Laufey: The Reykjavík Interview Before the World Noticed

Since this interview, Laufey has become one of Iceland’s most globally recognized and award-winning artists, with millions of monthly listeners. What she said to us then feels remarkably prescient now.

Iceland is a small country, but it has talented musicians. One of them is Laufey, who is now breaking through to international stardom. She is only one year older than my daughter, and I remember Laufey from when they practiced ice skating together. But since then, Laufey has steadily climbed her way to international stardom.

Laufey was a finalist on Iceland’s Got Talent when she was only fourteen years old.

At fourteen, Laufey was a finalist on Iceland’s Got Talent. You can still watch Laufey perform at Iceland’s Got Talent on this Icelandic media site. At 15, she played the cello with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra (!), and she was a semifinalist in 2015 The Voice Iceland. She is a Berklee College of Music graduate and lives in Los Angeles. Billie Eilish shared Laufey’s song “My Future” on Instagram in 2020. This endorsement gave Laufey a considerable boost. Her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel is Laufey’s latest breakthrough. She just blew me away on the show with her measured, delicate, and fine-tuned performance.

Video: Laufey on the Jimmy Kimmel show in 2022

Laufey is a new favorite musician

Laufey is absolutely a new favorite musician for me. Her music is just perfect for a nice dinner party or focusing on something demanding at work.

Hey Laufey, thank you so much for taking the time to interview. What are you working on now?

Hi! Thank you for having me! I am currently working on my debut album!

You now live in Los Angeles. What is the main difference between living there and in Iceland?

They are two completely different worlds – I often feel like I’m living on a different planet. First of all, the weather and climate are incredibly different! The weather is pretty much always warm and sunny here, which is the opposite of Iceland – that being said, I do miss the cozy Icelandic weather at times. There are many cultural and lifestyle differences, too – but the abundance of people in the entertainment and music industry out here is excellent for my work! I’m very productive in LA!

 Do you have favorite places or activities in Iceland?

I love going to the Vesturbæjarlaug swimming pool, sitting in the hot tub with friends, and then jumping over to Kaffi Vest for a coffee and pastry! Going for long drives along the ocean and getting ice cream – those are the things I miss most! I also have a soft spot for Vík; my grandfather was originally from Vík, so I grew up going there and hanging out by the black sand beaches!

What would be your idea of a perfect night out in Reykjavik?

My perfect idea of a night out in Reykjavik is pretty relaxed. I like grabbing cocktails with friends at little ambient bars that play good music and have cozy atmospheres. I love running into people that I haven’t seen in years, that I may have been in school with years ago. My current favorite bar is probably Röntgen on Hverfisgata – they have a piano out in the open that I tend to drift towards later in the night!

What other Icelandic musicians would you like to recommend to my readers?

There are so many great Icelandic musicians; it’s hard to choose! But Emiliana Torrini was one of the first songwriters I listened to as a child, and her music always stuck with me and truly inspired me to write my songs. I think the pianist Víkingur Heiðar Ólafsson is talented and doing incredible things in classical music, which I respect.

What advice would you give to those visiting Iceland for the first time?

Bundle up, baby!

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