a huge impact on the band. With his passing, we lost an important co-founder of the band, our rhythm guitarist, lyricist and most importantly a very, very good friend. This took significant time to overcome. Because there was still so much musical potential in the band and joy playing together, we decided to continue as a five piece band, and commenced writing “World Of Grey”, in which Mox took over the lyrics and all the conceptual stuff.
7. Are there any particular artists or bands that have influenced your musical style or inspired you?
The main ones that everybody in the band likes are Pink Floyd, Rush and the Gathering. But the main one is 3rd and the Mortal. We we’re and still are in awe of this band.
8. Can you share a memorable or interesting experience from one of your live performances?
Joris: We had many! But one in particular was pretty funny. We once had an interesting gig in (DB’s) Utrecht, where we were headlining at a small Prog Festival.
Because of Mox’s (windows) laptop crashing regularly, we completely lost the synth-sounds a couple of times and had no choice but to stop in the middle of songs. To entertain the audience during the ‘painful’ laptop-restarts, Remco eventually started playing “Hey Jude” from the Beatles. The whole audience sang along and it became a thing. With every following laptop-crash (there were many!), the audience went wild an commenced singing “Hey Jude”.
Furthermore, in the last 20 minutes of that same show, a women’s volleyball-match was suddenly projected at the big video-screen behind us, instead of our conceptual art-video’s..
To top it off: During the last song of that gig, my drum-stick broke in half and the broken piece flew over the stage – in a beautiful trajectory – and landed exactly straight up in Dennis’s microphone and stayed there. What are the odds??? This was also met by great applause.
We really bonded with the audience that gig.
9. How do you engage with your audience during your live shows? What kind of experience do you strive to create for them?
We want our live shows to be immersive experiences where the audience feels like they’re part of the journey. Our music has a lot of atmosphere and storytelling, so we use visuals, lighting, and dynamics to draw people in. We don’t just play songs; we create a mood.
There’s also a strong connection between us and our fans—we see familiar faces at our shows, and there’s a shared understanding in the room. Whether it’s through eye contact, sing-alongs, or just letting the music take over, we want every person in the audience to feel like they belong in that moment with us.
10. Are there any upcoming projects or releases that you’re excited about? Can you give us a sneak peek into what’s next for the band?
Mox: Well this new album is the first one of a two-parter, so the second one should not be long in coming. After that we are thinking more and more about making EPs or singles. Why not release two or three songs every year? But first we will release these two albums, and then we will consider how the approach will be in the future.
11. What do you enjoy most about being part of a band? Is there a specific aspect of the music-making process that you find particularly fulfilling?
The best part of being in a band is the chemistry—the way we create something together that none of us could make alone. There’s a magic in those moments when a jam suddenly turns into a song, when everything clicks, and you feel like the music is writing itself.
We also love the connection with our audience. Seeing people resonate with something we’ve created, whether it’s during a live show or when they tell us how our music has impacted them, is incredibly fulfilling.
But at the core, it’s about making music with friends. We’ve been playing together for years, and that bond is what keeps it fun and meaningful.
12. How do you handle criticism or negative reviews of your work? Has it ever affected your creative process or confidence as a band?
We play and create for ourselves 1st. Always. If anyone else likes it that’s a bonus. But yeah, getting nice reviews is always nice 
13. Are there any rituals or routines that you follow before going on stage or entering the recording studio?
We’re usually pretty chill. Were a pretty tight live band who’ve played together for ages. Studio recording is just christmas and birthdays tolled into one. We get all giddy knowing that we can go to a studio and record our material.
14. Have you faced any notable obstacles or hurdles as a band, and how did you navigate through them?
Joris: The Corona-period was challenging for us. Not being able to rehearse for quite a long period, made us all give priority to other, more homely activities instead. Which was also fine of course, but the momentum we build prior to this, creating the EVOS songs, was completely out of the window. It took some time to ‘get the band back together’ again.
Also, the choice to record the EVOS-album in our own studio, investing heavily in microphones, mixers etc, did not work out as we thought it would. Yes, the approach is flexible, because we can record whenever we want to, but it also lacks the focus and the pressure that we normally experienced in (pricy) external recording studio’s. For instance, with the recordings of STA and WOG, we booked a studio for a week, and did nothing else that week but recording. That ‘bubble’, then created the focus and attention we needed to elevate our playing to a higher level. The EVOS songs, on the other hand, were all recorded on Tuesday-evenings, after our normal day-job activities.
15. What advice would you give to aspiring rock musicians who are just starting their journey?
Enjoy the ride. There’s little to no money to be made in our genre, so make sure you make the music that you like.
16. Are there any specific goals or milestones that the band hopes to achieve in the future?
Mox: Our big focus is wrapping up the EVOS epos—it’s our magnum opus (at least until the next big idea hits us). After that, who knows? We don’t have anything set in stone, but we’re pretty sure the creative floodgates will open, and who knows where that’ll take us. The future’s wide open!
17. How do you maintain a balance between your personal lives and the demands of being in a rock band?
We still all have day jobs. Next to no money to be made in prog. we’re just friends who get together regurly and play music, do gigs en bring out albums together. it’s a hobby, the same as any other. Fun thing is that we can play our hobby for other people.
18. Is there a particular song from your discography (Disc-og-ra-fee) that holds a special meaning for the band or carries a significant story behind it?
Newtopia is one of our favorite songs. It was also one of Marc’s favorites. We played it on his funeral. Event Horizon from our 1st album is another one. It was the first song we made where everything clicked. When we wrote it we must have played it 15 times on one evening.
19. Can you share a fun or interesting fact about each band member that fans might not be aware of?
Joris – Joris’ mother played flute in ‘Nocturnal Lament’, which can be heard on the album Unspoken Words. His father conducted the “Aurora Choir”, which can be heard at the end of ‘The Resurrection’ (also on the Unspoken Words album).
Dennis – started out his musical career as a rapper
Mox and Dennis are cousins
Alex – is also in a stellar band called Golden Caves
Remco –and Joris played music together since they we’re 12
20. What is the ultimate dream or vision that you have for the band’s legacy?
Mox- Besides the obvious things like people enjoying our music and appreciating our style, I think we also try to convey a deeper message to the world. In particular with this two-parter, we hope to plant some seeds that it starts with every individual to change the world.
21. What would you be doing if you weren’t a musician?
We still all have day jobs. Next to no money to be made in prog. So probably that
22. What song do you wish you had written by another band?
We all have pretty diverse tastes. But there’s one album that we all love to bits and pieces. Painting on glass by 3rd and the Mortal. Oooh the countless times we tripped and spaced out to that album. It remains, to this day, the high golden standard that we want to achieve.
23. Is it possible to be on the road and not succumb to eating junk food?
Unfortunatly we dont do long tours anymore, so when we do go out, it’s a party. Anything goes. So fries and pizza it is
24. Are there any songs you have done you wish you hadn’t?
No off course not. We cherish every song. Because our proces is really slow (we’re a 6 man democracy) once a song starts to form, we dont let up until it is perfect. Like i said, it takes time, but in the end, the results speak for themselves.
