JFDR is an Icelandic singer-songwriter and musician, whose music blends elements of folk, electronic, and experimental pop. JFDR has received critical acclaim for her music and many listeners enjoy her unique sound and songwriting. She has been praised for her powerful and emotive vocals, as well as her ability to create atmospheric and evocative musical landscapes. There is no denying that she has a dedicated following and has made a significant impact in the music industry.
I stare into nothing, I yearn for the innocence I once thought I had
A lack of sense for a fear that grows as I get older
I've carried these thoughts and I've drowned them in work
And I've worn myself blue on the way down
Oh, mother, would you cry if you hear this song? ~Jófríður Ákadóttir
In light of her perfomance tonight at SXSW I thought I would ruminate a bit about my favorite Icelandic chanteuse: Jófríður Ákadóttir, aka JFDR.
I first saw her perform with Pascal Pinonfourteen(!) years ago where I was touched by their honest presentation and her melodic songs. Jófríður and I actually interacted a bit back then, exchanging CDs, emails, she vetted a KFJC an interview (she said my blog was “cool”). A year later I saw her perform with Samaris and sat in on their sound-check, an experience which gave me some insight on her compositional methods:
In 2018 I saw her perform at Airwaves, in support of Nini Julia Bang, in an absolutely stunning off-venue performance:
I was standing in the back of the auditorium as she burst in, side-swiping me with her gear—my brush with greatness!
In 2022 she repeated the feat, pushing me aside on her way to perform at a fashion boutique (I was hiding amidst the clothes but she still managed to find me):
Last year we actually sat down together and she spoke with me. I tried not to be a jabbering fan-boy but it was hard under the circumstances: I was on a vintage boat; in the Reykjavík harbour; with my favorite Icelandic musician; on a beautiful fall day and… cocoa. Jó graciously accepted my thanks for all her music over the years, so… now I can die happy, I guess:
Her music, in recent years, has become sadder as her youthful exuberance has been tempered with the usual disappointments and struggles that come with age. She got a big dose of reality when Covid hit just as she was on the verge of an international tour promoting her newest album. It wasn’t a complete disaster—she was stranded in Australia with musician/electronic equipment designer Joshua Wilkinson, whom she then married! I saw them perform together at last year’s Iceland Airwaves; it was a stripped-down show, but Jófríður was in good spirits and was even pushing herself in new musical directions:
While I have struggled some with her more recent music—it isn’t exactly easy listening—she always has inventive arrangements and beautiful melodies. Of all the musical acts I’ve seen in Iceland, hers is the one I have engaged with the most over the last 25 years. What that says about me, I don’t know exactly, but I am grateful for her honesty, intelligence, as well as a clear musical vision.
So… Tonight Jófríður is playing in Austin, Texas for SXSW. She’s 28, and arguably at the peak of her musical powers. Is there a place for a melancholy Icelandic star in the disintegrating world of pop music? The last Icelandic act to hit it big* was Of Monsters and Men and that was over a dozen years ago, Sigur Rós broke over twenty years ago and Bjórk’s “debut” was over thirty! The world of music distribution has changed since then and the odds are against her (she does film and TV scoring too.)
The larger world has encroached on SXSW as well. SXSW is sponsored in part by the the U.S. Army which has had a role in the current situation in Israel and Palestine. Another Icelandic act, Gróa (with whom JFDR’s sister Marta performs), has already pulled out from the festival because of that issue, an issue that may become a family affair. Regardless of any fallout from this performance, it is just another hurdle for her to overcome in her fairy-tale career:
Lift ourselves up from the ground
Let wings grow into our backs
As if we′re angels in the cold air of heaven
We're flying to, We fall down
Throw ourselves into the deep sea
Let fish-tails grow onto our bodies
Swim like seals in the cold ocean and
Feel safe ′cause there we can't fall down
Lower ourselves down from the sky, and onto the earth
Let arms grow out of our bodies as if we're babies ~ Jófríður Ákadóttir
This may well be my final JFDR post on FITK.
