Iceland Airwaves 2025 Reykjavík Grapevine Coverage

The Reykjavík Grapevine presents our daily, comprehensive coverage of 2025 Iceland Airwaves. This year, we are pleased to introduce a number of new writers joining us as we try to document and explain what makes this specific festival so unique. The reviews are posted by venue and in order of appearance.

Lilyisthatyou

Opening the night at the Art Museum was the Canadian artist Lilyisthatyou, leather-clad and performing with an urgency that was hard to ignore. Her sound mixed driving bass, danceable beats, and glittering synths. She spoke directly to the crowd about her music and feelings; each song seemed to work through a different emotion. At one point, she explained that she writes from the perspective of different characters:  for example, Eve, heartbroken and calling her ex, and Lilith, the stronger version of herself she chose to embody tonight. Lilyisthatyou ended the set by thanking the crowd for helping her bring these characters to life, closing with an intriguing reminder: “Be selfish. It’s your life, and it’s all about you.” AJDF

Antony Szmierek

Antony Szmierek was a ball of positive energy who instantly lifted the room with his club-inspired indie electronica. Backed by a tight band featuring his brother Martin on guitar, a bassist/keyboardist, and a digital percussionist (read: computer wizard in a “Girls Love Techno” T-shirt), Antony delivered a set bursting with rhythm and charm. True to the “Madchester” scene that fused indie rock with rave culture, the band carried that legacy forward with style. Antony danced non-stop, coaching the crowd to join in, jumping in among them twice, and even climbing atop the tallest spot in the sound booth. At one point, he led a víkingaklapp (Viking Thunder Clap) and grinned, “I knew you people could do that—we copied it from you!” All brilliant tactics to keep the crowd on their toes. Highlights included a song about “meeting a girl between the left speaker and the smoking area” and a closing track urging, “Find someone to love and get lost in it.” If that’s not good vibes, I don’t know what is. AJDF

Kenya Grace

A projection opened with an emergency broadcast message, followed by rendered footage of meteors hitting Earth. Boom. That’s how Kenya Grace made her entrance at the Art Museum, launching into a track built around a sample of Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place.” Her set wove in familiar phrases and samples, including M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls” and La Roux’s “In For The Kill,” all perfectly at home in her dark, seductive, fragile-yet-sharp-edged world. Dressed in gothic attire but flashing a disarming smile, she moved between two compact instrument setups — one on the floor, one on a table — twisting knobs and layering vocals in unison. By the final song, it was clear she had real fans in the crowd, scream-singing along to the line, “Every time I date someone, I feel vulnerable.” Very relatable, Kenya. Very relatable. AJDF

Ian

The Art Museum of Iceland is packed with youth, eager to witness the Atlanta rap-inspired 20-year-old hailing from Missouri. The atmosphere is intense, as the DJ is hyping the already chanting crowd and asking if we are ready. If ready means that all smartphones are out and up in the air, then we must be ready. Ian has adopted the way of handling a microphone and the beats are remarkably well crafted in the style of early 10s trap music. The young rapper has a hard front, yet emotionally thanks his fans for making this performance already memorable a few minutes in. Adorably so. In the few moments in which the crowd is not bumping uncontrollably to hard beats, keyboardist Lucas conjures classical preludes to the upcoming tracks. Perhaps he is classically trained. With interactive crowd control and humble remarks on how grateful Ian truly is over how lit and different his fans are, the overall performance of this kid is fun, personal and “keeps it a hundred.” SS

Herra Hnetusmjör

With the crowd already warmed up and ready to go, Herra Hnetusmjör and DJ Spegill take the stage. Minor technical issues make it so they take three attempts to kickstart the hit “Elli Egils,” which Herra Hnetusmjör brushes off by shouting his signature Kóp Bois chant. The stage screen visuals display an array of different compositions throughout the show including a row of cigars, King Kong on top of Kópavogskirkja church, and the face of Herra Hnetusmjör on a 10.000 ISK banknote prints. Production and execution is on point for the rapper turned boyband member, and the atmosphere is almost typical for someone so significantly experienced in performing live. RnB song “Sorry Mamma” transitions the set into the autotune heavier part of his catalogue which gives the perfect opening for the crowd to bounce enigmatically to reggae tune “Stjörnurnar.” By repeating the same song as they opened up with, Herra Hnetusmjör ties a firm knot on what was yet another successful gig under the belt of this Icelandic Hip-Hop heavyweight. SS

