Beetlebug – also known as Auri – has cultivated a captivated online audience through wistful melodies, tender acoustics and touching narratives that tap into familiar feelings of self-discovery and nostalgia. Often using her wholesome love of gardening or cats as a metaphor for a tender romance, Beetlebug has developed a niche, enigmatic style that has captured the hearts of listeners.

Preparing for a release of her debut EP in 2024, Beetlebug has shared ‘until the end’; a touching, blissful acoustic cut that expertly places her evocative, sincere vocals on a gentle ukulele backdrop. Speaking on the track, Beetlebug reflects “‘until the end’ is one of the first songs i wrote at the initial conception of this EP, as its shape was first forming – a joyous, penultimate closure that begins the conclusion with a lust and love for simply existing; a shard of warmth after the melancholy, that lifts gently into the final song of the project.”

Listen to the track below…

Here, we catch up with Beetlebug following her long-awaited return to music to talk through feelings during her hiatus, folk artist inspirations and 2024 hopes.

Read the interview…

Congratulations on the new single! Can you share the inspiration behind this soul-warming track?

Thank you so much! The inspiration for this song mainly drew from my headspace at the time. I was dealing with seasonal depression and had been writing a lot of songs that dwelled upon that hopelessness I felt. But I dearly wanted to end the project I was creating, with a reminder of the warmth that continues to linger beneath our gaze and eventually blooms into something more tangible. It’s hard to see what’s directly in front of you when you’re so buried underneath your own consciousness which I find happens a lot at this time of year for me specifically. What helps to carry me through these periods is connecting with nature and sharing in the unceasing beauty of the world we exist. Despite the harshness, connecting with your surroundings never fails to make you feel less alone.

How do you feel your latest single reflects your artistic evolution since your 2022 release, ‘the lepidopterist’?

It’s funny you should ask, as this song was written prior to ‘the lepidopterist’! Since it was part of a body of work, I wanted to hold off its release until the project was finalised. However, I think one of the things I am enjoying developing at the moment are my production skills and my ability to hone and carve a sound that is true to each individual song. I think this is something I’ve been able to do on this song and the whole project in general. ‘the lepidopterist’ was produced by me, but recorded with the aid of a wonderful sound engineer. This entire EP has been self-recorded and produced by me (apart from the strings that we recorded in the studio and the vocals which were lent to me by kind friends). I’m constantly working to better my sounds, while keeping the closeness that I love about art, and I think it comes through well on this track.

‘until the end’ is your first release under a new deal with MNRK. How do you feel this new partnership will contribute to this new chapter of your career?

I’m so grateful to be working with them. I think being able to share something that has been so personal of a project with a group of people who have been constantly kind, caring and passionate about what I am making has been really special. As someone who has worked alone within music for the majority of my journey, it feels vulnerable to be sharing this process; but everyone at MNRK has been so dear about my music. With them I hope we can let my music filter into more ears and continue to connect with the wonderful community I already have surrounding what I do.

What have been the highlights of 2023?

This year has been a whole host of new experiences for me. One of which was playing abroad for the first time when I supported for the Vamps in the Netherlands, which was the most surreal experience it almost feels like it didn’t happen. Another prominent memory for me was playing in the forest at 2000Trees, which is one of the first big festivals I have had the pleasure of playing. It felt so magical to be singing in symphony with the birds that day. I was so nervous but as soon as I began playing it was one of the most enjoyable performances I’ve experienced yet. Such a kind environment with a beautiful crowd.

This year has also been a lot of developing for me as an artist, taking in a lot of different music and figuring out where I want to be amongst the vastness. I think the act of exploration and growth has been a highlight of the year for me.

After an 18-month hiatus, how does it feel to reconnect with your audience through ‘until the end’?

It feels warm and relieving to finally be back to sharing what I’m making. Although unintentional, I think I’ve needed this time away to understand myself better so I can share my work with others in the truest sense, and I am immensely grateful of the patience that so many people have lent me in my absence. I am glad ‘until the end’ could be the first song I have shared after this period of time; I think it really has a place right now that isn’t just for me anymore. I think the world needs hope right now. I am really enjoying seeing everyone’s different interpretations and the ways that it fits within their individual experiences.

Who are your biggest inspirations? How do they inspire you and how do you infuse this inspiration into your music?

In terms of long-time inspirations that have filtered into my writing subconsciously, Jack Johnson is someone I used to listen to voraciously throughout my childhood. I used to be very into Hudson Taylor as well.

In the past couple of years, I have been much more avidly drawing from folk artists. Adrianne Lenker, Haley Heynderickx, Jessica Pratt and Paul Simons are some direct inspirations of mine. I love the imagery that they create and their ability to form so much nuance and feeling in such a sensitive way. The production feels gentle, vulnerable, and pared back. It feels like they’re singing directly to you rather than at you. I think the ability to create something that feels like that is always within my mind when I’m writing.

Can you share a glimpse behind your upcoming EP?

‘all ash is snow’ feels like a bridge from my previous work into something more intimate and closer to my chest. It is tender and soft but also lonely and longing. It moves across the seasons and winds along on its way to an ending you can never quite see. Above all, I think it’s hopeful and warm even in the colder, starker parts. The lyrics are slightly more abstract and up to interpretation. It feels like a little journey, which is what I love about making bodies of work, and I can’t wait for people to hear it.

What do you hope 2024 will bring?

I hope 2024 will bring more opportunities to play live and share that experience with others. I have not had many instances where I’ve been able to play with people as a collective and that is something I really yearn to do.

I’m also very excited to continue writing and connecting with my work in a more vulnerable way. I don’t look into the future too much, but I’m just very happy to be where I am right now, where I’m figuring myself and my art out. I can only hope I will continue to feel that way if not more so, next year.