Biography

One of Iceland’s most beloved artists, Valdimar Guðmundsson (better known as frontman of 6-piece rock and roll band Valdimar), explores his folk roots along with powerhouse performers Ásgeir Aðalsteinsson and Ómar Guðjónsson in new americana project LÓN. Self-described “country dads who wound up in the suburbs”, these long-time friends and collaborators dealt with the lockdown of 2020 by playing and recording either in Ómar’s studio garage or in a cabin by Iceland’s biggest lake, Þingvallavatn. So out of the pandemic LÓN was born, with their first single My Father being released on June 16th. With decades’ worth of experience in the music industry and a handful of university degrees in music between them, the members of LÓN have played in countless bands and toured Europe and North America several times over. Valdimar and Ásgeir’s previous project Valdimar earned them two Icelandic Music Awards for Best Rock Song (2016) and Best Rock Album (2018) and Ómar has received the same award for Best Jazz Album (2009 and 2010), Best Jazz Song (2019) and Best Recording Engineer (2018). On LÓN’s debut single, My Father, we are taken on an introspective journey of a sort of second adolescence that happens when entering middle age. There’s a comfort that comes with ageing, growing into your bones and your stories, but also a grieving of youth. This age also brings on new challenges such as parenthood and having to look at your parents as the imperfect and often frail people they are.