Yesterday, the Panorama festival made its debut on Randall’s Island with more than a few international acts, including Nordic newcomer Aurora Aksnes, aka Aurora, whose soulful folk ballads, porcelain skin, and signature platinum bob have all the makings of an It girl to watch. At the age of 20 her haunting, spectral sound has already earned her spots opening for Icelandic pop stars Of Monsters and Men, and her cover of David Bowie’s “Life on Mars” was featured on HBO’s hit series Girls. Days before jetting off to New York, fresh off the heels of her Vinjerock Festival performance, the singer-songwriter called in from Vinje, the sleepy, mountainous town she describes as “Narnia,” to discuss the emboldening power of a buzz cut, her in-flight beauty routine, and the world’s greatest dry shampoo.

Photo: Courtesy of Aurora / @auroramusic

But first we cover what is quite possibly Aksnes’s most iconic feature: her stark white, partially shaved long bob, which was the answer to her lifelong struggle with extremely thick “Norwegian Viking” hair. “I buzz it myself,” she shares happily, a task made all the easier by the discerning eye of her resident makeup artist sister, who is on hand for cleaning up the back. These regular quick undercut trims are her only pre-show requisite beauty ritual. Providing an immediate boost of confidence—“I feel more beautiful when it’s freshly shaved,” she says—the clean cuts also give her head a welcome breeze, liberation of weight, and all but ensure that her hair won’t get in front of her eyes mid-performance. A stash of bobby pins is always on hand to keep her remaining lengths pulled back. “I’m constantly trying to find new ways to get my hair out of my face,” she says of her repertoire of twists and topknots.