Good-bye is too cruel a word, babe, so I’ll just say, “Fare thee well… ”
The final act of Iceland Airwaves 2023. Jófríður Ákadóttir, AKA JFDR, has been a musician of interest for me since first seeing her at Iceland Airwaves 2009 when she was 15 and playing with her sister Ásthildur in the quartet Pascal Pinon. They produced three full-length albums and Jófríður’s follow-up group, Samaris, also released three albums which were very successful. As a solo act she has released multiple albums and EPs and her collaborations with other artists are innumerable. Additional film and television scoring is also in her CV.
One of the knocks against JFDR’s singing style has been her constant use of a breathy soprano. Tonight she was experimenting with her delivery and even going into an open-throated delivery at times.
I found myself engulfed in a reflective mood as I watched her: so many performances, so much music, watching her develop as a musician for half her life.
Her musical growth may have plateaued lately, with songs of vague young adult angst rather than the insightful and focused coming-of-age narratives of her earlier work.
You can’t be a teen-ager forever.
Performing with her on various keys and programmers was her husband Joshua Wilkinson. Josh and Jó had been a definite item at this Airwaves as they were seen canoodling in dimly-lit back corners of off-venues. If there had been a cutest Airwaves couple award, they would have won it. A musical marriage creates its own problems, but tonight everything was all smiles, as evidenced with this lovely curtain call:
But the afterglow from the show evaporated in a flash.
As I was heading out through the outer lobby of Gamla Bíó I heard a loud metallic bang coming from the open doors, followed by shouts. Stepping out, I saw a car up on the sidewalk and a pedestrian lying by a snapped-off sign post. The anguished driver got out of her car, saying “It was my fault, it was my fault,” as she looked in horror at the immobile man. If I had been out the door 3 seconds earlier it would have been me on the ground.
Chapter 18 of Search For a Dancer, a serial memoir of one week in Iceland in 2022. Mondays on Flippism is the Key
“We may judge what is merely beautiful, but sublime art judges us or, better said, it challenges us to judge ourselves.” ~ David P. Goldman
JFDR and band, Gamla Bíó, Iceland Airwaves, 2022
Where to begin?
Along with Johann Johannson, Jófríður Ákadóttir (AKA JFDR) and her sister Ásthildur have been consistent presences in my Icelandic musical landscape. Alas, Johann is gone now but his claim to immortality is assured by his film scores. Jófríður is on her third (or fourth or fifth) career and, at the age of 28, shows no sign of slowing down. Her live performances had been curtailed during the Covid epidemic but she kept busy with film and television score work.
As she has grown from a shy teen into a mature performer some things have changed while other traits remain. The best description of her early years is found in an interview by KFJC's DJ Cousin Mary, done when she was sixteen:
“I think we just don’t really realize how young we are. We have all this time to do so many things. Sometimes we kind of get lost in always comparing ourselves to some people who are older and have been doing this thing for a lot longer time. I thinks that’s one sort of mistake that you make and you have to be very careful sometimes because we are very young and we have to sometimes be careful not to compare ourselves too much.”
