INTERVIEW: Icelandic rock band VAR are enjoying a ‘Never-Ending Year’
Photo: VAR, an Icelandic indie rock band, have recently released their new album, The Never-Ending Year. Photo courtesy of Earshot Media / Provided with permission.
VAR, the post-rock band from Reykjavík, Iceland, recently released their new album, The Never-Ending Year, out now on Spartan Records. The group, consisting of family members and friends, has also released a music video for a new single called “Moments,” which was filmed in Stokkseyri, on the southern coast of Iceland. Other songs on the new album include “Fearless,” “Drowning,” “By the Ocean” and “Where to Find You,” among other tracks.
Júlíus Óttar Björgvinsson began VAR as a solo project in 2013, according to press notes, and then he began collaborating with people already in his life, including his wife Myrra Rós (synths, vocals), his brother Egill Björgvinsson (bass), and friends Arnór Jónasson (guitar) and Andri Freyr Þorgeirsson (drums).
In the intervening years, an EP was released, and fans were amassed across Iceland and Europe. Rós left the outfit, and Sigurður Ingi Einarsson replaced Freyr. Today, they consider themselves an indie rock quartet.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with the Björgvinsson brothers about their time in VAR. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What inspired the recording of the new albumThe Never-Ending Year?
JÚLÍUS: “We moved our practice space back to my father’s garage in Stokkseyri where me and Egill used to practise with our bands in the past. We used to rehearse in Reykjavík, but moving back to the stillness of a seaside town and being close to the power of the ocean had a great influence on our creativity.
What do you love about the single ‘Moments’?
JÚLÍUS: “It has a nice ’90s vibe to it, and it is about enjoying moments with the ones that you care for the most. It’s full of positivity and has a lot of energy to it.”
EGILL: “’Moments’ was the first song written with Siggi (drummer) after he joined the band and the first song recorded for the album, so it has a lot of meaning. We have used it as an opening song for our shows, and it is always fun to play.”
What inspired your music video for ‘Moments’? Was it filmed in southern Iceland?
JÚLÍUS: “We held a concert for family and friends at the organ workshop of my and Egil’s father in Stokkseyri on the south coast. We decided to capture some moments on video, and Arnór edited it together into a video that we thought was fitting for the first single, ‘Moments,’ as the theme of the song is being with the ones you love and care for the most.”
When did you come to the realization that VAR should become a band and not a solo project?
JÚLÍUS: “I used to be a drummer in a few bands when I was younger, but one day I felt the need to do something with the songs I had been writing by myself. And that was the beginning of VAR. I got some very talented friends with me to play the songs and realized that their input was very important for the songs, and new songs were born with input from everyone. The transition was very natural from us playing songs I had written to writing songs all together as a band.”
What’s the significance of the band’s name?
EGILL: “VAR is an Icelandic word for shelter or haven, usually used for ships when they seek shelter from storms, and the band is our shelter to create and do what we love.”
What’s it like to work professionally with family members?
JÚLÍUS: “Me and Egill used to argue a lot when we were younger, which was driving our parents crazy. I think we kind of finished all that stupidity when we were kids and grew up from it, so now our cooperation is very good.”
EGILL: “The only thing might be that Júlíus can be quite late sometimes taking his time taking showers and getting ready, which can be quite frustrating while touring. But that is something everyone has gotten used to about him.”
How much has the coronavirus disrupted your music plans?
EGILL: “Not being able to play any concerts in support of an album you just released is kind of strange, but we do our best in trying to promote the album in other ways, releasing videos and such. Everyone is dealing with the same situation, and the main thing is to stay safe. This thing will be over at some point, and we can’t wait to play some shows when we can.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
VAR’s new album is The Never-Ending Year. Click here for more information.
