Icelandic songstress “Soley” (Soley Stefansdottir), is heading to Australia for the first time in March, performing at Womadelaide and other venues around the country. Known for her work with the Indie band “Seabear”, her first solo album did not debut until 2011 but since then she has garnered a solid following, which continues to grow. She released an EP “Kromantik” in 2014 and will be releasing a new album this year. Her music is lyrical, folkish Indie pop, with wonderful, dark lyrics, along with more predominantly instrumental work.
Trained in composition at the Icelandic Art Academy, Soley plays keyboard and guitar as well as composing. We also found out that she writes poetry, but is yet to perform it before an audience. Watch this space, however, as our interviewer may have persuaded her to drop into a spoken word in Adelaide, if she has the time!
We spoke to her from her home in Iceland, just prior to her tour of Australia, and after her return from a shorter tour of Europe.
Iceland has an extraordinary music scene: with a population of only 290000 people it boasts 90 music schools, 400 choirs, 400 orchestras and innumerable rock/pop bands. We asked how much this has influenced her choice of music as a career.
“It’s a really nice music scene in Iceland, and because it’s nice, you want to be a part of it. The pop-Indie scene is really big, and you often see the same people playing in several different bands. As a teenager I went through a phase of only listening to Icelandic music. It is certainly easy to be a musician in Iceland, but in order to make money you need to tour. Iceland is small, so you can only do one circuit every year…you need to tour!”
Soley, like many Icelandic artists, mainly writes in English.
“Of course English is more universal than Icelandic. But also English flows better. It is softer. There are certain sounds in Icelandic that make it difficult for writing lyrics. Also, English is my second language, Icelandic is my first. So when I write in English I feel freer: I don’t care so much about making mistakes. When I write in Icelandic it takes me longer, because I want to make it perfect. “
2014 was a huge year for Soley, as she recorded her new album, and had a baby. The new album is currently set for release in May this year, and she will be performing numbers from it on her Australian tour. Has motherhood changed the way she works, or the energy she has for work?
“I try to keep parenting separate. As a mother you are soft and sensitive and you pour all your tears and love and happiness into it. Of course I put all my emotions into my music too, but it is different. I found when I went into the studio I was able to put motherhood aside. I tried not to make the new album a cute, happy, “mother” album”
Beautifully, as she was telling us this, her baby could be heard gurgling in the background
“Yes…my mother is just giving her a feed now”.
So what is Soley most looking forward to in visiting Australia?
“The sun!!”
Let’s hope Adelaide puts on some glorious weather for this delightful songstress from the coldest climes.
Interviewed by Tracey Korsten
http://www.womadelaide.com.au/soley
https://www.morrmusic.com/artist/S%C3%B3ley
https://www.facebook.com/soleysoleysoley?fref=ts
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