Coming from France, the singer-songwriter known as Auregan has accomplished a great deal in a short time. Involved in music since fourteen years of age, she has already written over 300 songs, performed over 500 shows, sang with Billy Ray Cyrus on the song “Shelter In The Storm, and yet, still has so much more ahead of her.
Beyond music, she has also done her share of modeled as well as acting in film. Most recently co-writing, producing, and starring in the Horror film The Barn, Auregan is excited for the future as she plans for her next challenge. Recently we caught up with her to talk her love for music, working on The Barn, future plans, plus more.
CrypticRock.com – A student of film and music, first tell us, what inspired you to pursue a career in the arts?
Auregan – I’d say the need to express myself. When I was child I could not wait for school to be over so I could make music, compose, and write songs back home. At some point, nothing else made me feel happier than music, so I followed this path.
CrypticRock.com – That is wonderful to hear. You have been quite versatile – acting, composing, performing, and even modeling. Do you love one form of expression more than another, and how important is that diversity to you?
Auregan – It all started with the music. I work as an actress and producer too, and I did some modeling. I love to work with many different people with various skills and backgrounds, whether they are famous or not. Making movies is fun, and a lot of work too! Music is just what I want to do. When I was 12, I got a keyboard for Christmas. I started to compose melodies instead of playing existing music. Then I started to sing and at the same time I was in acting classes (actor’s studio).
All is connected because on stage when I sing, I feel like I’m a character, a rogue Rock-n-Roll pirate, or just a girl sometimes. My goal is to catch people’s attention and tell stories. I played my first stadium when I was only 20 years old: performing my own songs in front of thousands of people is incomparable to any other feeling.
CrypticRock.com – It appears you really can be yourself when performing. As a composer, you have worked with a list of well-respected performers including Iggy Pop, Elaine Morgan, and Lemmy Constantine. What do you take away from these experiences?
Auregan – I worked in studio with Grammy award and Juno award winner producers. It was amazing to record with such talents. I learned to adapt and I try to be a positive, creative partner in music. It’s like a dialogue, the more you listen and learn, the better you can respond, and the better the songs turns out to be!
Working with passionate and creative people really keep you open-minded, and to me, influenced my own universe. For example, the collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus was very important for me. I discovered how cool Country music can be and in fact has roots everywhere including Celtic music because its roots come from Irish traditional music. Technically, Billy Ray Cyrus’ producer taught me how to step from Celtic to Country genre, with the best of both worlds!
CrypticRock.com – It sounds like it was a great learning experience. Being a musician, you most recently composed the score for The Barn; your very first complete score. Beyond such, you star in the film and co-wrote the screenplay. What was it like being so involved in it all?
Auregan – It’s amazing… You have a story in your head and you have the chance to share it with others, to bring characters to life. For the soundtrack part, I was surprised how much you can influence the meaning of a scene just adjusting the sound, or the melody. I knew it, but didn’t expect the power of music to be so immediate. It really can change what you feel, hence what you understand on screen! Moreover, in a dark film with suspense. Having so many responsibilities is a lot of pressure. I was so involved in that film that it is still hard for me to distance myself. I’m just happy when people like the movie and relieved when they like the music and my new song “Broken Doll” that’s in the film.
CrypticRock.com – The Barn was recently released on DVD via Gravitas Ventures, have you received much feedback from others yet?
Auregan – Yes. The movie is playing everywhere, and we have good feedback from different places. People enjoy The Barn because it is not just a Thriller. The movie has twists and doesn’t play with all the codes. There are zombies but not the kind you expect. There’s a killer but likely not the one you think it is… I love the way we imagined the zombies. It was in the script and it shows in the movie, and I’m proud of that.
Some compared The Barn with George Romero movies because of that, because zombies are a version of us, and it’s so rewarding. In festivals, I had warm feedback about the score and music I made. I just didn’t expect it, but the Horror fans really listen to the sound, and they identify the style of the music you make with the movie itself… It is incredibly rewarding. Also, “Broken Doll,” the song at the end of The Barn received 4 awards including best song and best lyrics, and the previous soundtrack song I made for the movie Five Minutes with Mary (2017) garnered more than 10 wins too! I can wait to work on the next project!
CrypticRock.com – Congratulations! As you mentioned, not just a Thriller, The Barn certainly falls under the genre of Horror. Is that an area you enjoy, and, as a musician, could you see yourself composing more film soundtracks?
Auregan – I love movies in general, no matter if it’s a Horror or Action, or Sci-Fi movie. I enjoy a Drama as much as a Comedy. Story and characters are the most important things that make me fall for a film. Yes, I definitely would love to compose more soundtracks. Stories and scripts inspire me in the best way. I have a very visual inspiration, so it works very well with movies.
CrypticRock.com – It will be interesting to see what you do next. Beyond composing, what is coming next for you as a singer-songwriter? Is there any particular style of music you would like to explore more?
Auregan – I’m currently working on my next album, writing and composing. My three previous releases belonged mostly to the Celtic and Rock genres, and were in French. I want my next album to be very different, and in English. I recorded several songs in English already, that came out as singles. Today I’m more into Folk, and I love the Country vibes. It’s kind of challenging because I sold millions of albums and it’s gonna be a new start for me, in a new country. I love challenges and, more important, want to stay true to myself.
CrypticRock.com – That will be something to look out for. Being quite busy, are there any other films you have coming up as an actress, and what can you tell us about them?
Auregan – As an actress, I’m looking for strong female characters. It’s quite boring to always play “the girlfriend” or “the wife of.” That’s why I enjoyed playing April in The Barn, I was the alpha zombie! It was very funny and I got to walk around on set as a monster. It is a form of freedom to be allowed to look bad for a woman, that was enjoyable!
I already received several interesting scripts. One of them is from Matt Beurois, the director of The Barn. I would love to work again with him. He’s very talented and he’s an extraordinary director for actors. He always listens to your ideas and give you a lot of freedom on set.
On the music side, I am attached to 3 very different feature films: a Drama, an Action, and a Comedy movie, for scoring. I’m so excited about it!
CrypticRock.com – Very cool, well it seems as if you have a lot of great things lined up. Last question. We also cover Horror and Sci-Fi films on CrypticRock. If you are a fan of either or both genres, what are some of your favorites and why?
Auregan – Many of my favorite movies are Sci-Fi films. One is Back to the Future (1985), because it is so cool! A real script that you believe, and you travel in time with them… And fun! And action! I’ll say Men in Black (1997), it was very new at the time, and again funny and poking fun at the way we see things (or stuff we don’t notice).
On the Horror side or so, I really liked The Silence of the Lambs (1991). The performances are amazing, so is the direction and the full story. Sci-Fi opens the imagination of people and that’s what I love.
Where can i buy the Song “BROKEN DOLL” ?
It would be very nice if you answer 🙂