After establishing himself with a wealth of riveting releases this past year, Icelandic singer-songwriter Sæfari is now looking to cement his dynamic legacy to date with his eagerly-awaited debut album 'Wolfheart'.
Honing more of that warm and immersive aesthetic he has been cultivating recently, 'Wolfheart' makes for a dazzling introduction to his direction to date. Filled with humbled textures, a sweeping atmosphere, and his own ethereal vocals at the helm, he continues to shine as one of the more exciting names on the rise with this one.
So with the new album available to stream now, we sat down with him to find out more about his origins and what has been inspiring him most lately.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
My grandmother gave me her classical guitar when I was 13 and I completely fell in love with it. I would spend hours every day in my room just trying to figure out the notes and how they harmonise with each other. I didn’t have any musical background before that so I felt like I had discovered something groundbreaking and beautiful. Once I could play chords and sing along I felt like I had connected with something so profound. I started writing my own songs too and that felt so liberating. I had found my way of expression.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
I was a huge Michael Jackson fan as a kid and was always copying his moves to entertain my parents. Then suddenly when I was about 9 or 10, I tore down all my Micheal Jackson posters that were covering all my walls and replaced them with Metallica and Guns N’ Roses posters!
What was the first album you remember owning?
I remember owning Michael Jackson’s vinyl records, like Bad and Off The Wall. I remember when I got to have the family’s record player in my room and I would listen to those records constantly. Off The Wall was my favourite for a long time.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
I don’t often get that feeling with songs but I get it quite often with poems or song lyrics. Just yesterday I was re-reading a poem called The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski that made me feel seen and profoundly inspired. I would love to write something like that at some point in my life.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I write thoughts and poems and when something feels like it could be made into a song I just sit with my guitar or at the piano and wait for a song to come through. I contemplate the words and get lost in the feeling and sometimes a song appears from nowhere, sometimes nothing happens. But I find it incredibly important to continuously create space for those moments, regardless.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
I just attended Iceland Airwaves and discovered a wonderful artist called Davidsson. His new album is mesmerising. Such a profound emotional landscape that really tells a beautiful story. I’ve also been obsessed with Bonnie “Prince” Billy for some time now. His voice paired with his lyrics and songwriting pulls me back time and time again.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
I would love to open up for Bonnie “Prince” Billy or maybe PJ Harvey, she’s also one of my recent obsessions.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
That moment when you’ve just written a song you really like to a lyric you really like. That’s the best feeling in the world.
And what is the most frustrating part?
Not being able to spend more time on writing and creating.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
That my music is needed in the world. It took me a long time to get over myself. I always held back because I wanted to make everything perfect but a few years ago I let go of that and just started to flow with my momentum more. Sharing my music is for the people that need it, not my ego or insecurities. Sharing art is important because you never know who and how it will affect people. It might change someone’s life. Music has the power to do that, I know because it’s happened to me so many times.
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Sæfari's debut album 'Wolfheart' is available to stream now. Listen to it in the player below.