Q&A: Ásgeir
MYSTIQUE THOUGH HEARTFELT - Ásgeir has created a notable body of music thanks to his powerful sound. His dedication to his work shows immensely as he had Iceland's biggest selling debut album by a homegrown artist at just 20 years old in addition to winning 4 Icelandic Music Awards and a Nordic Music Prize nomination. Ásgeir is gearing up for his upcoming album Bury The Moon (out February 7th) and has released soulful singles "Youth" and "Lazy Giants". Read below to hear more about Bury The Moon, his plans for 2020 and more.
LUNA: You’ve been putting music out since 2012, how have you seen your music evolve?
ÁSGEIR: I think I have evolved as an artist’s quite a bit over the years, I started out only writing songs on my acoustic guitar but in 2012 I started working in a studio in Reykjavik and was introduced to a whole new world of instruments and I became very inspired by what they could do. I mainly become inspired by new instruments and sounds that I can play around with and new music that I like. But I’ve also had the privilege of working with different musicians over the years and I’ve learnt a lot from doing that I think.
LUNA: How would you compare your upcoming album Bury The Moon with your previous music?
ÁSGEIR: For this new record, I decided to go back to my roots and try to not overthink anything too much. It’s mainly driven by an acoustic guitar or a piano but the arrangements are pretty diverse. In the last weeks of making the album I decided to spice it up a bit and made some more electronic sounding songs to make it more interesting. I think what my albums have always had in common is that they are pretty diverse in styles or genres because I don’t like to not be inside a box when I’m writing or recording. I think this album is more similar to my first album then my second in the way it’s recorded and arranged. Some of the songs are actually pretty old which connects the two albums even more, but I just always thought these songs should be finished and put out at some point and I decided to do it now.
LUNA: Are there any artists or themes in particular that shaped the album?
ÁSGEIR: I’ve always been a fan of artists like Radiohead, Beck and Bjork and the way that they approach music. Being totally free to go in whatever direction they feel like going and not being afraid of trying new things. The idea with this album was to make songs that can be played on just an acoustic guitar and they still feel like good songs, they don’t need all the production and arrangements to feel whole. I was going for a simple acoustic guitar-based album with a clean concept but mid-way through making the album I got bored of that and wanted to do something different. I don’t know if that was a good idea or what but I think it’s more interesting. All of the lyrics have a different theme for each song, but If I would take some words to try and describe them as a whole I’d say - melancholic, winter, Icelandic nature, nostalgic, lonely.
LUNA: Do you prefer writing songs centered around a narrative or a feeling?
ÁSGEIR: I usually don’t have anything in my mind before I start writing but if I just start playing the guitar or the piano usually something pops up that sparks a feeling or a thought that I then go with. I’ve worked a lot with lyricists though my career and namely my father who is a poet. I sometimes describe what thoughts went through my mind while I was writing the song but sometimes I just let him or the other lyricist that I work with, Júlíus Róbertsson, just make something up on their own and then we will talk about how it fits the song.
LUNA: Is there something in particular you want your listeners to take away from your music?
ÁSGEIR: I’ve met many people through the years that have talked about how some of my songs have helped them through difficult times in their lives and I’m always very happy and grateful to hear stories like that. I could never have imagined that my music would reach and resonate with people like that and it always surprises me. So I never know what to expect when I release my music but I just hope someone enjoys it and it can maybe for a moment brighten their day or inspire them in some way.
LUNA: What do you want 2020 to bring you?
ÁSGEIR: I know that I’m going to be touring quite a bit in 2020 and I’m looking forward to play these new songs live. I’d like to step more out of my comfort zone and maybe do some collaborations and get to know more people. But mostly I’d like to not take life or myself too seriously and try to enjoy each moment.