Track By Track: Keli – Ást & Keli

The solo venture of Hrafnkell Hugi Vernharðsson, Keli strikes a distinctly different tone from the boisterous jams of his party outfit Celebs. Here, Keli is stripped back and bare, a folksy foil to the glittering, energetic persona he projects while on stage (or leaping into the crowd) with siblings Katla and Valgeir. The raw, velvety tones of his vocals lend a richness and warmth to each track on Ást & Keli (released Aug. 16). Keli walks us through the release, track by track.

Sprungin Vör
“Sprungin Vör” means “busted lip” and is about my dealings with epilepsy. (During seizures I bite down hard and puncture my lip). It is the inciting incident of the emotional turmoil that my album documents in chronological order. When I started having seizures again it felt like the ground disappeared from under me. I was in free fall and the rock I counted on to steady myself wasn’t there any more.

Ef Ég Trúi Nóg
Shortly after I began having seizures again my romantic relationship withered away. I moved out into a basement apartment and immersed myself in sadness. One morning I find myself lying on wet bathroom tiles, the result of having a seizure in the shower. It felt like the Grim Reaper came for me but he himself slipped in the shower and drowned instead. After that incident I knew something had to change. I forced myself to believe I wasn’t hurting, because I knew I had to move on.

Krumla
“Krumla” is a bitter song about a breakup and the finite joy of random hook-ups. I wasn’t quite sure if I should release this song, to let more bitterness into the world. But it’s a good practice to use songs to express emotions. I definitely needed to express my bitterness somehow. And at the end of the day, even though IceGuys released a song with the same name, the groove was just too good to not release.

Geisli
Have you ever had a really good day, a day so good you wish you could bottle up its leftovers to crack open on a really bad day? Well that is exactly what “Geisli” is about. Some days are good and full of sunshine, others leave life lacking and dark. Would it be better if all days were equally good, or do the bad days bring the necessary dynamic for the really good days to flourish?

Huxa Minna
I overthink things a lot — it turns out a lot of people do. It isn’t always the best idea to dedicate your life to music; if you do, you had better get used to being broke all the time. “Huxa Minna” means “think less” and was written during a point in my life where I was unsure of if I was on the right path. I came to the conclusion I was just overthinking things. Do what feels right, even if you end up broke.

Kelarinn í Kúrinu
This is a song about love, life and doubt. I’ve been lucky enough to experience love in many forms in my life, often though it presents itself dressed up in doubt. Doubt is a tricky little thing; I wouldn’t want to live without it, but it’s also a pain in the ass. I’ve now learnt it’s something to either listen to or overcome — either does wonders for the soul. Just don’t let it linger in your thoughts.

Kolrót
I’ve wanted to make this album for a long time and the original plan was for it to be released a year earlier. Then I found out my roof was rotten and all the recording budget went into repairing it. Well at least I got a song out of it. “Kolrót” is about how life can throw a wrench in your gears and you end up doing something completely different than you planned. And, of course, it’s also about building a new roof for your house.

Vangavísur
As a symptom of my overthinking, I often wonder where I stand in life — you can call it karma or whatever. I wonder if I’d add up everything positive about myself and weigh it against all the negatives, where would I end up? I don’t think it’s for me to judge but I certainly think about it often. That’s the gist of “Vangavísur.”

Ef Til Vill
Do you enjoy being mushy and romantic? Sentimental and emotional? Well I certainly do, though I sometimes have difficulties expressing it. Well, not on this song. “Ef Til Vill” is my mushiest, most romantic, sentimental song. It’s a bit fragile but that’s what I love about it. It’s about feeling your lover’s warmth, being held by them and not being afraid of anything.

Þiðnar og Frýs
We Icelanders know a lot about ice, there’s this specific type of ice that is especially annoying. The sun brings its warmth, enough to slightly melt this ice, then during nighttime it freezes all over again expanding the ice-sheet, shattering the hips and skulls of pedestrians indiscriminately. Sometimes I feel the same can be said about love. Someone’s warmth thaws out a heart, but when that warmth dissipates the heart freezes over again, now a danger to others.

Read more about Icelandic music here.