Reykjavík Grapevine - aug. 2022, Side 18
Life’s A Mess
Relationship lessons from musician
una schram
Words: Asha Edmondson Photo: Joana Fontinha
The title of una schram’s new
EP, “mess mixtape,” perfectly
describes the col lection of
emotions the 22-year-old sings
about. Half break-up album and
half soul-searching coming-of-age
revelations, una lets us in on her
emotional journey. Iceland’s own
Amy Winehouse-inspired pop
R&B artist may have just released
the musical version of emotional
empowerment we always needed.
Hard break-ups, good
music
Reeling from her first major heart-
break, una dealt with her emotions
in the only way she knew how:
songwriting. Starting at only 10
years old, una has been writing
music for the greater part of her
life. Always performing and sing-
ing, it seems natural
that the easiest way
for her to deal with
emotional pain is
through song.
“I always had
fun with it. It was
also a way for me to
express what I was
feeling, which I
think a lot of musi-
cians can relate to,”
una shares. “Some
people just have a
way of being able to
put their feelings into words that
rhyme.”
Fortunately for us, una has
that talent. In “mess mixtape” she
weaves a tapestry of emotion that
carefully explores young heart-
break and finding yourself. In
doing so, una manages to pinpoint
these common and deeply human
experiences, articulating them
with refreshing accuracy.
Growing pains
Between studies at the British and
Irish Modern Music Institute, the
pandemic, personal life, and the
process of songwriting, the album
took three years for una to finish.
Even though heartbreak and
moving on are timeless topics, una
can tell she has progressed from
this period in her life.
“It’s quite interesting for me
to be releasing it now,” una says,
adding, “all of the situationships
and feelings are long gone, so it’s
weird that now I’m getting out
all of these feelings that I’d kind
of forgotten I’d had. I’m trying to
relate back to my old self to release
this project.”
The stark difference in person-
ality between “pre-mess una” and
“post-mess una” almost prevented
her from releasing
the work. She was
worried about the
public’s reaction
to her personality,
fearing that people
would conflate the
emotions in songs
with her present
self.
“It’s sometimes
very difficult when
you release music
because it ’s so
personal. I feel like
when you let people in like that
they will make assumptions and
have opinions about you, which
are not necessarily an accurate
representation of where my head
is at now,” una shares, explaining
her understanding of her personal
growth.
“There was also sort of a battle
with myself whether or not to
release the project,” she adds. “I
was a little bit afraid that it would
come across juvenile or adolescent
because it’s a younger me that’s
being represented in this mixtape.
But I have a lot of love for my
past self, so I thought, ‘fine, I can
let people just take it where they
want it, I have no control over what
people think anyway.’”
We’re all the same
Ultimately, una realised that while
she may no longer be in the same
emotional place as she was three
years ago when she first started
writing “mess mixtape,” the
emotions she felt at the time are
shared by everyone.
“I don’t necessarily relate to the
lyrics that I wrote anymore, but
some [people] will because we all
have these very similar experiences
when it comes to relationships and
love,” una says thoughtfully.
“I think it’s a beautiful thing to
be able to give yourself away [to
someone], but you also need to
put yourself first,” she continues.
“I hope [people] relate, but more
on a level that is in hindsight.
They listen and think of situations
they’ve had that are kind of simi-
lar, where they’ve also come out
of it with a different outlook and
more control.”
The road ahead
Back living in Reykjavík with a BA
under her belt, una clearly has a
long and invigorating road ahead
of her. She’s hoping to experiment
more with her music, including
potential songs in Icelandic, genre
shifts, and untraditional vocal
techniques. If “mess mixtape” is
any indicator of the future, we
are dying to hear the next musical
emotional journey una has in store
for us.
“I’m very excited to just explore
my musical identity, I guess, and
see where I can go,” una finishes
hopefully.
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Music 18The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08— 2022
“Some people
just have a way
of being able
to put their
feelings into
words that
rhyme.”
When one door closes, another opens