Skrattar—Reykjavík’s favourite demon boys—are back and more mischievous than ever.
The group recently signed with Bjarki’s bbbbbb recors and will drop their next album ‘HELLRAISER IV’ in August. But first—they’ve got a new video for their recent single “Trouble” and a big concert at Húrra on July 17th (tomorrow). The demons themselves blessed the Grapevine with the opportunity to premier said new video, which we did in fear of the repercussions of pissing off a band that literally translates to ‘Demons’. Just kidding—we love ’em.
The video was directed by Daníel Heimisson in collaboration with cinematographer Baldvin Vernharðsson and produced by (Grapevine Music Award winners) Rough Cult. A black and white journey through an endless rauchous night, “Trouble” is Skrattar at their core. Check it out below and then keep reading for an interview with the band about the track.
“”Trouble’ is a pretty old song. It’s kind of about that New Year’s Eve state of mind when it’s after midnight and you’re going into the year and together, we’re just running into the night. It’s about that mission,” the boys of Skrattar reiterate together. “Really, all of our songs are about that feeling,” vocalist Sölvi Magnússon interjects, laughing.
The band consists of members Jón Arnar Kristjansson, Sölvi Magnusson, Karl Torsten Stallborn, Guðlaugur Hörðdal and Kári Guðmundsson. They previously dropped their debut album in 2017 and followed that with a number of music videos. Quickly, the group became renowned around town for their wild and energetic live shows—something that’s been sorely missed during the pandemic. “So you’re talking to the right people about trouble. Trouble is all of our middle names,” Kalli says. He’s joking, but really—it should be.
That said, the trouble of Skrattar isn’t the scary kind. No, at all times the boys project a lighthearted, devil-may-care sense of mischief. They approached making the video with this in mind.
“The thing that a lot of people like in music videos is being dangerous and cool, and so in the video, we’re hyping people up that we’re doing something bad, but we’re really just being little pranksters,” Sölvi continues. “In Skrattar, we have a lot of humour for that image. We feel much more like pranksters.”
“Everything we do we find very fun,” Jón Arnar laughs. “We don’t do it unless we find it funny or are having fun.”
So check out the video and remember: They’ll be playing live on Saturday at Húrra—the venue’s first concert since its reopening. If that’s not enough, Bjarki will do a special DJ set before and after the show along with Skrattar.
(We’ve also heard through the Grapevine that ALVIA will be making an appearance too.)
(We’ve also also heard through the Grapevine that Skrattar will go onstage, as you’d expect, rather late. But what else could you expect from a group that brings trouble?)
Check out Skrattar on Bandcamp and Facebook. Listen to their music on all streaming platforms.
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