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Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir

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This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Nanna.
Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir
Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir wearing a white long-sleeved top with a white vest, smiling and playing electric guitar in front of a microphone onstage
Nanna performing in 2023
Background information
Also known asSongbird
Born (1989-05-06) 6 May 1989 (age 35)
Garður, Iceland
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
Years active2009–present
Member ofOf Monsters and Men

Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir (born 6 May 1989) is an Icelandic musician. She originally performed solo, under the name Songbird. She is the co-lead vocalist and guitarist of the Icelandic indie folk band Of Monsters and Men. In 2023, she released her debut solo album, titled How to Start a Garden.

Biography

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Nanna was raised in Garður, a town in southwestern Iceland.[1] She attended music school as a child and prior to the formation of the group Of Monsters and Men, she had a solo musical project called Songbird. She wrote and performed music on open mic nights around Reykjavík and was a video store clerk.[2][3]

Of Monsters and Men

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Following her Songbird phase, Nanna recruited five musicians who eventually became Of Monsters and Men in 2010.[3] After a week of working together, they won the annual music competition Músíktilraunir.[3]

They released their debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal, in late 2011. It charted in multiple regions, and the band gained popularity worldwide.[4] After the Seattle radio station KEXP broadcast a performance from Ragnar's living room, the band went viral.[1] My Head Is an Animal reached No. 1 in Australia, Iceland, and Ireland, as well as on U.S. rock and alternative charts. The band was tapped to write a song for the 2013 film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and their single "Dirty Paws" was used in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013).[5] They went on to release the albums Beneath the Skin in 2015 and Fever Dream in 2019.

Solo work

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On 13 January 2023,[6] she released the single "Godzilla" under the name Nanna, followed by a second single, "Crybaby", on 22 February,[7] and the announcement of a solo album entitled How to Start a Garden, which came out on 5 May 2023. On 5 April, she issued a third single, "Disaster Master".[8] Nanna wrote most of How to Start a Garden in a cabin outside Reykjavík. About the project, Riff Magazine stated, "she captures a magnificent soundscape—rich, warm and subtle—that feels solemn and full."[9]

In July 2023, Nanna performed at the Newport Folk Festival, a performance that according to Rhode Island Magazine "offered a more slowed-take on the dreamy Icelandic vibe."[10]

Influences

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Nanna cites some of her favorite musicians/influences as Gayngs, Lianne La Havas, Arcade Fire, Feist, and Justin Vernon, of the alt-folk band Bon Iver.[11][12][13]

Discography

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with Of Monsters and Men

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Main article: Of Monsters and Men discography

Solo

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  • How to Start a Garden (2023)

References

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  1. ^ a b Kate Mossman (12 August 2012). "Of Monsters and Men: 'We found we could bond better by telling each other fairytales' | Music | The Observer". London: Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  2. ^ Independent Philly (2 April 2012). "Interview with Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir Of Monsters and Men". Independent Philly. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  3. ^ a b c "Interview: A 'little talk' with Of Monsters and Men". Rappler. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Of Monsters and Men: From Reykjavik with Love". NPR.org. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  5. ^ Morton, Philip David (17 August 2015). "Of Monsters And Men in LA". Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  6. ^ Nanna – Godzilla (Official Music Video), 13 January 2023, retrieved 3 March 2023
  7. ^ Nanna – Crybaby (Official Music Video), 22 February 2023, retrieved 3 March 2023
  8. ^ "Nanna – Official Site". Nanna. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Review: Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir finds purity on 'How to Start a Garden'". RIFF Magazine. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  10. ^ "2023 Newport Folk Festival Day Two: Surprise Guests, Folk Festival Firsts and the Amazing Jon Batiste". Rhode Island Monthly. 1 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Music Interview: Of Monsters and Men". buzzinemusic.com. 3 April 2012. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  12. ^ "Discovery: Of Monsters and Men". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  13. ^ "Man on the side: Interview with Manila-bound Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men". GMA News Online. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
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