Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.11.2018, Qupperneq 32

The R
eykjavík G
rapevine
Iceland A
irw
aves Special 20
18
32
Amidst the noise and chaos
of Iceland Airwaves, KEXP’s
off-venue—which the Seattle
radio station has hosted for the
last ten years, mostly at Kex Hos-
tel—has been a staple. Each year
the station broadcasts live video
sessions by established stars and
up-and-coming prospects from
Kex’s packed bar, transmitting
the atmosphere and artistry of
Airwaves to a global audience.
Good start
KEXP’s Chief Content Officer,
and the host of the station’s
afternoon show, is the affable
Kevin Cole, who is instantly
recognisable for his distinctive
mane of silver hair. An easygo-
ing presence with a clear rever-
ence for music, Kevin is a long
time Icelandophile who first vis-
ited Iceland on holiday in 2005,
sowing the seeds for the part-
nership.
“I wanted to experience the
midnight sun and the solstice,”
he says. “I was a fan of Icelandic
music of the 80s and 90s—Sug-
arcubes, GusGus and múm—but
when I heard Sigur Rós’ second al-
bum in 1999, that sealed the deal.
I just had to come visit and see
where this music was created.”
Bringing the ‘P’
Kevin drove the Ring Road, “met
a lot of people, and bought a lot
of records.” Back in Seattle, he
started playing them out, and
kept tabs on the scene. Then, in
2007, he met Hlynur Guðjóns-
son, Iceland’s U.S. Trade Com-
missioner, at a music event in
New York where KEXP was
broadcasting live. “Band of Hors-
es were playing, and there was a
lot of excitement, and he turned
to me and said ‘we have to do this
in Iceland.’ Of course, I said ‘Let’s
do it.’”
The partnership started with
a small team, Jim Beckmann
and Scott Holpainen, filming
sessions with handheld cam-
eras at RÚV. Einar Örn hosted
the sessions, which were sent to
Kevin in Seattle—seven hours
behind—who would air them
later that day.
The next step was to broad-
cast live. “I came out to scout lo-
cations in the summer of 2011,”
says Kevin. “Kex was just being
finished. Benedikt Reynisson
took me there, and it just felt like
a good vibe for us right away. And
it was KEX… we could bring the ‘P.’
It was just fortuitous and cool.”
Taking it home
Seven years later, KEXP has
made around 1,200 v ideos
from 250 sessions, which have,
astoundingly, garnered over
85,000,000 views. “It’s been re-
markable,” says Kevin. “We look
at these trips as an opportuni-
ty for discovery. We get recom-
mendations, try and listen to
everything, see what we think
our listeners would like, and
think about artists that might
not make it out to Seattle in the
near future. We thought it would
be cool to work alongside bands
and help make it viable for them
to come and play in Seattle.”
Kevin has a clear fondness—
and demonstrable geekiness—
for the catalogue of sessions. He
looks through the list of artists,
rapidly reeling off the names
of artists like Sudden Weather
Change, FM Belfast, sóley, múm,
ADHD and Daníel Bjarnason. “If
you look at years one and two, it’s
incredible,” says Kevin. “MAM-
MÚT were a baby band, as were
Pascal Pinon. It’s been super cool
to build relationships with mu-
sicians over the years, witness
their growth, and play a bit of a
role in their evolution.”
When we talk, the KEXP
schedule for 2018 is still com-
ing together, but Kevin runs
through a couple of the con-
firmed names—from huge stars
to bands playing the festival for
the first time—with an equal
amount of glee. “There’s just
a lot of incredible music being
made in Iceland,” he smiles. “We
just feel humbled to be involved,
to connect music lovers and
bands, and to bring their music
to the global audience of music
lovers that is KEXP.”
KEXP PRESENTS
At Kex Hostel throughout the festi-
val. Check The Airwaves App for info
“I just had
to come
and see
where this
music was
created.”
KEXP's Airwaves sessions have 85m views
Words: John Rogers Photo: Jim Bennett & Charina Pitzel
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