Tuð’s Punk Between Anger and Candies
Waiting to add up two more sixes and reach the number of the beast, our sixth Filthy interview is with Halldór and Dettifoss – yes, like the waterfall – bassist and vocalist of Icelandic punk band Tuð.
Almost Cyberpunk
Most members of Tuð are professional nerds who work as data specialists. The band came together when some friends who worked in the backend system of a bank approached Dettifoss, proclaiming him the new singer of a punk band around 2015. Fuelled by anger and frustration – common emotions among nerds – they decided to release their feelings through Tuð, which can be translated as “nagging.”
The band has self-released two albums, one on vinyl. “I don‘t think we‘ll do that again, the vinyl process was such a hassle,” says Halldór. From designing the cover to taking professional pictures of sausages in the proper ambience, Tuð’s approach is usually DIY.
Their first album was called Þegiðu! while the sausage-centric sophomore is called Í Bjúgri Bæn. The band organised a fundraiser to fund their second album, with one support tier earning one supporter an invitation to a sausage party in exchange for a 30.000 ISK donation. Funny enough, a priest with no connection to Tuð bought it and they all enjoyed the oblong food in holy spirits.
“Innvortis is no doubt our biggest inspiration, we’d love to play with them but they’re not really active anymore,” says Halldór, who followed Innvortis’ former members (performing now in the viking-metal band Skálmöld) to Scotland.
Punk Music In Bloom
It seems like we have moved on from mumblecore and that the raw and visceral nature of punk is resurfacing.
According to Halldór and Dettifoss, punk music in Iceland is experiencing a vibrant renaissance, with bands like Soðaskapur, Gróa, and Sucks To Be You, Nigel making waves.
“It seems like we have moved on from mumblecore and that the raw and visceral nature of punk is resurfacing,” says Dettifoss. In his opinion, the new punk scene tries to grasp deeper feelings and the needs of new generations. Though a release isn’t specifically planned, Tuð is recording new material in the fall.
It’s good to know that Tuð occasionally rewards candy to those who shout out “bingo” during their shows. You might want to give it a shot on July 9 at Gaukurinn, where they’ll perform alongside Hemúllinn. Tuð is also scheduled to play this summer in Flateyri, up in the Westfjords, in case you want to take a break from Reykjavik’s grey allure.
For more info on future gigs and releases, follow these punks on Instagram at @tud_thegidu.
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