Deadletter

Post-punk six-piece Deadletter showed up and simply owned the stage with their presence. The singer, Zac Lawrence, sang like he was a prophet, telling us the divine truth with lyrics full of social commentary. Dancing around and fluttering his fingers, he looked like a dramatic Mick Jagger and drew people into his world. He was in control, often stepping into the crowd and demanding gracefully that we clap and sing along. One of many highlights of the set was the tambourine-cowbell solo on their last song. I can’t believe that a tambourine-cowbell solo is a thing. It sounds insane and is insane. FLK

Alex Amed

Alex Amed both looked and sounded like he had aesthetically time travelled from 70s North America. His warm and resonant voice with charming guitar chords reminds me a lot of Jim Croce and Neil Young. When he stepped onto the stage, alone with an acoustic guitar, it felt somewhat naked in comparison to the previous set. But the sound was soothing, like something you would listen to watching the sun rise in the morning. You could feel the care he has for people and places in the way he introduced each song. One of them being dedicated to his grandfather, who he guessed was probably eating lunch in Texas the same time he was playing the show. FLK

Elín Hall

Singer/songwriter Elín Hall sparkled on stage while a big crowd swayed from side to side. She was there with a band and told the audience that playing at Airwaves was always a dream of hers as a kid. She was very confident, like singing and dancing on a big stage is something she does as casually as drinking water. Her soft vocal performance was incredible. As she described before a song, she is “smacked between sad and delusional.” It’s because most of her lyrics centre on heartbreak and people changing. Her lyrics are full of beautiful and sometimes gruesome metaphors that take a hold on the heart. Like the vulnerability of someone looking at you while you brush your teeth, found in her song “vinir.” FLK

Babymorocco

From the moment Babymorocco enters the stage, Kolaport is transformed into a magic mike show slash eurotrash electronic hyper pop club. Within five minutes of the show, Babymorocco is already taking off his shirt under loud cheering from the audience. He introduces his music as ‘’pure electronic’’ and says (under thick layers of autotune), ‘’tonight we are gonna have fun and we are gonna fuck you up.’’ Indeed, it feels like he wants to quite literally fuck his audience. He is flexing his muscles, climbing the railing to thrust his hips against the walls, using the mic stand as a strip pole and more. During all of which, there is the constant suspense of whether his bright red pants will fall down or not, his underwear basically being already fully exposed. As entertaining as it is, the music alone is not enough to carry the show. After the first few songs, Babymorroco can’t seem to keep the same energy going and Kolaport seems to be slowly emptying out. Yet, with the last two songs he regains his energy and the music becomes more interesting. With loud bass and hyperpop sounds, he gets everyone dancing again. The influences of artists such as SOPHIE and Charlie XCX are clear. I jokingly say to a friend, ‘’Babymorocco is kinda like Charlie XCX on testosterone’’ and I guess that sums it up. EYM

Spacestation

Last year I lived through a misfortunate year of missing every single show of the hottest boy-band in town, Spacestation. This year, I’m already lucky to have been to three of their shows (two of which were tonight). First, an acoustic set at Ása Dýradóttir and Árni Hjörvar’s home, and, second, the last act of the night at Kolaport. Ever since their first EP Bæbæ and banger, “Hvít Vín,” Spacestation’s popularity has been growing, with international gigs and all things “rock‑n‑roll” lifestyle presupposes. Speaking of the set, it was top-notch, despite Kolaportið smelling like rotten fish. Their debut album, Reykjavík Syndrome, is one hit after another. Given this rock‑n‑roll lifestyle, I just hope they manage to keep their energy and don’t burn out. IZ

