For Nora Mae, music isn’t just sound — it’s cinema. Her debut work feels like slipping into a film reel where eras blur, heartbreak reshapes itself into strength, and honesty collides with elegance. Pulling from 70s folk, 80s synthscapes, 90s grunge, and contemporary pop, Nora crafts songs that could have been written yesterday or twenty years ago. The result is timeless yet deeply personal: a soundtrack to vulnerability, reclamation, and everything too good to be true.
We caught up with Nora to talk about her cinematic vision, the balance of elegance and raw honesty, and how she hopes listeners don’t just hear her music — they live inside it.
Mundane Mag: Your music has this timeless, cinematic quality. How do you think about pulling from different eras and sounds without being pinned to one?
Nora Mae: The emotional core is cinema — that’s what I’m always chasing. I love collecting sounds from different generations: bohemian folk from the 70s, 80s synths, 90s grunge, organic instrumentation, film score textures, and marrying them with pop production. I want it to live in that gray space — ambiguous, sensual, mysterious. Something that could have been made yesterday, or 20 years ago.
Mundane Mag: A lot of your songs feel very raw and personal, but they also connect universally. How do you strike that balance?
Nora Mae: I always start from my own experiences, but I think the emotions themselves — that “too good to be true” feeling in love or work or life — are universal. If I keep it honest, people can see themselves in it. It’s about not sacrificing the rawness of my story, but writing in a way that makes it approachable for others.
Mundane Mag: You’ve spoken about legacy and grace. Do you ever feel the weight of that?
Nora Mae: Not as a burden — more like inspiration. I know she’d want me to find my own lane and voice, not imitate. The only “weight,” if you can call it that, is how she carried herself with such elegance and poise. Even on hard days, I try to show up as the best, most grounded version of myself. Keep it tight — that’s the key.
Mundane Mag: The visual side of your work is striking. How important is world-building to you?
Nora Mae: Just as important as the music. When I’m writing, I’m visualizing scenes — like a film, a music video, a stage show. I want every song to live inside a full, breathing world. The brand, the visuals, the sonic landscape — they’re all one.
Mundane Mag: Why did you choose to release The Avoidant first, even though it sits in the middle of the album’s story?
Nora Mae: At first, I thought about releasing in order. But I wanted people to drop straight into the thematic core. Don’t Wake Me Up is the beginning — it sets the scene with that intoxicating fantasy of “this time it’s different.” The Avoidant is later — grief, anger, reclaiming dignity. Both are benchmarks. I wanted to hit those touch points before unfolding the full story.
Mundane Mag: How does the live setting change your relationship with these songs?
Nora Mae: Live shows are like puzzles. In the studio, I can control the soundscape. On stage, I’m reading the room, shifting arrangements, sometimes dropping keys or pulling instrumentation. I like making my shows conversational — almost like a cabaret. It forces me to re-approach the songs each time and let the audience’s energy shape them.
Mundane Mag: Writing seems almost therapeutic for you. How has it helped you reclaim heartbreak and self-discovery?
Nora Mae: Always. Sometimes I write something and only later realize it was for “future me.” Vulnerability and strength aren’t opposites — they complement each other. Writing is how I manifest that. Even if I’m not feeling strong in the moment, putting it into lyrics lets me step into that truth and claim it.
Mundane Mag: You balance elegance with honesty. Do those ever feel like contradictions?
Nora Mae: Not at all. I think society’s definitions have shifted — honesty isn’t “messy” anymore, it’s valued. Elegance isn’t perfection, it’s confidence and poise. I believe many truths can coexist: rawness and grace, vulnerability and strength. That’s just being human. My music lives in that duality — the cinematic and the intimate, side by side.
Mundane Mag: And what do you want people to carry with them after listening to your music?
Nora Mae: I’d love for people to take away lessons about love and self-worth, but that’s something everyone has to discover themselves. More than anything, I want listeners to feel like they stepped inside a story — not just as passive observers, but as part of it. Like when you leave a film or a play and the world feels a little different. That’s the impact I want.
