Auralai is the solo project of Stephanie Russell, a Wisconsin-raised cellist with over 20 years of classical training who rebuilt her instrument from the inside out.

Rather than accompaniment, Russell's cello becomes the full band — carrying melody, rhythm, and emotional weight while her voice weaves through it. The result is a sound NPR's Tiny Desk described as "at once both rich and sparse": chamber-pop intimacy capable of filling a room.