So Good

Are you ready to fucking party. Bratty princesses of British brat-pop group So Good roar on the Kolaportið stage and let the audience know that they mean business. Put your fingers up to the fascists. The six of them are dancers/backing vocals, drum, guitar and bass, with Sophie Bokor-Ingram at the front. Songs about disappointing dick pics and government are just the gist of what So Good brings to the table of this closing act of tonight’s Airwaves adventures. Rapping and spoken language is a polished craft Bokor-Ingram, as well is the intricate choreography provided by her two energetic sidekicks. Energetic being an understatement. So Good are upbeat and in your face while remaining lyrically witty and on point. Ending with an anthem about loving you forever, So Good hypnotizes the audience with a mix of comical sex references and unhinged attitude. If their aim was to entertain and take names, they hit the nail directly on the head. SS

Drengurinn Fengurinn

Perhaps the most prolific artist in Iceland, the enigmatic Drengurinn Fengurinn released about 30 albums in 2023 alone. Hailing from Akureyri, Drengurinn Fengurinn chooses to wear a bag donned with question marks over his head (whether that’s an Akureyri thing or not I’m not the authority on). With his face obscured, Drengurinn Fengurinn shares many similarities to your friendly neighbourhood Buckethead. Drengurinn’s set is more aggressive than was expected. With so much material to choose from, one can only dream how many hours went into planning the setlist. Angry and loud, distorted bass and screeching guitars serve as the artist’s modus operandi, encapsulating the spirit of DIY/garage rock. Staying completely non-verbal throughout the set apart from his singing, Drengurinn Fengurinn finally says, deadpan, to a room full of audience: “Wow, you’re so many. There are usually fewer people in Akureyri.” JB

Hasar

To my colleagues, I proudly exclaimed that I would stay at the front row at Hasar, either getting a black eye or a good show. Fortunately, I was left unharmed, but I did get a good show. The brainchild of Hórmónar member Örn Gauti, Hasar is a raucous performer. Starting out with scratchy feedback, Hasar’s quartet springs perfectly synchronised into action. “We’re gonna show you how to fucking do it,” Örn screams. Dynamic hard rock with a hint of Californian surfer attitude, Hasar’s music is loud. Bassist Steini MIlljón’s eyes rolled numerous times into the back of his skull before hitting “Gestalæti’s” half-time beat. It’s song number two on the list and every band member is sweaty, before Örn ultimately goes topless. Then he hurls into the crowd, getting onto the stage just in time before his next vocal sequence. For the final act, Örn commands everyone to get down to the floor. Everyone complies. It’s over before it’s begun. Hasaris a fucking wild ride. JB

Farao

Farao starts her set by micing up wind chimes. The first I’ve seen at an Airwaves show, the instrument plays an important part of setting the artist’s mood to the show. Sandwiched between boisterous rock acts, Farao brings finesse to Gaukurinn, vibrant with a Kate Bush-esque charisma. Some teenagers burst into the middle of the crowd, shouting about how much they want to see Saint Pete, as Farao brings onto the stage guest singer (and one half of her duo Ultraflex) Katrín Helga Andrésdóttir and Mr. Silla. It’s sensual, it’s soft, and Farao gently rolls her fingers into the windchimes, producing a hallucinating break to a song. As the set goes on, it picks up structure and tempo, crescendoing to her final track “Waiting for you”. Mixing elements of ‘90s RnB and ‘80s disco, Farao’s performance is a godsend to Gaukurinn. JB

Saint Pete

As Saint Pete started rhyming, and his strength is nonchalant, polysyllabic rhymes at tempos that human tongue shouldn’t be able to achieve, the crowd went from vaguely threatening, (my friends and colleagues had joked they all looked like they enjoyed punching faces), to clearly jubilant. The set was diverse. The flow was a level I have never seen a rapper sustain over a set. The beats were organic and varied – a great DJ can elevate the set, and Saint Pete has chosen his collaborator well. Akureyri has clearly produced a prodigious talent, here. In more than 20 years covering Airwaves, this was a highlight. I was almost disappointed to see famed music journalist David Fricke, who has covered Airwaves even longer, walk up casually during the set. How does he always know where the breakthroughs will happen? BC

