Max Aurora & The Southern Lights

About the Artist

There is a particular kind of clarity that comes after walking away from a fractured relationship. Naarm/ Melbourne outfit Max Aurora & The Southern Lights capture that sentiment with their new indie/ pop-punk anthem ‘How I Know It's Right’. For the unfamiliar, Max Aurora & The Southern Lights blend their dreamy, bittersweet indie rock with the punch of pop-punk and emo. Led by intersex / non-binary songwriter Max Aurora, they explore narrative-driven songwriting, often inhabiting different characters’ perspectives, drawing on empathy, imagery and lived experience. Winners of Melbourne's Women in Music mentorship for their 2023 debut single, Max Aurora & The Southern Lights promise a stack of new music in 2026. Blending driving indie instrumentals with the punch and immediacy of pop-punk, 'How I Know It's Right' is loud without losing control, as explosive arrangements meet Max Aurora’s unfiltered take on messy heartbreaks. Produced by Cry Club's Jono O'Tooke, the track is built on a tight, restless interplay between its members. The tune's beating heart brings overwhelming energy and a sense of craziness after a heartbreak as Jack Eden’s heavy, overdriven guitar riffs cut through the mix, grounded by Sonja Down’s punchy, controlled drums and Damon Brammall’s gritty basslines. Paired with Max’s considered disposition and melodic hooks, the song explores the pull toward connection in the aftermath of an unstable relationship. 'How I Know It’s Right' unpacks these emotions through vulnerable lyricism set against the dynamic, explosive instrumentation. Speaking on the track, Max shares: “'Written in a single night, 'How I Know It’s Right' explores the quiet relief of leaving a fractured relationship and the curiosity of what a wholesome love could feel like. It explores the urgent, wide-eyed wonder of what a truly wholesome connection feels like, and the restless patience in searching for it.”