Just watched an incredible documentary on the band, ‘Sigur Ros’. Called hiena I think, all about their homecoming tour.
Man it was incredibly fascinating. For so many different reasons!
Number one: Iceland is incredibly beautiful! Such incredible landscapes, so remote, small villages with pretty houses and buildings. Certainly on my places to go list now!
Number two: they play such beautiful music. Now I knew this before watching because obviously I have heard there music before. But there was something about seeing them in their home country, in the places which inspired them, the places and towns where they grew up, and started making music together. It was like watching a puzzle being formed, but the wrong way round. The peace and awe that their music seems to provoke, just oozes out the pictures of iceland, the lakes and the mountains, and the desert like spaces.
Seeing them play in open fields with hats and big coats on, in old run down fishing factories by big lakes, in tiny village halls, seeing the local community come out to watch them, whole families travelling down together, just seeing them play, as one, as if the music was being made by every single person in the room, not just the 8 band members. Truly beautiful.
Number three: it’s natural. There is nothing forced about sigur ros’ music. They aren’t producing music that radio will approve of, infact they almost go against every ‘rule’ in music… Their intros are far too long, it takes too long to get to the chorus, is that even a chorus? The songs are all about 7 minutes, they are playing too many slow songs, they dont smile or open their eyes, they don’t ‘connect with the audience’. But, quite frankly, who cares? It’s incredible music.
As in the documentary, they write songs by finding some space, sit down with instruments and just play. They explained that they don’t do much talking, or planning, but just play. And when it feels good, it works!
People love it because they are expressing who they are. They are 8 humble, shy, quiet icelanders, who are playing music because thats what they love to do. They haven’t been changed by the western music industry, they haven’t been told to play louder, or if they have they haven’t listened, and rightly so!
It makes me think. How often do we box ourselves in? Try to fit in with things around us?
I think try so hard to impress others, that it takes the enjoyment out of it. I know I feel like that sometimes playing music in church!
The fact is, when Sigor Ros are on their own, in an empty room, are they planning on ways they can conquer the music world, and win people over? No. They are playing music in the exact same way that they do when 100,000 people are watching. Maybe that’s where we’re going wrong.
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