Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.08.2008, Blaðsíða 12

12 | REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 11—2008
INTERvIEW By sigurður KJartan Kristinsson — photo By gas
Grapevine: Shouldn’t we begin by you telling me
what it’s all about? Who are you?
[Their faces turn weird. They soon burst out laugh-
ing, explaining that this is way too open-ended a
question. Lóa eventually reveals that they’d really
prefer yes and no questions if possible. When I’m
getting ready to bombard a dull yes and no list,
one of the band’s two Árni’s interrupts the muggy
silence.]
árni “+1” Hlöðversson: Well, we are primarily a
band, but we are also friends. And uh, yeah, we are
kind of fun.
[I feel forced to try and rouse some enthusiasm,
and tell them I’d heard they were “wild and crazy”
interview subjects. I ask if that was a misunder-
standing.]
Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdóttir: No, no, no! We just fin-
ished eating you know, nobody’s fun just after a
heavy meal. And my fingers are still kind of greasy,
we had chicken wings.
+1: Yeah, all the blood goes to your stomach while
you eat. That can’t be good for your humour. We
are always kind of dull when we’re full. We only
crave sleep, not some journalist nitpicking at us.
árni vilhjálmsson: It’s better to interview us when
we are extremely desperate.
Grapevine: So, when are you desperate, when
should I visit upon you again?
áv: Well, we’re always desperate when we’re com-
pletely broke, you know.
Grapevine: And you are loaded with money right
now?
Lóa: Well Árni, you have to speak for yourself!
+1: Árni has some money, we don’t! So maybe this
is a good time after all. Who would’ve thought?
Grapevine: Árni, can you explain your alleged
wealth?
The other árni: Uhm, the bulk of my funds actu-
ally have a negative status but I have some petty
cash, to please my whims.
Grapevine: When did you start joining forces on
stage?
Lóa: The three of us started out in Airwaves 2005.
+1: Yeah, then everything started happening. But
the three sitting at this table are the real FM Belfast.
Kinda the essence of the band. But our posse gets
pretty vast at times. When everyone has time.
Lóa: There have been times where there are eight
of us on stage.
+1: Yeah, we get really crazy sometimes. But to tell
you the truth, it doesn’t happen very often.
Lóa: Like at Airwaves, there were eight persons
that simply jumped the stage.
+1: Without notice!
Grapevine: And you just let everybody take part
in the romping?
+1: yeeeaah… If they’ve got rhythm, I don’t mind if
they shake something or fool around.
Lóa: Someone like the drunken chick in New York
is not welcome
áv: No, she was not welcome!
+1: We don’t exactly put up an “OPEN” sign next to
the stage; this is not an open mic. But our friends
are welcome at any time.
Lóa: Except that dude, you know, and the drunken
chick!
+1: Yeah, I think we shouldn’t be talking about
them. But OK, let’s rephrase this: All of our friends
are welcome, except the shaky dude and the
drunken chick.
Grapevine: What have you been up to lately?
+1: Well, we’ve been playing a lot. We performed at
Naked Ape’s anniversary the other day. It was kind
of cool, out in the street. And we even got to amuse
a few drunks. They really loved our music; they
danced around like there was no tomorrow.
Lóa: They didn’t want to join us at the stage though.
áv: Yeah, that was kind of odd.
+1: They knew their place in life. We also played at
the Lunga festival in Seyðisfjörður. That was fun.
áv: On several occasions in NYC. Just all around
really.
[Árni +1 and Lóa seemed to be the dominant mem-
bers of the trio; the other Árni got few opportunities
to interrupt their eagerness. However, it should be
noted that they are an official item.]
Grapevine: So Árni +1 and Lóa, are you the king
and queen of FM Belfast?
+1: No not at all, we are but humble peasants under
the great other Árni.
áv: Yeah, you could say I am the Count of FM Bel-
fast.
+1: Well. We’re mostly democratic.
Lóa: Of course we started out just the two of us, but
nothing happened until the other Árni joined us.
Grapevine: Has it never caused any complications
that the band has two bearers of the name Árni?
+1: Well it will probably cause some confusion in
this interview later on, you know, when you’re typ-
ing it up.
áv: We really hate when people mix us up, so you
should listen closely to our inflexion, mister.
[It was at this time point that Árni Vilhjálmsson be-
gan showing his skills as a professional entertainer.
After a few minutes of enigmatic, educated jokes,
with the appropriate jollification of the rest, we
managed to continue.]
Grapevine: Tell me about your forthcoming full-
length.
+1: It was partly recorded in NYC, and partly here
and I just finished mixing it, so things are on the
move. We recorded, mixed, and mastered it our-
selves. And we’re also creating the artwork. Pretty
independent, huh?
Lóa: That’s something
+1: We hope to have it in stores by the end of Au-
gust. The next few weeks will go into sorting out
all the dates. The record itself is smashing, I would
have liked it if anyone else had made it.
Lóa: We were listening to it in the car the other day,
it was really demented!
+1: I like to fall asleep listening to it…
áv: OK
Grapevine: Unfortunately, we have to wrap this
up. Would you like some sort of epic ending to your
interview?
áv: Could we be the band that lived?
Lóa: It’s not really appropriate to make fun of that.
But what about the band that survived a year’s
separation?
the mIghty belfaSt: they're pretty good
Only Amusing When Desperate
FM Belfast on the band’s history, crazy fans and upcoming debut release.
As soon as Grapevine heard
rumours about a forthcoming
full-length release from the dance
moguls in FM Belfast they sent a
reporter to find out whether the
stories were factual. It wasn’t
exactly easy reaching the rising
stars but after several attempts of
getting them all together it finally
happened.
we Don’t exaCtLy put up an “open”
sign next to the stage; this is not
an open MiC. But our frienDs are
weLCoMe at any tiMe.
fASHION By reyKJaviK LooKs
NAME:
Annie
OCCUPATION:
Photographer
NAME:
Birna Sif
OCCUPATION:
Hairdresser and make-up artist
NAME:
Katrín Helga
OCCUPATION:
Student
www.reyKJaviKLooKs.BLogspot.net