Iceland’s Prodigal Son Ásgeir Pens A Path Forward

On Julia, Ásgeir breaks away from a long-lasting routine

It’s been 14 years since Ásgeir Trausti — now using the mononym Ásgeir — released his debut album Dýrð í dauðaþögn. Its popularity and success was quickly evident, becoming the highest-selling album in Icelandic history. In 2022, a tenth-anniversary edition was released in conjunction with a selection of covers by Iceland’s foremost pop artists. At 30, Ásgeir had reached a legacy status in Iceland.

Now, the 33-year-old musician puts out his most original — and perhaps most personal — album yet, as Julia marks his first complete release which includes lyrics penned by Ásgeir himself. Prior to the release of the album, Ásgeir put music to his father’s poetry, subsequently translated into English.

“I’ve been gradually writing more and more,” Ásgeir says in his workspace at Stúdíó Sýrland. “Like on [Time on my hands], out in 2022, I wrote the lyrics in collaboration with Pétur Ben. And before that, I had been translating lyrics and conceptualising with my collaborators,” he continues.

“I think it’s good for my listeners to be able to get to know me a bit more through my own lyrics.”

“But I thought it was time now to challenge myself,” Ásgeir puts it. “It’s been resting on me for quite some time to take this step. There’s a lot about it that’s attractive. You get to be more personal,” he notes. “It’s good for me in terms of performing, as I have a better connection with the lyrics. It’s been 14 years since my debut came out, and I think it’s good for my listeners to be able to get to know me a bit more through my own lyrics. At least give them a chance to do so.”

Taking on the challenge, Ásgeir admits to encountering some hurdles. “I ran into these pits of doubt — but that’s a big part of it, I think,” he shares, alluding to one of Julia’s core themes: the loss of the creative spark.

The spirit of Julia

Having worked intently with his father — the primordial role model — for so long, it’s easy to conceive of the initial, emotional difficulties Ásgeir would have to face when forging a new path. But despite feelings of self-doubt, Ásgeir claims this never stemmed from a comparison with his dad.

“I don’t think it derives from that, because he always wrote in Icelandic. And, in reality, I don’t want to write like him or anyone else, for that matter,” he swears. “I just wanted to find my own voice. I think I have a lot to go, but that’s what’s fun. I’m not perfect, and I’m still finding myself.”

“I ran into these pits of doubt — but that’s a big part of it.”

Named after the fictional character — or more accurately the spirit — Ásgeir felt attached to some of the songs, Julia provides the artist with guidance. “The name derives from the [album’s] song, and is the only track on the album based on lyrics that dad had written a long time ago,” he says. “I had tried writing a few songs to the words, but none of them worked. So I changed the lyrics and added the name. It’s a bit of a heartbreak-love-ghost story,” Ásgeir chimes.

“When I searched for the album title, I started spotting these connections between songs. I felt as if Julia was this female presence surrounding some of the tracks, taking on different forms throughout.”

“For example, with “Smoke”, which I wrote about a time in my life when I felt as if the creative muse had abandoned me, and I felt as if I was lost. I feel like I see that motif in some of the songs. It can be difficult when you place your whole identity into one thing and it disappears. It was a difficult time for me,” Ásgeir admits.

Ásgeir the poet

Julia opens with Ásgeir’s signature acoustic syncopations on “Quiet Life”, setting the tone for what is an album full of self-reflection.

Among the first things that the avid Ásgeir listener notices is the absence of the artist’s ubiquitous electronic motifs, such as synths and computer-programmed drums, save for a couple of tracks.

Julia feels more organic and, weirdly, Americana-esque — although that observation might be influenced by the pedal steel guitar appearing in numerous tracks. On “Universe Beyond” Ásgeir lets the peculiar instrument shine, creating a dreamy background for Ásgeir’s characteristic falsetto voice.

According to Ásgeir, his influences included distinctly North American artists such as Big Thief, Phoebe Bridgers and pioneer producer Daniel Lanois, mixed with folkier Scandinavian acts such as the Swedish Sara Parkman and the Danish Guldimund.

Ultimately, Julia was born out of limitations. “I didn’t have a lot of preconceived ideas about it. Except that I wanted to write the lyrics myself, I wanted it to sound effortless and that it sounded like a band. And I didn’t want to pursue any electronic sounds. That was the basic idea,” Ásgeir explains. “I had recently sold my piano, so I only had access to my acoustic guitar, which meant that everything was written on guitar. I managed to connect with that instrument because of that.”

One of the album’s greatest regrets is Ásgeir’s omission of Icelandic lyrics. When Icelandic musicians opt to perform in English, there is a sense of depth and dimension inherently lost in the process. Such was the case when Ásgeir’s debut album, originally titled Dýrð í dauðaþögn (Glory in the dead silence), was translated to the one-dimensional In the Silence.

Ásgeir’s reasoning is simple: “I just find it easier to write in English,” he states blankly. All hope for Ásgeir making music in his mother tongue is not lost, though. “I like writing in Icelandic, and I’ve been trying that out more recently. You can allow yourself more [freedom] in English and it doesn’t become cringe,” he chuckles.

“And possibly there’s a distance between yourself and the language. I don’t have the same connotations to every single word, embedded deeply within me which can get in the way,” Ásgeir reasons.

Despite the missed opportunity on Julia, Ásgeir selects his English words carefully, sometimes constructing clear — sometimes deliberately hazy — narratives rooted in a folk tradition. It is evident that Ásgeir has picked up lyrical expertise from his previous collaborators, producing an album that sees him stray into a new direction, armed with the potency of a poet.

Julia is out on available streaming platforms. Catch Ásgeir perform in West Iceland at various venues from March 13-15. Next April, he embarks on a European tour. For more information, visit asgeirmusic.com.