Paradís Sessions: 'ones to watch'
Updated: Jan 18, 2021
So here we are in 2021. Congrats, everyone. You all deserve a pat on the back.
Since the situation is still quite dire, let's brighten the mood. There's little need for those vitamin D supplements now, we'll take it from here. New bands time.
Iceland is a bustling music scene. New music is everywhere. A community that shares, encourages, shoots out stars. Mostly from Reykjavik but there are happenings across the island.
We've decided to give you a little insight into this new music world, providing some of our 'ones to watch' - Iceland version (aka best new artists to pay attention to.) You've read 1000s of these already. Best of. End of year. Next year. But screw it, it's our turn.
In no particular order, we present to you class of 2021.
Music is the raft that carries Jelena Ćirić on the shifting currents of home and identity. Born in Serbia and raised in Canada, having set up home in Iceland, Jelena released the EP 'Shelters one' to fantastic fanfare late last year. Vocals like silk, lyrics like pages of a book, Jelena takes her stories directly to your heart. We can't wait to release the next one soon 👀
Self-styled, self-made electro-pop producer Sigfríð, aka Frid, is someone we're very excited about. Word has it she's been working away in the studio, through the long days and longer nights of 2020, cooking up a follow-up to her 2019 debut EP 'If You Listen'. Crisp, emotive, full of energy and a directness not dissimilar to Banks. We wait in anticipation.
Still only 16 years old, multitalented Guðlaug continues to break new boundaries at the pace of an olympic sprinter World records all over the place. Releasing her brilliant debut album 'Listen To This Twice' last year, gugusar has the world at her feet. Simple as that. Go listen.
The best live band in Iceland (awarded by us), Skoffín is a collection of four friends who make a lot of noise. They've been hustling the DIY scenes of Reykjavík for the last couple of years and are finally getting the credit they deserve. Stage shows soon. First see them at Eurosonic.
Viola maestro-come-singer-songwriter, Ásta has a power to capture you with passionate, emotive performance and brutally honest experiences laid bare as songs. Having released her debut album, Sykurbað, in 2019 (which won the Icelandic Music Award for Folk Album of the Year) Ásta is ready to expand the net with more passion, more energy, more colour. Look out!
Led by excitable troubadour Bjarni Daníel - and the ashes of Reykjavík DIY indie-supremo band the Bagdad Brothers - Supersport! have made waves in building their project during difficult 2020 circumstances and are ready to hit your tv screen (or Spotify playlist) this year. The band we're waiting most to see again live. Listen to the Dog Run EP in the meanwhile. It's lockdown.
RAKEL
Something of an unknown quantity, Rakel launched the single 'Keeping Me Awake' around October last year. A haunting, powerful debut track that we have on repeat at Paradís HQ. Her debut EP is expected sometime in 2021 and we can't wait to hear more.
Last but by no means least, Salóme Katrín has been ready for this forever. Or at least it seems. Listening to Salóme's debut EP, 'Water', released towards the end of the year, is simply magical. Poetic. Dreamy. If an angel could sing, this would be the result.