Jána

The Swedish Jána starts (and ends) her set with the three onstage performers sitting down, the Swedish equivalent of hygge. As the band plays their Scandinavian blend of shoegazey RnB, Jána is deadset on keeping a pair of headphones over her ears. Perhaps she’s listening to a soothing podcast while the band churns out funky riffs for 40 minutes. The band is vibing among themselves, with reciprocal nods of approval shared between glances. JB

Vtoroi Ka

Until now, I’d never heard of a band coming out of Kyrgyzstan. Vtoroi Ka expanded my worldview, reintroducing the audience to the coolness of wearing sunglasses inside. Every single member of the performing band wears shades, probably because their future is so bright. It’s an eclectic mix of post-punk and rap-rock, with founders Ilya and Sultan swapping roles at least once during their set. Singing in their native language (I think), Kyrgyz has never sounded so cool. The crowd all act like life-long fans, starting a chant within the first few seconds of a song, indicating that they are, indeed, a big deal at the festival. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but I’m here for it. Towards the end, Vtoroi Kafrontman turns on his flashlight, gesturing to the crowd to do the same, and everyone at Gaukurinn join a smartphone-lit ritual of affection. JB

Baby Said

Closing Gaukurinn, Portsmouth-based Italian/Punjabi sisters Baby Said start off strong. Playing heavy riffs to a roaring applause, their music is strewn with atonal instrumentation and exciting licks. Tinged with emo, the band manages to stir up a sea of bobbing bodies as they banter about them “being sorry” if their unreleased songs aren’t good enough. Pff. As if. Baby Said blew it out of the park showcasing their take on 00s rock with their annoyingly impeccable vocals and hard rock harmonies. It’s the only show at Gaukurinn to receive an honest request for an encore, and for good reason. JB

Frum

What vocal effects do you know? Harmonizer, chorus, autotune, flanger, reverb, delay? It seemed to me that during Frum’s performance, all of them were in play — perhaps even all at once at certain moments. I couldn’t shake the impression that their use was intended to cover gaps in her vocal technique. Beneath those layers, there may have been a sensitive person, but on stage there was only her slightly baroque persona. The music sounded quite experimental for electro pop yet felt a bit schizophrenic. I didn’t want to get drawn into this hallucination, but I asked someone who somehow managed to slip into her world what he liked about it. “I like the show,” he replied. AS

Lea Kampmann

Much could be said about songstress Lea Kampmann’s voice — about its incredible precision, sensitivity, the subtlety of her high notes, her feeling, emotional depth, and sincerity… and yet, saying all that would still feel like saying nothing at all. Because what happened during this performance was pure magic. People stood there, mesmerized, approaching shyly as if trying to warm themselves in the glow she radiated. During the concert, she spoke about the circumstances surrounding the creation of her latest album, called Seinferð which in Faroe means “slow motion.” She described it as her “riot against how fast everything is going.” It was the most peaceful riot I have ever heard — and seen. AS

Ragnar Finsson

Ragnar Finsson looks a bit like a 1920s crooner, and perhaps he is a modern-day interpretation of one. Performing solo on stage for most of the performance, the artist sings often about love and heartbreak. We caught him last night in Lemmy, and his electric guitar and autotuned vocals continued to give the audience a window into his life through his personal lyrics. His most recent release, “Let Me Love You,” is a collaboration with fellow Faroese artist Marianna Winter, who joined him on stage tonight — perfectly fitting for the celebration of FMX (Faroe Music Export). ISH

Marius DC

I had heard whispers of Faroese rapper Marius DC’s talent, both from the inside and outside Grapevine HQ, but had never seen him live myself. As he took the Iðnó stage last night, he donned a black hood enveloping his eyes in shadow. Marius DC performed the entire set with a slideshow of childhood pictures — albeit edited and intentionally glitchy — projected behind him, almost asking you to contrast the young geeky kid in glasses with the rapper dressed in all black before you. He primarily sings in his native Faroese but had a few songs in English; one being a newer one, “Free Gaza,” noting that he doesn’t often write political songs but made this despite that. He took several ventures into the audience, each time ending up lying down on the floor, once forming a group hug (that I, of course, took part in). His performance style is physically demanding but utterly captivating — when he finally took off his hood, you could see his veins raised. ISH

