Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.01.2018, Qupperneq 19

Words: Alice Demurtas Photos: Magnús Andersen
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19The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 01 — 2018
Catching up with Icelandic music wunderkind Jófríður
Ákadóttir is no easy thing. With a collection of projects
that seems almost impossible to juggle, she has been busy
touring the world and making music of her own over re-
cent years. When I manage to find a gap in her schedule,
I count myself lucky. “I’m actually on family vacation in
Spain,” she tells me, her enthusiasm seeping through the
tinny speakers of my computer.
INSTANT IMPATIENCE
Jófríður’s soft, breathy voice has become a trademark of
her work in the past few years. Her contributions to the
dreamy lullabies of Pascal Pinon and the organic-electron-
ic sound of Samaris have captured international attention,
and that’s not to mention her electronic pop collaboration
Gangly, and her solo project JFDR.
All these projects were meant to explore different
angles of Jófríður’s creativity. A single approach to mu-
sic seems almost inconceivable to her, as if it would fos-
ter a claustrophobic environment. “It’s got to do with my
general interest in fluidity and with my impatience, as in
not being able to chill,” she explains. “As soon as you have
free time, you start the next thing, and then you have all
these things growing around you, with no idea how you
got there.” However, it’s also about learning from others.
“I appreciate being able to do a lot of stuff,” she adds, “and
not get too wrapped up in one thing or being too precious
about anything.”
TAKE A STEP BACK
Despite her success, Jófríður is incredibly modest about
her work, and her methods. “I wouldn‘t want anyone to
think that what I do is perfect and everything is smooth
and amazing,” Jófríður says. “Sometimes it gets stressful,
sometimes I fuck up, but those mistakes—you just have
to make them and appreciate the things you learn from
them.”
It’s slightly baffling to see how driven and peacefully
mature Jófríður is—there are no frills, and no games.
Whether she recognises it or not, her thoughts bloom with
the angst and fears of a generation of young people who
are still learning how to allow themselves to make mis-
takes, and to realise what kind of person they are beyond
other people’s perceptions.
Sometimes, then, the only thing left to do is to take a
step back. For Jófríður that time came when she realised
she hadn’t spent enough time working on new music. She
took almost two months off to work on her new album. “I
was so scared,” she admits. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to
do it, and that I wouldn’t be able to show up. But it was the
opposite. It was a kind of relief—switching the mindset,
switching the flow and feeling how much I had missed it.”
It’s great to hear that she is back on track, and with such
ardent passion it’s fair to say that an exciting new adven-
ture has only just begun.
Artist Of The Year: Jófriður Ákadóttir
Although initially suggested in the guise of her JFDR
solo project, it quickly became apparent that Jó-
fríður’s presence in the local and international scene
extended way beyond JFDR’s debut album, ‘Brazil.’ “It’s
super clear that she has done the most in the scene,”
the panel said. “She is definitely the most prolific mu-
sician around.”
But it’s not just about the incredible amount of
work that Jófríður produces. Instead, like King Midas,
everything she touches seems to turn to gold. From
the soft electronic beats of Samaris and the dreamy
pop of Gangly, to the folk-pop purity of Pascal Pinon,
her otherworldly, breathy voice is a national monu-
ment that is becoming internationally renowned.
2017 was Jófríður’s year, but her journey is still just
beginning—there she goes, headed into the new year
in full sail.
It‘s midwinter in Iceland, when the battle against frozen
feet and contagious, uncontrollable yawning is in full
swing. Luckily for us, however, it’s nothing that can’t be
solved with a cup of coffee and some good music. So,
what better time to introduce the winners of the sixth
annual Reykjavík Grapevine Music Awards?
Each year, Grapevine sits down with a panel of experts
from the local scene to pick out the best and brightest
artists of the previous year—those who lit up the stage,
took bold strides forward, and had an invaluable impact
on their listeners and peers. In a country with so much
to give, artistically speaking, it’s tough to choose just a
handful of artists, but the discussion always turns out to
be a fun and inspiring look back at the previous year in
music.
In hindsight, there seems to be an interesting leit-
motif this year. At least half of the winners were already
well established for their work with other bands or col-
lectives, and many were involved in multiple projects at
once. Yet their potential seems to have be most fulfilled
in solo projects, where they had the freedom to follow
their instincts to the full, explore their own personal
soundscapes and lyrical worlds, and attain a strong
sense of focus.
While deciding the awards, our panel took into con-
sideration presence, impact, authenticity and, naturally,
talent. These collective choices tended to transcend the
personal tastes of the panelists, instead focussing on
winners who pushed themselves into new creative terri-
tory, had a tangible influence on the scene around them,
and managed to capture the zeitgeist in Icelandic music.
Without further ado, we present to you the winners of
the Reykjavík Grapevine Music Awards 2018.