Aurora was born in Massachusetts and grew up in both Queens, New York and Stamford, Connecticut. Her family immigrated to Queens from India after the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms in which her maternal uncle was killed, and her family's business was burned down. She was raised in a traditional Sikh household. She became exposed to R&amp;B, Soul, Jazz and Folk music in middle school, which piqued her interest in music and influenced her musical style later in life. She studied at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.