Nabeel

nabeel is the project of Yasir Razak, an Iraqi-American artist. The group started performing facing in towards each other, as if around a campfire, and projected nostalgic videos “from 1991” of an amusement park (and other memories). “This project is a lot about family, displacement, and belonging,” he explains to us. Singing in Arabic, he notes that it’s been new and exciting to teach the bassist and additional vocalist, Kyle, bits of his language. All members in the group are precise musicians, which you can still hear even through the shoegaziness of it all. Yasir sings earnestly, and packs the room for the first time of the night. ISH

Mermaid Chunky

Mermaid Chunky are unlike anything else. Joyful, exuberant, playful, confident, the duo captivates the fully-packed Iðnó. Drawing inspiration from both performance art and experimental music, the two don extravagant clothing (including Freya Tate’s ridiculously tall yellow hat, which she occasionally almost lost control of). Moina Moin is a master of the saxophone, Freya expertly loops and plays with the sounds she has at her disposal of three different workstations on stage. The two utilise so many instruments (or things repurposed to be instruments) that I had lost track by the end. But I certainly won’t forget the last instrument: Moina rhythmically cranking a chattering teeth toy. What an incredible show. ISH

KUSK & Óviti 

KUSK & Óviti released their album RÍFAST just in mid-September, but, for the entirety of their performance in Iðnó, the first four rows of the crowd knew every single word to every song. At one point, Hrannar (Óviti) noticeably took a moment to smile and scan the crowd, who were belting his lyrics back to him. There was a solid crowd of young-20-somethings, but there were 30-somethings and 40-somethings singing along just as excitedly. We got to see that KUSK & Óviti have captured something. We aren’t the only ones: during Kólbrún’s panel discussion for Airwaves at Prikið, Geoffrey Huntingdon-Williams expressed his sheer joy to have the fresh duo of KUSK & Óviti releasing RÍFAST through Sticky Records. ISH

 

Orvokki

Opening the night of Finnish performers is experimental electronic artist Orvokki, who, coincidentally, released her second album, Malus, today. The start of the set is dark and dramatic, as if anyone expected anything else from a Finnish artist, but it soon grows more energetic and almost collage-like as Orvokki plays with textures and rhythms. NASA fills up pretty quickly, and the dancefloor is lit. I like the mismatch of the crowd: young indie kids mixed with fancy-dressed gallerists and parents who have their first Friday away from the kids in forever. Paired with intriguing black-and-white visuals, it’s a solid start to the official Airwaves schedule (we’ll just forget I’d already been to eight off-venue shows). IZ

MALLA

Next up is Malla Malmivaara, aka MALLA, who blends disco, house and electronic music. She’s immediately a crowd favourite, and as I look around at people dancing to Finnish-language electronic music — more like Finnish techno — I honestly can’t tell if we’re still in Reykjavík or at some club in Kallio. MALLA’s got an interesting career. She’s also an actress and has been in indie bands for years before deciding to focus on her solo work. Her sound is smooth and infectious. I hadn’t listened to her until tonight, but here’s another Finnish artist going straight into my playlist. (Free business idea: a slaughterhouse where they play Finnish techno 24/7. Iceland, I think it’s time.) IZ

Maustetytöt

Maustetytöt, which literally means “spice girls” in Finnish, is a pop duo of two sisters, Anna and Kaisa Karjalainen. They play the set without showing any emotion, occasionally dropping deadpan comments like: “The next song is about a girl who’s invisible, so she goes to the row and jumps.” Or: “Is it true that people in Iceland drink more than Finnish people? Or is it just the British tourists? Maybe you could understand our lyrics. This one is about war anyway.” My editor summed up the set perfectly in our group chat: “The Finnish Joy Division-inspired straight-faced pop duo has left me stunned.” Maustetytöt make catchy songs about miserable things and, honestly, I love this kind of music. And Finns! It makes me wonder for the thousandth time if I’ve settled in the right corner of the Nordics. The duo closes, I highlight again, with no emotion on their faces: “Somebody overthere is selling our records. I recommend you have a beer before.” Kiitos kaikille! IZ