Ásthildur and Jófríður Ákadóttir, Grand Rokk, October 16, 2009
The Ákadóttir twins produced three full-length albums (and several other tracks) as Pascal Pinon. Since then, Jófríður has collaborated with numerous other groups and performers and started a solo career as JFDR. Ásthildur pursued composition and further musical education. Seeing them on stage together again was a delight—their years apart were always not smooth sailing—but both looked to be in their element as they played and sang together:
Ásthildur and Jófríður,November 3, 2022
The best description of Jófríður’s current state of mind is to be found in this The Line of Best Fit interview. The arrangements featured backing tracks augmented by Ásthildur’s and Josh Wilkinson’s keyboards, a string section and, at times, Jófríður on guitar. Her steady finger-picking style has been a constant throughout her career. What has changed is a shift from melodically based guitar songs to programmed grooves:
What was also missing were the quirky fills and odd instrumentation of the Pascal Pinon songs. They were albums out of time, living in a separate reality where only twins can go. Jófríður’s new music is polished and pleasant, modern in every way. She commented that being on the Gamla Bíó stage was like a homecoming. A “home-field advantage?” I thought. The crowd was attentive and appreciative, especially so for such an ethereal performer, but Jófríður was really in her element when she strapped on her guitar:
As the final chords of her set faded away, I was struck with a feeling of melancholy: this might well be the final time I’m in the same room as these twins—“Pascal Pinon-the two-headed“—a most agreeable freak of nature. Jófríður’s music is sublime but seems to be heading in a direction that I’m not; Ásthildur’s music may be more to my taste, but so far there have only been hints as to where her art is going. The almost mystical bond they shared in their youth has been torn and rent in the way that all the trappings of youth are ultimately shredded by time.
Lift ourselves up from the ground
Let wings grow into our backs as if we are angels
In the cold air of heaven
We're flying to, we fall down
Throw ourselves into the deep sea
Let fish-tails grow onto our bodies
Swim like seals in the cold ocean and
Feel safe 'cause there we can't fall down
Lower ourselves down
From the sky, and onto the earth
Let arms grow out of our bodies
As if we're babies*
Overall the night was a triumph for Jófríður, a welcome homecoming where she could strut her stuff and face the world:
This post has been a bit of a mess—jumping back and forth between various stages of the sisters’ career, but it accurately reflects my thinking on them; their music is all jumbled up in my conciousness: I’m a fan, not a musicologist.
At the age of 29, Jófríður Ákadóttir is a seasoned veteran of the icelandic musical scene. With 11 full-length albums and scores of collaborations (as well as scores for films and TV) her output has always been introspective and this, her latest release, does nothing to change that. The songs are tinged with melancholy, perhaps just a reflection of current musical trends. My knowledge of contemporary music isn’t deep enough to make an informed opinion about her originality.
The songs were mostly completed during the Covid lockdown when she was confined to Austrailia, about as far from Iceland as you can get. That she was able to be productive during those trying days, far from home, is a testament to her strong work ethic. Whether she is, in reality, as sad as the songs seem to suggest isn’t true: when I saw her perform twice at last year’s Airwaves music festival she was in high spirits. All my idle speculation aside, her lyrics remain definitely on the ‘downer’ side of the emotional spectrum. An example:
Air Unfolding
I don’t know what to do
Unspoken fears beholding
Lying in bed with you
Feeling the air unfolding
Are you afraid of us?
Are you afraid I’m not thinking?
Are you afraid I’m strong?
Are you afraid I’m not loving?
Tied all my strings to you
Lovingly was my gesture
Still I am next to you
Embroidered in every texture
Tell me it’s true
Why can’t you believe the best in me, honey?
Tell me you do see me as the one you truly choose
You do
It’s your reason
It’s that feeling too
That you’ve got nothing to lose
That’s my heartache
That’s my love for you
I’ve got something to prove
The music supporting JFDR’s lyrics is uniformly excellent, her compositions are more sophisticated now and the arrangements of these ‘art songs’ are beautifully executed by a variety of musicians. It will be interesting to see where her head is at when I see her again in November. If we’re lucky she may even be gracing the National Theatre’s big stage!
Here’s a clip of JFDR performing one of her songs from Museum at last year’s Airwaves where she was a headliner at Gamla Bíó:
Last Thursday I watched a live-streamed concert from Iceland featuring these two esteemed musicians.
I had seen them perform together last winter, but this show started with JFDR performing a couple of tunes with her old Samaris buddy Áslaug as well as a cellist in Gamla Bío (in a recorded piece) and ended with Ólafur on keyboards augmented by a string quartet and his two “robotic” pianos playing in Iðno. While the process of signing up for the viewing was relatively painless it was not cheap; it is a way for these artist to make some concert revenue in these constrained times; some of the money went to the venues themselves.
