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Second-hand Synesthesia: Ólöf Arnalds Returns To Familiar Scenes On Spíra
Sprouting again Since the early 2000s, Ólöf Arnalds has been a fixture in the Icelandic music scene. Earning her stripes as a touring member of indietronica band múm from 2003-2008, Ólöf eventually went solo in 2007. On December 5, Ólöf is set…
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múm Is A Living Proof That A Long-Distance Relationship Can Work
Spread across different countries and cities, the members of the legendary band came together on the stage of Harpa for their first homebound show in at least seven years on the closing night of Iceland Airwaves 2025, Sunday, November 9. The day…
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Day Four: múm Concludes 2025 Iceland Airwaves
In múm’s August interview with the Grapevine, guitarist Róberta Andersen noted that the group has “become so good at being together.” Though she was emphasising the group’s cohesion as they embarked on a three-month tour, this quote encapsulates múm’s Sunday performance that…
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Track By Track: Örvar Þóreyjar Smárason Explains múm’s History Of Silence
Experimental outfit múm celebrate their first LP in 12 years Acclaimed experimental band múm explore silence, play, and muted sounds. However soft, múm surprise listeners with dynamic shifts in tone and intensity throughout their songwriting. Their first LP since the 2013 Smilewound,…
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Across Borders And Decades, múm Carries On
Era-defining experimental group múm release their first LP in 12 years It’s been 25 years since múm released their debut album Yesterday was dramatic, today is ok. Ushering in a new era of independent electronic music, múm quickly took the world by…
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Grapevine New Music Picks: múm, GRÓA, Elín Hall & More
Our latest issue is now out on the streets of Reykjavík. In a cover feature illustrated by visual artist Baldur Helgason, writer Alma Mjöll Ólafsdóttir covers the increasing importance of alternative media such as podcasts and the parallel rise of the Brosphere.…
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Well, You Asked: Celebs, Music And Spitting
You asked, we answered. Here are your burning questions about music, celebs, and “The Big C”. What was the best ever music happening in Iceland? The answer is simple, the “Krútt” (cute) generation. But don’t call them that in their face, they…
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The Evolution of Gyða: On Music, Multiple Dimensions Of Love, And Our Collective Future
Gyða Valtýsdóttir could be at once described as a cellist, composer, artist and mystic but categories are something she feels are divisive. Over the course of our conversation, this is a recurring theme: not only has she evolved a great deal since…
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Why All The Awards For Hildur’s Film Scores Should Be No Surprise
Hildur Guðnadóttir has made history by being the first Icelander to win an Oscar, and the first solo woman to win the award for a dramatic score, securing the award along with a Grammy, Emmy, a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe,…
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Put The Soul In The Soul: Einarindra Artist Playlist
Iceland’s most soulful electro artist, Einarindra recently made a serious splash at the 2019 Iceland Airwaves festival. While we’ve been busy streaming Einarindra on Spotify (you should, too) we asked him to create a playlist of his favourite Icelandic music, and he…
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Where Love Hides: Gyða Valtýsdóttir ‘In Another Dimension’
GYÐA’s latest release, ‘Evolution,’ has been making waves. Since being one of the founding members of múm, one of Iceland’s best-known early-2000s indie bands, Gyða Valtýsdóttir has taken her career in many new directions, composing for herself or others. Most recently, she…
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GYDA Releases New Video: ‘Another Dimension’
The incomparable GYDA has just released a new video, for the song Í Annarri Vídd (“Another Dimension”), from her 2018 release, Evolution. Evolution by G Y D A The video is somewhat reminiscent of an earlier released video, Moonchild, in its playful…
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The Renegade Mister: Mr. Silla Returns With A Pop Banger
Mr. Silla’s new single is an unexpected pop banger. A far cry from the largely downtempo and emotional sound of her eponymous 2015 debut, “Naruto (say you wanna run away)” is three and a half minutes of unabashedly summery dance-pop. Its carefree…
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Grapevine Playlist: K.ola, Múm Vs. Kronos Quartet, ADHD, Hjaltalín, Hermigervill
Live seven lightning bolts striking your prefrontal cortex, here are the latest electrifying phenomena to appear from within the Icelandic music scene. Krassasig – Brjóta Heilann One half of art-pop duo Munster, Krassasig’s debut single ‘Brjóta Heilann’ is a bright, breezy, and…
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Alien Communication: From Hafnarfjörður To Hollywood, Hildur Guðnadóttir Hits The Big Time
Hildur Guðnadóttir’s beaming face emerges from the digital blur. She leans into the camera, her features springing into sharp resolution. Her long hair is tied up into a loose bun with several pixelated spikes, and her bright eyes glitter above a broad…
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A Deal With The Universe: Kristín Anna Navigates The Personal And The Professional
A distinctly enigmatic character with a unique, ultra-high pitched voice, Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir has been a widely recognised figure in Icelandic music and art for nearly two decades. Previously known as Kría Brekkan and now as simply Kristín Anna, the multi-instrumentalist has…
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Limelight Is Liquid: Örvar Smárason Steps Centre Stage
“It bores me so much to talk about the Icelandic sound,” says Örvar Smárason, his eyes flashing. “I have an insane dislike of the word “krútt.” He pauses, breaking into a joking-not-joking smile. “I don’t wanna see that word anywhere in the…
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Grapevine Playlist: Hermigervill, STEPMOM, GKR, múm, Teitur, Kiasmos & More
Hello! Welcome! So. The Icelandic music scene continues to spout forth an omni-genre rainbow of fabulous shit, like a veritable blowhole of magnificence. Here are the latest tracks that have caught our attention. Teitur Magnússon & dj. flugvél og geimskip – Lífsspeki…
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Krútt Vs. Hip-Hop: The Fight You’ve Been Waiting For
Krútt and hip-hop are the two biggest waves in Icelandic music over the previous two decades. We decided to pit the key players from both genres against each other in combat. Will it be a FIGHT TO THE DEATH? Or will they…
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Kalifornía Dreaming: Icelandic Music Goes To LA
“Welcome to Iceland. Don’t like the weather? Wait fifteen minutes.” So goes the clichéd joke about Iceland’s capricious meteorological tendencies—windy and wet one moment, sunny and still the next, but never comfortable enough for shorts. As a spring storm snowed, sleeted, and…
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Straumur: Joyful Dark Love
Another month, another collaboration from Sin Fang, múm’s Örvar Smárason, and their Morr labelmate Sóley. After January’s “Random Haiku Generator,” they released a new track, “Love Will Leave You Cold,” at the end of last month. It’s a beautiful piano-driven song, equally…
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Preview: Ancient Sounds At Gyða’s Epicycle Release Concert
Gyða Valtýsdóttir is best known as a sometime member of múm. But after several years spent off the radar pursuing low-key projects and collaborations, she’s back with a new album: ‘Epicycle’. Her time away from the Icelandic music scene was spent getting…
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Mind Echoes: Örvar Smárason’s Creative Process
“I still have two weeks, don’t I?” smiles múm founding-member Örvar Smárason, coming out of a daze as he quietly contemplates his imminent first-ever solo performance. He’s right: when we talk, Sónar Reykjavík is a fortnight away. But as the festival draws…