Clara La San

The release of Christmas beer, or J Day, just outside, English pop singer Clara La San took the stage at NASA to a thinning crowd. Airwaves can be an outstanding showcase for local talent, and a venue for rising stars to connect with curious fans. This was not that experience. With her DJ looking gloomy and towering over her on stage, Clara La Sansang as though to herself, looking at the back of the stage as much as forward. A highlight of the show would be her red gloves—Clara La San has special red gloves for holding a microphone. While this wasn’t the ideal turnout, one could observe a few of her countrymen vibing out on the dancefloor, which was pleasant enough. BC

Sean Solomon

With a VHS backing track and a tube TV playing animated music videos, Sean Solomon opened Fríkyrkjan with emotional indie rock. This analogue approach brought playfulness into the church as he described that if he “fuckes up” he has to rewind the tape. He seemed to be a bit insecure saying that it’s “scary to play” and jokingly asking if we “would all look away.” This insecurity, instead of bringing the show down, seemed to be a part of his performance, having some sort of teenage-like angst in both the lyrics and talking in between songs. The almost entirely tourist crowd certainly knew what they were getting into as half of the audience had their phones out, recording, just a few seconds into the first song. FLK

Iðunn Einars

With nostalgic guitar sounds and soft vocals, Iðunn Einars draws her audience into her world. The setting feels intimate as she sings about human connection, friendship and childhood. Iðunn’s voice starts a bit shaky and nervous, but in this case, it only makes the performance feel more fragile and honest. Her voice is soft, sweet and almost childlike. Where with some artists these types of vocals can feel forced or almost gimmicky, here it feels authentic. Though, at times, I wish she would take a little bit more space. Her vocals are by far the most interesting thing within the musical arrangement, however, the band tends to overpower her, especially with the drums. Still, the music creates a great atmosphere and as I am listening I have the feeling of being a child in the backseat of the car, watching the landscapes pass by. Guided by Iðunn Einar’s vocals, this is a beautiful journey. EYM

Magnús Jóhann, pianist and composer, who first appeared at the festival ten years ago, has undoubtedly developed his own unique musical language. During this evening, he presented several pieces, including some from his upcoming album See Instructions, which revealed his timbre-centric approach. This was evident in the wide range of keyboard instruments he used—often playing several of them simultaneously with all his limbs. The modern version of the Ondes Martenot (invented in 1928), with its oval, lyre-like appearance and wavering, theremin-like tone, made the strongest impression on the audience, with many coming up after the performance to see it more closely. Even when Magnús repeatedly pressed the same grand piano key, he managed to extract a surprising variety of timbral nuances. Each instrument contributed to a grooving symphony. This performance was music of motives rather than melodies. Yet even when melodies did appear, as in the piece “Uglur,” they underwent subtle and unexpected deconstructions. As each composition gently evolved, one could easily lose track of where the journey had begun, without ever losing the musical thread. AS

Enji

Enji takes the stage and you immediately feel no one is in a rush. The double bass player and guitarist start playing softly, finding their right sound, while Enji comes in with her speaking voice. It feels like the band is arriving together and taking their time to ground themselves, in the best way. There is no need to enter with a statement and be big, Enjicaptures the attention by staying close to herself and letting the music grow naturally. Her performance is absolutely mesmerizing, every breath and every articulation of the words feels intentional. The way she shifts between classical jazz vocal techniques and Mongolian folk singing feels so natural. At one point, it almost sounds as if she is creating an echo with her voice that reverberates through Frikirkjan. She tells the audience that, even though we don’t understand the language she sings in, she believes we can still find connection to it. And she is absolutely right. I can feel every word and the entire audience is hanging on her lips as she sings. The concert ends with a standing ovation. EYM