The music was fine, JFDR’s voice showed some maturing with a deeper register (she can’t be a teenager forever!) but the video was some what crude. Ólafur’s presentation was impeccable, with atmospheric visuals and excellent audio. The link to the concert enabled me to review it within 48 hours so I used the opportunity to capture the audio to CD which will give me a chance to re-live it—its ambience would be an excellent addition to a long car trip.
This will be as close to Iceland Airwaves as I’ll get this year, maybe 2022?
This summer, to celebrate her “10 year anniversary” in music, 24 year-old Jófríður Ákadóttir (of Pascal Pinon, Samaris and JFDR) will be releasing an EP: JFDR - White Sun Live. Part I: Strings. Teasers of this project have shown up before, now she has completed a studio production with her sister, Ásthildur on piano and harmony supplemented by a string quintet.
As I was going out this morning I met my host, Björk, in the stairway. “I’m going to meet the President!” I chirped, “At Grund!”
Each year the kickoff for Iceland Airwaves is held in Grund, a senior home, with Icelandic artists performing to the crowd that consisted of seniors, Airwaves attendees, pre-schoolers, and Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, the president of Iceland. He gave a welcoming speech, honest and genuine, thanking the Airwaves attendees and, in a broader sense, all the visitors to Iceland. His speech was followed by a short set from Una Torfa, singing her songs in Icelandic, who charmed the crowd:
Then came Mugison, troubador par excellence, who wowed the assembly with his songs accompanied by guitar and accordion. At one point he asked the audience if they wanted a song in English or Icelandic, with the response firmly for the latter. He played an old song, a waltz, on accordion, that had the crowd spellbound, even some of the seniors were seen “waltzing” in their seats. The assembled group demanded an encore in which Guðni joined the throng in a singalong on the chorus.
A beautiful start to a beautiful day.
On the way to the pool I helped a woman who had lost control of a box of mandarin oranges, and she gave me one for thanks!
The pool was divine, again. I spoke with some Airwaves attendees from Slovania and then made it back home for a bit of lie-down.
My first off-venue event of the day was at Smekkleysa record store where the noise trio Osmé was grinding out metal machine music, two guitars ans a technician on various noise generators. Mesmerizing, and I had my second Kevin Cole sighting of the festival:
I left to check out a happening on a boat in the harbour with free cocoa!
On the crowded boat there was a small dog on a leash, and attached to the other end of the leash was JFDR, to whom I actually spoke—thanking her for her music and semi-apoligizing for all the Wikipedia pictures I had posted of her. She graciously said that they were alright. After my fill of cocoa I went back to Smekkleysa where the techno duo Pellegrina was playing. Kevin Cole was still there, but also Heiða of Hellvar fame who I met in 2009! Then JFDR and her husband Joshua Wilkinson came in (without a dog this time) and cuddled in a corner while techno duo Pellegrina made the most unromantic music imaginable, although they were much improved over last years Airwaves:
Then the chanteuse Sigrún came on with a series of kenning tunes with prerecorded backgrounds:
She was very affecting but I left before her set was over in order to see the band Kvikindi at the Airwave information center stage (too Many Choices!):
The lead singer appeared to be visibly pregnant (a fact which she happily acknowledged!) and she didn’t let that stop her fun. The show seemed a little packaged (“Hello, Airwaves!”) but the band was good.
I went back to my flat to gather strength for the rest of the night. After a bit of a lie-down I was putting my shoes on in the entry when Unnur, the daughter of my Airbnb hosts, came in. She was honestly delighted that I was enjoying my rooms (I suspect she may have had a hand in their decoration.)
At Fríkirkjan Sunna Margrét was performing in a power trio. Very strong songs with great arrangements made this the best surprise of the day:
Over at Gaukurinn the female-fronted group Fókus was playing hard-nosed hard rock:
I had never seen Cyber put on a full act, so I went to see them again at the IA headquarters stage. They were as fun as ever but seemed to run out of gas toward the end. All that gyrating is hard work!
