Biography

Multi-instrumentalist Ólöf Arnalds has established herself as a vital member of the Icelandic musical community, but it wasn't until 2007 that she stepped forward to pursue a solo career with her album Vid Og Vid. Born in 1980, Arnalds began playing music at a young age and is fluent on violin, viola, cello, guitar, and a number of other stringed instruments. Arnalds became interested in international folk music early in her career, through she's performed with a wide variety of artists; she's a touring member of the Icelandic electronic ensemble Múm, and has also played and recorded with Slowblow, Mugison, Nix Noltes, and Kitchen Motors. Arnalds first began to step out into the spotlight on her own as a key collaborator on Skúli Sverrisson's award-winning 2006 album Seria; she wrote lyrics and sang lead on three of the album's selections, as well as playing guitar, viola, koto, and charango. After the success of Seria and receiving a degree in composition and new media from the Icelandic Academy of the Arts, Arnalds recorded her solo debut, Vid Og Vid, which was released by the respected independent label 12 Tónar in 2007. The album earned enthusiastic reviews both in Iceland and abroad, and Arnalds toured in support of the release in Europe, Scandinavia, and Canada. Arnalds' sophomore outing, the One Little Indian-issued Innundir Skinni, arrived in 2010, and was followed in 2013 by Sudden Elevation and in 2014 by Palme. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi