Eurovision: First Place In Our Hearts — Krakkaveldi gives 12 points to Celebs

Words: Margrét Aðalgeirsdóttir, Sóley Hulda Nielsen Viðarsdóttir & Borghildur Lukka Kolbeinsdóttir

Though it’s Diljá’s “Power” that will rep Iceland at Eurovision this year, another band won the hearts of three young journalists. Margrét, Sóley and Borghildur picked the brains of siblings Valgeir Skorri Vernharðsson and Katla Vigdís Vernharðsdóttir from the band Celebs.

How did you decide to participate in Söngvakeppnin?

Valgeir: Last summer we were playing in the Westfjords when my brother Hrafnkell started talking about the idea of participating. He didn’t think we’d like the idea but we thought it was a great.

Katla: There we met a man who controls everything in RÚV’s programming, which cartoons are played and everything, and he told us to participate. He was thinking about it, we were thinking about it, so everything clicked together.

What do you think is your most impressive song you’ve made?

Katla: I would probably say “Doomsday Dancing” (their Eurovision submission) because we wrote it in a fun way. We were all together and we thought so much about every part of the song, which was kind of fun, to always be improving and practising this much.

Are you writing any new songs?

Katla: Yes, we wrote a new song the other day which we’re going to release, maybe we’ll do a video too. Aren’t you excited?

Margrét, Sóley & Borghildur: YES!

Why is the band called Celebs?

Katla: We were joking around about the fact that we live in such a small town where everybody knows each other. There are maybe 300 people in Suðureyri — your school has probably more kids than residents there. So when we started a band and somebody wrote an article about us, we became a bit famous in our tiny village.

Valgeir: In Suðureyri, everybody knows everybody, so technically everyone is a bit famous there.

Where is the party monster?

Katla: We’re not sure! The party monster showed up out of nowhere and we didn’t have a clue who the monster was. Then we got chatting and it said it lived in Iceland and we asked it if it wanted to join us onstage.

The girls: We don’t believe you.Valgeir (laughing): You don’t? We’re going to try and play a bit next summer and if we see you at the show we can introduce you!