Best costume award goes to Jonathan who performed at Fríkirkjan with backing tracks, very ethereal:
Konx-Om-Pax is a Glasweigan techno artist with a penchant for spewing obscenities. No picture—he wanted the stage in Iðno to be “F-n black.” When his ‘music’ began I lasted about 20 seconds before I made for the exit.
Ólafur Arnalds is an Icelandic composer of note, I’ve featured him here a few times.
Last December, on the equinox, he assembled a group of musicians in Reykjavík to perform a suite of his music, starting at sunrise (10:30!) and continuing on into the afternoon. This is real music, played by real musicians in real time. It also features JFDR (starting about 8:30) singing one of the compositions.
JFDR has also been in the news, with a new EP Dream On and in an interview about its gestation and the creation of her “chicken video”.
The good news is that there are now over twenty off-venues. More good news is that Harpa is not a venue. The not-so-good news is that Þjóðleikhúsið (The National Theater) is not a venue this year—they are staging a musical version of Shakespeare in Love Wednesday the 6th and Sunday the 10th and Halldór Laxness’ Atómstöðin the 7th and 8th (both highly recommended!)
That won’t help you get your Airwaves fix, however. This post might.
Wednesday is usually a good day to find undiscovered acts. With the exceptions of Gróa at the KEX hostel (16:30), Between Mountains (below) and JFDR at Slippbarinn (17:30, 18:30) and Svavar Knútur (everywhere!) I’m not familiar with them but here is a good guide for the new Icelandic acts (with videos.)
Between Mountains, The Current
Thursday’s off-venue schedule is good again at Slippbarinn with Sóley (above) at 16:30.A revamped Between Mountains is at Fríkirkjan (19:50) and Hjaltalín commands the stage at the Reykjavík Art Museum (21:50). If Páll Óskar shows up for a cameo in their set there will be complete pandemonium.
The ever-evolving JFDR will perform in Gamla Bio (22:20):
Friday’s best bets are the line-up at Fríkirkjan in the early evening and Iðno later.
On Saturday afternoon you can catch Ateria (above) at Lóa Bar-Bistro (16:00), not the best venue for three moody teenagers, but they are well worth it (you can also see them at Hard Rock Café at 20:10 followed by Between Mountains at 22:00). Fríkirkjan’s Saturday night has another solid line-up. The big show is at Vashöllin, a stadium about a kilometer from the city center, where you can catch Of Monsters and Men (23:45), both of whom do great shows. Sólstafir at Iðno (00:00) may be the best metal show of the festival (bring earplugs!):
Notes:
One off-venue that is listed but not yet scheduled is the senior home Grund. They have had a 10 a.m. show on Wednesday the last couple of years; last year Sóley gave a heroic performance with her dad (and had an introduction by the President of Iceland!) It was the emotional highlight of the festival:
The Minnesota radio station The Current will have live video from Hresso on Friday and Saturday starting at 12:30 GMT (06:30 CST).
Dillon has music for seven days, starting tonight (Monday) and going through Sunday.
Most shows are open but some (Wednesday—Saturday evenings) need a wristband/or admission.
If you have a hankering for Icelandic rockabilly, you can’t do any better than Langi og Skuggarnír, Lucky Records, Thursday, 17:00
KEX Hostel has radio broadcasts by Seattle station KEXP—they are consistently great (and crowded) and start in the afternoon on Tuesday. This year you will need a wristband to attend (come early!)
The Nordic House (south of the pond, across Ringbraut) also has consistently exceptional performances in what is arguably the most intimate venue (Notables: Bláskjár, Thursday, 18:15, Nising, Friday, 15:00.)
Ólöf Arnalds is at Iðno Saturday, 21:00, I saw her there in 2004(!) and in Seattle in 2011. She is a knockout—a triple threat of singing, playing and songwriting. Perhaps she’ll be one of the “special guests” at KEXP, Friday, 21:30?
