From Iceland — Pascal Pinon: “Be there or be a chair”

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Pascal Pinon are truly something. Comprised of twin sisters Jófríður Ákadóttir and Ásthildur Ákadóttir, these girls have been writing and performing sweet, soothing, melodic and incredibly ambitious music since they were at the tender age of fifteen.
That was last year, by the way.
And in that short space of time, they’ve managed to record and self-release an entire album, play countless shows and… sign with the very excellent Morr Music label. The girls are modest and straightforward, as teenagers are wont. “We saw on their website that you could send them a CD and they would listen to it, so we did,” Jófríður tells us when asked about their new deal. “Then Thomas Morr contacted us and said he and Morr Music wanted to be involved, so that was great news! And yes, we are really excited, this is a great opportunity and we are very thankful for getting this experience so young.”
It’s damn near impossible to mention their young age when talking about Pascal Pinon, but they’d rather you not. “We’re just being sincere by playing music we like, and I think it has nothing to do with our age whatsoever.”
Don’t ask them about the economic collapse either. As they say below: “We are so young, we can’t answer [such] questions and be taken seriously.”
So don’t ask, just listen. And read on for some sweet QnA action!
Who are you? What can we expect from your Airwaves appearance, and what can we expect of you in general?
We are Pascal Pinon, a girl band from Reykjavík. We play lo-fi acoustic indie pop that we usually rehearse in our bedroom. Our Iceland Airwaves appearance will be a little bit special because we have a guest visiting us on stage for a few songs, which we are really looking forward to! So be there or be a chair.
What are some of the acts you want to see at this festival, and why?
We all want to see Bombay Bicycle Club a lot because they look so fine and their music is excellent. Other acts we don’t want to miss are Everything Everything, Think About Life, JJ and Efterklang.
Wow. There are, like, one million ‘international’ acts on this year’s schedule. Have you heard of any of them? Are you excited to see any of them? Do you believe this changes anything for the festival in general, and its spirit.
Yes, yes we’ve heard of them and are really excited. It’s probably a different spirit especially for the Icelanders who rarely get so many foreign bands to their country. That’s one of the things we most appreciate about this festival.
Looking back, do you have a favourite edition of Iceland Airwaves? And if so, why?
We’ve only been to one and that was last year. It was amazing but nothing compared to what we seem to have missed, we’ve heard 2006 was crazy.
A lot of our readers are first time Airwaves-visitors. Do you have any tips for them? What to see, what to do, what to avoid, etc? Where to buy records? Or a good place to grab a bite or get away from it all for a while?
The most important tip is not to miss the off-venue shows! They can sometimes be better than the official ones. Because they are so easy to miss, the tip would be to stay alert and organised during the day. And always buy records at Havarí because they are the best and they have beautiful artwork.
Given that most Airwaves-visitors won’t have a lot of time in their schedule to see the Icelandic countryside, are there any nature-havens close by that you’d recommend?
Hmmm… no, I can’t think of any. The swamp by the Nordic House, that’s a pretty untouched natural area.
Has a lot changed in the Icelandic music scene since Airwaves 2009? How about Airwaves 2002?
Yes and no. I don’t think much is different since 2009 but probably something since 2002. It’s been quite a while since that was, and naturally things change. Music, culture, fashion, etc.
Who are your favourite Icelandic acts these days?
Amiina, Sin Fang, Nolo, Sudden Weather Change for an example. A lot of Icelandic acts are great and a lot are horrible.
A lot of international journalists like to ask: “How has kreppa affected the Icelandic music scene.” Do you think the question is valid? Do you have a preferred way of answering it?
We are so young we can’t answer this question and be taken seriously.
Anything else?
Have the finest Airwaves days!