I Am Roze 

I Am Roze finished off tonight’s schedule at Fríkirkjan with a slow, emotional, and soulful set. The crowd was completely in sync with their stunning voice and the personal anecdotes woven between songs. This kind of visceral beauty and sincerity is rare, and you could feel the air of the church shift for this hour-long performance. Delicate guitar-playing by Roze’s collaborator gently complemented the singing. Hate Me explored that little voice inside us that drags us down and sometimes drowns out our positivity. “There are a lot of people following and very few leading,” Roze proclaimed, calling out wars and atrocities across the world: “Free Palestine, free Sudan, free Haiti, free Congo. Choose love. If we want change, we need to be the change.” The concert reached its peak when Roze led the audience in the chorus of Someone Who Cares—a song about dealing with internet bullies: “Tell someone who cares, ‘cause I don’t. So suck a dick and get off my phone.” It was a playful, and profoundly human way to end an hour of introspection and shared musical experience. AJDF

lúpína

Now a certified champion in defying expectations, lúpína keeps delivering, year after year, concert after concert. You might hope for at least a single performance where she phones it in, and this one would perhaps be the perfect one for such an occasion, but not on lúpína’s watch. Accompanied onstage by two static jellyfish backup dancers, lúpínaperformed her set by her lonesome at Lemmy this time around. Starting out on the mellower side, suddenly the deepest of bass drums suddenly filled the room as lúpína raced off into her more energetic songs. “Gleyma” tries its darndest to shake the bones out of your body at its climax, pleasantly. “Alien,” a track about loneliness, has you hanging on every twinkly synth line as lúpína’s graceful singing voice completes the mood, a song to dance to while you sob. lúpína has the incredible ability to keep you starry-eyed throughout her set wherever, whenever. SAS

MS OBAMA

Explaining to two elderly gentlemen what they were about to witness was an impossible task that I wouldn’t even threaten my non-existing nemesis with. Barcelona-based rapper/electronic artist, MS OBAMA, rushed to the stage with complete confidence. The droning, bass-heavy production of the opening track drew the curious crowd closer to the front as she stood menacingly (sporting quite the shades, mind you) at centre stage. As the instrumental grew to a climax, she pounced into her aggressive rap flow. Accompanied by her DJ, MS OBAMA demanded he restart the second track as she felt the crowd could do better, which had the crowd read for filth as they roared approvingly for it to restart. Bilingual, her tracks flowed between English and Spanish. The English lyrics were filled with messages of all kinds of empowerment, accompanied by drum heavy, aggressive instrumentals, she had the crowd eating from the palm of her hand from the get-go. Her final track blew the front row’s socks off with a dubstep drop to rival the dubsteppiest dubsteps to ever have dubstepped. The crowd agreed, the applause ferocious until MS OBAMA and her DJ left the stage. SAS

Tricky Nicki

Lemmy was unfortunately rather empty as the next artist, Tricky Nicki, took to the stage. A Ukraine-based rapper performing his debut international show, he seemed confident as he drew a dispersed crowd together and lured them towards the stage throughout the set. Frontloading the set with old songs, the tracks got better and better as the set progressed and the crowd followed a similar evolution, growing with every song he performed. A standout from the set was on the political side, an aggressive track with the catchy hook “damn, you the bitch, you’ll never ride for Ukraine.” Perhaps a jaded rock-aesthetic venue like Lemmy might not have been a perfect fit for Tricky Nicki on this evening, but he still got the crowd into it. SAS

