Iceland review - 2016, Side 16

14 ICELAND REVIEW
FINDING HER VOICE
Describe your musical career so far.
When I was 19 years old, I moved to
Reykjavík to study classical singing at
Söngskólinn í Reykjavík [The Reykjavík
Academy of Singing and Vocal Arts]. It
was interesting and a nice foundation
for my future career, but in the end, I
didn’t like the vocal technique. Then,
I studied jazz at FÍH music school and
really got into singing the blues. I started
writing my own music after that because
I eventually got tired of singing covers
and wanted to write something about my
experiences, something that brought me
happiness. Me and my friends from FÍH
wanted to experiment with bluegrass,
Americana and country music so we
formed a band [Brother Grass] and were
very active for almost four years. Lastly
I studied composing at the Icelandic
Academy of the Arts, which was quite
challenging for me, because I write music
using more emotion and hearing than
music theory. I started recording an
album shortly after that, but decided not
to release it because I wasn’t comfortable
with it yet: it didn’t feel right. Now I
just finished recording new music with
my [new] band, which I hope to release
this fall.
Elliott Brandsma interviews up-and-coming musician
Soffía Björg Óðinsdóttir about her genre-defying musical style,
growing up in the West Icelandic countryside with seven brothers
and sisters, and composing songs in the West Fjords
with Icelandic jazz icon Sunna Gunnlaugsdóttir.
PHOTOS BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON.
Your dad plays the guitar and
piano; your mom is a soprano;
your sister is also a musician; and
your grandmother is an actress and
singer. When did you decide to
follow in their footsteps and
become a musician?
I was a really shy kid, so music was never
a dream of mine. The thought of per-
forming made my heart pound and my
armpits sweat! Then my mom tricked me
into taking my first singing lesson. But
it wasn’t until a little while ago, maybe
two years or so, that I started finding the
joy in performing and singing. My fam-
ily sometimes gives me pointers, but my
mom, especially, guides me in a spiritual
way; helping me stay grounded and see
the bigger picture while also reminding
me to be a rock star sometimes [she
laughs].
How would you describe your sound?
I’ve never been able to describe my
sound. I listen to a broad range of music,
and people have often told me that they
can’t name my genre. My new album
leans toward an alternative rock vibe
with some influences from grunge music,
Led Zeppelin, and Eric Clapton. I love
strong voices that don’t try to mimic
anybody else; they just come from within
that person. I’m also a sucker for deep
voices!
What was it like growing up in the
countryside with so many brothers
and sisters?
I can only think of positive things to say
about it. I was never bored. There was
always something going on around me.
I love having the safety net of family.
They are a beautiful group of people.
Being a middle child you tend to disap-
pear, which suited me fine because for
the longest time I wanted to blend in.
Holidays at our house are always busy
and fun.
What are some of your favorite
activities when you’re not perform-
ing or touring?
I love horses, and I really enjoy running.
I also love hanging out with my friends at
cozy dinner parties, traveling, and seeing