Getting Mauled By Tófa

Punk band Tófa’s latest album is a whirlpool of destruction

A long-standing act in Reykjavík’s live music scene, punk group Tófa has released their first album in eight years. Out on November 8, Mauled represents a turning point in the band’s career, having recently signed with London-based label Damnably.

“Our dream was for someone to make a vinyl record — something we could feel and touch,” guitarist Árni Þór Árnason remarks on the band’s goal a decade in the making. “That’s everything we wanted. And [Damnably] wanted to make that happen.”

Formed out of the aftermath of several successful groups in the early 2010s, Tófa’s members set aside further attempts at professional glory. Consisting of close friends Árni, singer Allie Doersch, drummer Jóhannes Ólafsson and bassist Andri Freyr Þorgeirsson, Tófa instead decided to prioritise the joy of playing together.

“We’re just best friends that meet up and have fun,” explains the U.S.-born Allie. “Everything else is a bonus.”

Ridiculous ambition

In spite of the band’s laid-back approach, Tófa’s dedication to their craft is clear on Mauled. Produced in collaboration with contemporary virtuoso Ólafur Arnalds, the album was recorded over an intense two-day session, underscoring the band’s drive and technical capabilities.

Tófa is our favourite band.

Despite the “fuck it” attitude Tófa maintains through their music and live performances, nothing about the band — not their artwork, songwriting or personal communication — denotes anything short of very high standards. A key factor explaining their easy-going independence and sharp precision is Tófa’s operational capacity, resembling more like a small creative factory than a four-piece rock band.

“I think it helps that we’re self-sufficient,” claims Allie. “Árni has managerial experience. I’m an artist and I curate the aesthetics to present material that looks nice.”

“Jói is a radio host, and writes copy and press releases,” Árni adds. “Andri is a tech nut and oversees the whole live show,” he continues. “Although we didn’t have big dreams of becoming admired, it doesn’t mean that we aren’t ridiculously ambitious,” Árni finishes.

What some might identify as borderline perfectionism, Tófa worked from material stretching back five years, constantly iterating their songs towards completion.

“And we’re proud of what we do,” Allie smiles. “Tófa is our favourite band. That being said, we are total goofballs,” Árni grins.

Flowing patterns

In the interim between the 2016 Teeth Richards and Mauled, Tófa saw the departure of guitarist Kjartan Holm from their ranks. In Árni and Allie’s words, Kjartan went to become a “real musician”, focusing on his career in composition, scoring TV and film projects.

With one foundational and influential member short, the remaining band needed to figure out their new dynamic. “It took us time to discover our sound as a 4-piece,” admits Allie. “Kjartan is the person who had the most experimental, avant-garde ideas,” Árni explains.

But just like the adage goes, Tófa’s transformation into a quartet resulted in newfound methods. “Kjartan was very much into adding noise — which is amazing — but Tófa has taken a slight turn away from that,” describes Allie.

The resulting album is a stark contrast to the sound of their previous LPs, swapping atonal guitar riffs for decisive ferocity, utilising the subtle importance of incorporating more space in their arrangements.

Everything sounds crisper and more deliberate, while keeping Tófa’s layer of hardcore “fuck it” attitude prevalent. One of Mauled’s most impressive feats however, is the ability to flow effortlessly between unconventional beat patterns and emphases without any notion of it feeling forced. Everything flows.

The Trump zemblanity

Lyrically, the album represent a cyclic movement of destruction, as Árni and Allie put it, with lyricists Allie and Jóhannes being influenced by societal events.

“I think the lyrics and the music reflect a certain frustration, irritation and disappointment with what’s going on in the world,” explains Árni. “To feel like you’re stuck in this vortex from which you never have a chance to escape because, as an individual, you lack the power,” he philosophises.

“It revolves around being the only person that wants to change what’s going on around us, but realising it’s more or less pointless,” adds Allie.

Ironically, Mauled’s themes of repeating patterns of destruction were conceived during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term — just as the new album came to be released in the same week he got re-elected. “Very interesting timing,” quips Allie.

Whatever Tófa’s new album and label connections bring, — Allie and Árni are unfazed for the next chapter.

“For us, meeting to play is very important. It’s something we can’t imagine life without,” says Árni.  “It’s an outlet, expressing the frustration we experience in life. So it’s healing for us and hopefully people listening to the record will think, ‘Ok, I’m not the only one feeling this way,’” Allie concludes.

Listen to Mauled on available streaming services and purchase the physical album on tofa.bandcamp.com.