PANAM

As the final act of the evening, the four-piece groove rock band PANAM adorn the stage with live instruments. Reverb drenched falsetto with a tight, funky backbeat, duelling guitar lines and a bass driving the rhythm so hard the bassist should need a license for such intensity. Filling Lemmy to the brim with a dance hungry crowd, PANAM remained casual as if business as usual for them and sure as shit lit a fire under the crowd’s feet from the get-go. That blessed bass player was at risk of snapping his own neck from his intense head bobbing to the groove. About 20 minutes into the set, an audience member adorning a Mexican wrestler mask emerged from the crowd. Coincidentally as he is about to arrive to the front of the stage, the band changes up their entire vibe. During this track they have this heavier edge. Grittier guitar tone, a dirtier bass and harder hitting by their metronome of a drummer gave the crowd a glimpse of what they are capable of. Their last song fuses the two worlds for a dampener of an ending, perhaps switching the two might have made more sense. SAS

MAIAA

First on the stage are MAIAA with María Agnesardóttir at the helm of a five-piece band. Turnout drastically improved in a brief amount of time, and anticipation for the former Söngvakeppni contestant was building up. Expecting what has been described as dark pop, the pilot leather jacket and traditional layered dress hinted at a different feel. The amount of fur coats worn in the audience foreshadowed what followed with each song as the set list went on. A fluffy RnB with tight blueberry bass, slow jams, and deep dive guitar solos, supported our star attraction as she revealed her golden voice, which matched perfectly with the pink ribbons in her ponytails. She concluded the performance with her song “Break Away” and, humbled by the singalong, gratefully walked off stage. Sheer bliss. SS

Prince of the City

The self-proclaimed saddest boys in Iceland made people happy tonight. The trio snuck on stage as the audience split into two groups of those that came to see Prince of the City play and others which distorted the performance with their hubbub from the back. Two clean guitars danced in reverberation on each side of the frontman’s angelic voice. As if our ears were not already melting with the overwhelming sweetness of their melodies, the guitar player on the left applied a guitar slide, increasing the level of suave. His eyes were closed for the full remainder, which was perhaps mandatory to manage sensory stimulation. For the frontman, it was a big dream come true, he said, playing a festival as legendary as Iceland Airwaves. He described their songs in detail, sharing stories as well as a diverse range of vocals. The lack of percussion left space for imagination to the audience and their ability to control atmospheric switches was dynamic and profound, leaving us wanting for more. SS

Atli

I’ve been warned that Bird doesn’t sport the best sound, which is proved to me during his first song of Akureyri-based Atli, which sounds as tinny as a 2008 Samsung MP3 player. Still, no harm is done as the crowd is late to usher in. Atlidives into a reverb-laced, acoustic-driven set powered by his two fellow performers. One of them is playing a cajon, even though there’s a perfectly functioning drum set on stage. Playing radio-friendly folk pop, Atli’s music is highlighted by the intricate harmonies of the band. A couple slow dances, another pair stares deeply into each other’s eyes. Isn’t this what music is about? JB

Starting the night at the highly elusive off-venue Skóló, local music patrons Árni and Ása have made it a habit over Airwaves to host cozy performances in the living room. Sneaking in just in time for the last two songs by Bríet, the pop star-cum-country singer sports songs from her latest album Bríet — Act I. Published on the same day as the show, it makes for Bríet’s most unusual release show yet. Before announcing her highlight single “Cowboy Killer,” Bríet blurts out an anecdote about her time recording in Nashville, when she met a toothless man playing the banjo. “What are you doing on this side of the tracks,” the man is supposed to have said, with Bríet telling him about her music and finally playing the aforementioned track. Bríet’s music has seen better days, particularly due to her decision to pursue English-language songwriting. Still, she manages to do what she does best: captivate the audience with mellow, heart-on-your-sleeve songwriting, which she has clearly proved she excels at. JB

It is not too late! Score your Iceland Airwaves day pass here!

Grapevine’s Airwaves Writers 2025:

 AJDF — Alexander Jean De Fontenay

AS — Aleksandra Siatkowska

BC — Bart Cameron

EYM — Eva Yuki Mik

FLK — Francis Laufkvist Kristinsbur

IZ — Iryna Zubenko

ISH — Ish Sveinsson Houle

JB — Jóhannes Bjarki Bjarkason

JTS — Jón Trausti Sigurðarson

SAS — Sævar Andri Sigurðarson

SS – Snæbjörn Steingrímsson