We spent the day walking about; we spotted my old blog-pal Auður on the street, giving a tour. We didn’t interrupt her when she was working. The Weaver bought some wool and I went into 12 Tónar, picking up some CDs and the EP/Chocolate bar of JFDR’s:
A mix of acts today we saw Petúr Ben and Nini Julia Bang at the Nordic House off-venue. Petúr was accomplished but Nina was supernatural, singing her spooky folk songs with help from JFDR and Sóley:
Petúr Ben
Nini Julia Bang
Nina’s performance was the highlight of the festival so far:
The evening was a bit of a blur, but here are some pix to give you an idea. The first act we saw was Vicky, I had seen them in 2009, they were a little older, but could rock just as hard now as they did then. The SiriusXM personality, Rolling Stone and Mojo journalist David Fricke was in attendance:
The highlight of the evening was Högni. I had seen him play with Hjaltalin in 2009, this was a whole ’nother thing. A string quartet was, at times, “directed” by Högni from one of the boxes at the side of the auditorium. This gave way to a wild hipster-ish rant about life and time. Very theatrical and musical:
At midnight Ólafur Arnalds, neoclassical composer and conceptual artist, performed a series of ambitious pieces that somehow lacked focus for me. Pretty, though:
A daytime moon was shining over Vesturbæjarlaug this morning.
Notice the woman/fish statue to the left of the doors.
Had some lively conversations in the pool’s biggest hotpot with some fellow Iceland Airwaves attendees: Troy from Texas who had known Tina and Barry (see yesterday’s post) for years. A German and a Finnish woman were very sociable as well. After a while Troy left (to do laps) and the talk turned from music to horses, so I made my exit as well. After an afternoon nap I attended another play in Tjarnarbíó (in English this time) Dead Air by Álfrún Rose:
Since Alfie’s dad died, he’s visited everyone’s dreams but hers. Rude. Desperate to talk to him, she uses AiR, an AI chatbot for the dead. A heartfelt, funny, and glitchy deep dive into grief, ghosts, and digital obsession.~ from the Airwaves guide
A good premise, somewhat defeated by an unintelligible voice-shifting device that Álfrún used when she was ‘streaming’ her dead father. The hour+ performance became a litany of dysfunctional family tropes, even more disturbing because I suspect they were all true. Because the show started late and ran over, I missed getting in to see Pussy Riot at Smekkleysa.
No worries, more music tonight!
Ms Obama — Heavy bass and dub step, my standing next to the sub woofers in Iðno to get a shot might have affected the sharpness of the pictures!
Hania Derej — A young pianist/composer from Poland:
She was completely enveloped in her music, scarcely raising her head from the keys. After her fantastic performance she was overcome with emotion from the enthusiastic response of the Fríkirkjan crowd.
JFDR
Of all the Icelandic performers I’ve followed over the years, Jofriður Ákadóttir is, simply, my favorite. From a plucky schoolgirl to a mature performer, following her development in music and lyrics has been an education for me in genres I probably would have never explored.
Dozens of FITK posts have been written over the years about her (and her twin sister Ásthildur), Pascal Pinon, Samaris, Gangly, and, of course, JFDR. She had a new ‘band’ tonight composed of friends and previous collaborators as well as her husband Josh.
They performed some new songs, one of which had intricate harmonies and was simply breath-taking. The packed church was spellbound. Jofriður also did My Work, Spectator and The Orchid, each with a new arrangement. She was in a great mood and this was a perfect setting for her performing style:
The group received a well-deserved ovation, one of the most memorable of the numerous Iceland Airwaves shows I’ve seen over the last 20 years:
I would have gone out again to see some more acts but it would have been a letdown after this.
My 2025 Iceland Airwaves is over. More Icelandic trip coverage will be posted in the coming weeks after I’ve returned home.
