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Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir

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Icelandic musician (born 1989)

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Nanna.
Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir
Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir wearing a white long-sleeved top with a white vest, smiling and playing electric guitar in front of a microphone onstageNanna performing in 2023
Background information
Also known asSongbird
Born (1989-05-06) 6 May 1989 (age 35)
Garður, Iceland
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
Years active2009–present
Member ofOf Monsters and Men
Musical artist

Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir (born 6 May 1989) is an Icelandic musician. She originally performed solo, under the name Songbird. She is the co-lead vocalist and guitarist of the Icelandic indie folk band Of Monsters and Men. In 2023, she released her debut solo album, titled How to Start a Garden.

Biography

Nanna was raised in Garður, a town in southwestern Iceland. She attended music school as a child and prior to the formation of the group Of Monsters and Men, she had a solo musical project called Songbird. She wrote and performed music on open mic nights around Reykjavík and was a video store clerk.

Of Monsters and Men

Following her Songbird phase, Nanna recruited five musicians who eventually became Of Monsters and Men in 2010. After a week of working together, they won the annual music competition Músíktilraunir.

They released their debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal, in late 2011. It charted in multiple regions, and the band gained popularity worldwide. After the Seattle radio station KEXP broadcast a performance from Ragnar's living room, the band went viral. My Head Is an Animal reached No. 1 in Australia, Iceland, and Ireland, as well as on U.S. rock and alternative charts. The band was tapped to write a song for the 2013 film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and their single "Dirty Paws" was used in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013). They went on to release the albums Beneath the Skin in 2015 and Fever Dream in 2019.

Solo work

On 13 January 2023, she released the single "Godzilla" under the name Nanna, followed by a second single, "Crybaby", on 22 February, and the announcement of a solo album entitled How to Start a Garden, which came out on 5 May 2023. On 5 April, she issued a third single, "Disaster Master". Nanna wrote most of How to Start a Garden in a cabin outside Reykjavík. About the project, Riff Magazine stated, "she captures a magnificent soundscape—rich, warm and subtle—that feels solemn and full."

In July 2023, Nanna performed at the Newport Folk Festival, a performance that according to Rhode Island Magazine "offered a more slowed-take on the dreamy Icelandic vibe."

Influences

Nanna cites some of her favorite musicians/influences as Gayngs, Lianne La Havas, Arcade Fire, Feist, and Justin Vernon, of the alt-folk band Bon Iver.

Discography

with Of Monsters and Men

Main article: Of Monsters and Men discography

Solo

  • How to Start a Garden (2023)

References

  1. ^ Kate Mossman (12 August 2012). "Of Monsters and Men: 'We found we could bond better by telling each other fairytales' | Music | The Observer". London: Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  2. Independent Philly (2 April 2012). "Interview with Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir Of Monsters and Men". Independent Philly. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  3. ^ "Interview: A 'little talk' with Of Monsters and Men". Rappler. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  4. "Of Monsters and Men: From Reykjavik with Love". NPR.org. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  5. Morton, Philip David (17 August 2015). "Of Monsters And Men in LA". Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  6. Nanna – Godzilla (Official Music Video), 13 January 2023, retrieved 3 March 2023
  7. Nanna – Crybaby (Official Music Video), 22 February 2023, retrieved 3 March 2023
  8. "Nanna – Official Site". Nanna. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  9. "Review: Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir finds purity on 'How to Start a Garden'". RIFF Magazine. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  10. "2023 Newport Folk Festival Day Two: Surprise Guests, Folk Festival Firsts and the Amazing Jon Batiste". Rhode Island Monthly. 1 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  11. "Music Interview: Of Monsters and Men". buzzinemusic.com. 3 April 2012. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  12. "Discovery: Of Monsters and Men". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  13. "Man on the side: Interview with Manila-bound Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men". GMA News Online. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
Of Monsters and Men
  • Árni Guðjónsson
Studio albums
Live albums
Extended plays
Singles
Categories: