It was instances like that that fueled Luna Aura’s latest body of work, her Madhouse EP, an eclectic variety of songs that Aura, born Angela Flores, feels reflects her numerous sources of inspiration, but more importantly the stories that she wants to tell. She’s a self-described “empathetic writer” who is inspired by the stories of others above all else. This dynamic is anchored in the EP’s title track, a bouncing synth number that rides on a huge chorus befitting of even the loudest car-ride singalong. As a song, it’s sharp and radio-ready. As a message, it’s something more than just her lead single.

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“I’m not constantly thinking about collaboration and how I’m going to get my art to the next level; I think I’m just living,” she says. “As I’m living, I’m becoming inspired by all these incredible people and to the average person, these are just normal people. I think that’s why I get this whole idea of the madhouse, it’s being okay with being different and not fitting the status quo of what is cool or what is special. It’s about being proud of who you are.”

Luna Aura’s work is relatable because she’s genuinely interested in the background of the common man or woman, most of whom she comes across while traveling. The notion is decidedly folky in theme, but translates into something else entirely in her music, and it’s details like these that make the Madhouse EP what it is. That record is also the result of collaboration, whether it’s with her 18-year-old producer, Evan Gartner, the visual artists she meets, or with her creative team. Letting go of the creative reins has been “tough,” she says.

“Relinquishing control has been something that is difficult for me, and over music especially, because a lot of the music that pushed me into this realm that I’m in, I had a lot of control over,” she says. “Now this year especially, working with Evan, [engineer] Justin Hergett, and even in writing sessions for other artists, I kind of found this piece of me that I didn’t have before. I learned that it’s okay to let other people decide things for you and to be creative with other people. Collaborating has changed not only me as an artist, but me as a person.”

Luna Aura is scheduled to play Crescent Ballroom on Thursday, October 6.