Mit ihrer einzigartigen Mischung aus Folk, Klassik, Indie und elektronischen Elementen zählen Árstíðir seit Jahren zu den spannendsten musikalischen Exporten Islands. Ihre Songs sind geprägt von emotionaler Tiefe, harmonischer Präzision und einer unverwechselbaren Atmosphäre, die live ebenso intensiv wirkt wie auf Platte. Anlässlich ihrer bevorstehenden „Vetrarsól Tour“ sprachen wir mit Ragnar, dem Pianisten der Band, über die Magie des gemeinsamen Musizierens, kreative Chemie, das Leben auf Tour und warum Musik für Árstíðir weit mehr ist als nur ein Beruf – nämlich ein verbindendes Erlebnis zwischen Menschen, Kulturen und Emotionen.
Frontstage Magazine: You’ve been touring together for many years now. What makes performing live so special for you, and how do you manage to make each concert feel unique?
ÁRSTÍÐIR: Once we start playing, the unconscious part of us takes over, and we’re swept away by the music as much as the audience is. We forget time and space, and the moment on stage becomes an act of feeling, listening to each other, and healing.The reason we still love to tour after 18 years together is because each concert still feels unique.
Frontstage Magazine: Your sound blends elements of folk, classical, indie, and electronic music. How do you maintain such diversity in your style without being confined to a single genre?
ÁRSTÍÐIR: Actually, we’ve had journalists throw every single label at us that there is in the dictionary. And we’ve worked with a few record labels, and even then, the labels themselves have had a hard time “labeling” us.
For us, this is the highest praise we can think of, because it shows how unique our music is. It doesn’t sound like anything else. Our music just sounds like Árstíðir. For practical purposes, we like to say that we play “indie folk.” It’s folk, because we’re inspired by the sounds and textures of traditional Icelandic music. And it’s indie, because we are also curious musicians who like to experiment with different musical expressions and come up with original ideas and musical pairings.
Frontstage Magazine: The chemistry between you seems very natural and authentic. How important is this personal connection within the band for your creative process and life on tour?
ÁRSTÍÐIR: In our opinion, chemistry is everything. You of course need to have a good creative chemistry, where the musical ideas come together in an interesting way. But more importantly, you need a good personal chemistry, which allows all the members to work on the musical ideas without ego. And then, you need to function together in stressful situations, on long tours with little sleep, and to believe in each other and the band in times of little or no money.
There are so many bands that have great music but implode because of infighting. For example, some of the best Icelandic bands we know, most people have never heard of, because the members quit before the band had a chance to take off. At the end of the day, being in a band is like any other long-lasting relationship: you need to learn from each other and evolve together, and you need to nurture the relationship. We’ve been together now for 18 years, and we’ve become like three brothers. Árstíðir has made us better, more humble, and wiser — and ultimately, the band has made us better people. And I think people can feel that when we play.
Frontstage Magazine: You perform across many different countries — from Iceland to Central Europe. How do audiences differ from place to place, and what do you take away from those experiences?
ÁRSTÍÐIR: We’ve also toured the entire length of Siberia, Canada, and half of the US states. We’ve flown to gigs in helicopters in Svalbard in minus 30 degrees in the middle of the polar night… so yeah, we’ve met a lot of different audiences in a lot of different places around the world.
Obviously, everywhere we go the cultures vary. We usually have amazing new experiences as well as hilarious cultural misunderstandings. But all of that happens outside of the stage. The amazing thing is that once we start playing — once the concert begins — the reaction is more or less the same. There is a silent sense of belonging together that transcends language barriers and cultures.
And this is why we love to play music — music is the great unifier of mankind!
Frontstage Magazine: What can audiences expect from the upcoming “Vetrarsól Tour”? Will it be more of an intimate, immersive concert experience or an emotional journey with dynamic moments?
ÁRSTÍÐIR: We are quite a dynamic band, so the audience may expect both quiet moments of immersive introspection and soft a cappella singing — and big, dynamic band moments with swirling finales.
Our concerts are a journey, and you are all invited to journey with us!
Wir vom Frontstage Magazine präsentiert die ÁRSTÍÐIR – „Vetrarsól“ Tour 2025
ÁRSTÍÐIR – „Vetrarsól“ Tour 2025
24.11.2025 Hamburg • Knust
25.11.2025 Münster • Hot Jazz Club
26.11.2025 Bochum • Die Trompete
27.11.2025 Köln • Artheater
28.11.2025 Mainz • KUZ
29.11.2025 F-Paris • Supersonic
30.11.2025 F-Nantes • Le Ferrailleur
02.12.2025 CH-Rorschach • Industrie 36
03.12.2025 Karlsruhe • Kleine Kirche
04.12.2025 AT-Gaspoltshofen • Spielraum
05.12.2025 AT-Wien • Theater am Spittelberg
07.12.2025 Dresden • Jazzclub Tonne
11.12.2025 Berlin • Frannz Club
12.12.2025 Worpswede • Music Hall
Fotocredit: Ashley Oomen
