Sóley

For other uses, see Soley.

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Sóley.

Sóley
Sóley performing in Reykjavík
Background information
Birth name	Sóley Stefánsdóttir
Born	(1987-10-20) 20 October 1987 (age 37) Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
Genres	Indie folk indie pop
Instruments	Vocals guitar keyboard percussions
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Morr Music
Website	soley-music.com

Sóley Stefánsdóttir (born 20 October 1987), better known simply as Sóley, is an Icelandic multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter.

Career

Sóley studied classical and jazz style piano as a child and later went to the Icelandic Art Academy to study composition^[1] to become a proficient pianist and guitarist.^[2] Although hailing from Iceland, she sings primarily in English both in her solo and group work. She became part of the seven-piece Icelandic indie-folk band, Seabear, in 2006. Signed to the record label, Morr Music, the band have so far released two albums and an EP, on which Sóley predominantly provides piano and backing vocals.

Under the same label, Sóley released her first solo EP in 2010, titled Theater Island. The following year, she went on to release We Sink, her first full-length album.^[3] Critical response was largely positive, with praise often aimed at the "delightful and beautiful" piano play^[4] and the delicate vocal delivery. The songwriting was also celebrated for its "dream-like" quality and "dark surrealism".^[5] Sóley herself described her lyrics as "Dreamy, surrealistic and in their own world", expressing her hope that listeners will decipher their own meaning from the words.^[6] In 2013, a track from the album, Fight Them Soft, was used in the soundtrack to an episode of the E4 comedy-drama Misfits.

A piano album composed and performed entirely by Sóley, entitled Krómantík, was released on 18 July 2014 along with sheet music and illustrations to accompany each of the pieces.^[7] About the album, Sóley elaborated, "I always wanted to do a piano album, ever since I was in the art academy," she explains. "Some of the pieces on Krómantík were written while studying – and the first track ‘Stiklur’, for example, was originally part of a bigger composition for piano that I wrote. However, in the end I didn't use that many pieces from school, just because I liked doing new songs, and so a lot of them were written for a bigger art project I worked on during the summer after I finished We Sink." She further described the mood of the album, stating, "In the night or when it’s cold and rainy outside, sit in a chair in your living room and listen. If you feel like it, move a little. Imagine a little out-of-tune piano in one corner, then imagine old hands. Those old hands have a story to tell. Those hands are almost unreal but it’s hard to tell only by listening. Those hands will play until Krómantík fades into silence and your closed eyes slowly start seeing something much deeper and darker."^[8]

Her second LP, Ask the Deep, was released on 8 May 2015. To promote the new material, she made appearances at various festivals, including ATP Iceland, Rauðasandur Festival and Iceland Airwaves in 2014.^[9] Sóley then embarked on another extensive European tour and released a new EP, Don't Ever Listen. The 5 tracks were initially recorded as early demos for her second album and though dismissed by the singer at first because she wanted the album to have less guitar presence, she was convinced to compile and release them by her boyfriend.^[10] There are also plans for a further two EPs that will each focus on a different instrument - accordion and organ respectively - that together with the piano based Krómantík will form something of a trilogy.^[11]

Sóley's third LP, Endless Summer, was released in May 2017, and a European tour was announced in support of the new material.^[12] Throughout the same year, she is also taking part in a collaborative project with fellow Icelandic artists, Sin Fang and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason (from the band Múm), which sees the trio release a new song each month, making twelve in total,^[13] and released as Team Dreams in 2018

Personal life

Sóley performing in 2012

Sóley was born in Hafnarfjörður, a small town outside of Reykjavík.^[14] She finds her writing inspiration mostly from poets^[15] and comes from a musical family, with her father being a trombone player and music teacher. Her younger brother, Eiríkur, and younger sister are also musicians.^[16]

She now lives in the capital with her husband, Jón gamli úr Niðurkoti. She took a brief break from recording and touring when she gave birth to her first daughter in March 2014. Sóley has been vegan since her daughter was born.^[17]

Discography

Seabear

Studio albums

• The Ghost That Carried Us Away (2007, Morr Music)^[18]
• We Built a Fire (2010, Morr Music)^[19]

Extended plays

• While the Fire Dies (2010, Sound of a Handshake)^[20]

Singles

• Teenage Kicks / Piano Hands 7" (2007, Morr Music)
• Lion Face Boy / Cold Summer 7" (2009, A Number of Small Things)
• Waterphone (2019, Morr Music)^[21]

Solo

Solo Studio albums

Title	Album details
We Sink	Released: 2 November 2011[22] Label: Morr Music Formats: LP, CD, digital download
Ask the Deep	Released: 8 May 2015[23] Label: Morr Music Formats: LP, CD, digital download
Endless Summer	Released: 5 May 2017[24] Label: Morr Music Formats: LP, CD, digital download
Mother Melancholia	Released: 22 October 2021[25] Label: Lovitt Records (Vinyl Version), SMIT (CD Version) Formats: LP, CD, Digital Download

Collaborative Studio albums

Title	Album details
Team Dreams (with Sin Fang and Örvar Smárason)	Released: 8 December 2017[26] Label: Morr Music Formats: LP, CD, digital download
Dream Is Murder (with Sin Fang and Örvar Smárason)	Released: 17 December 2021[27] Label: Morr Music Formats: LP, Digital Download

Soundtrack albums

Title	Album details
HEX	Released: 2 February 2024[28] Formats: Digital download

Extended Plays

Title	Album details
Theater Island	Released: 26 March 2010[29] Label: Morr Music Formats: LP, CD, digital download
Krómantík (Recorded 2011)	Released: 18 July 2014[30] Label: Morr Music Formats: LP, CD, digital download
Don't Ever Listen	Released: 30 October 2015[31] Label: Morr Music Formats: LP, digital download
Harmóník	Released: 4 September 2017[32] Label: SMIT Records Formats: LP, digital download
Seasick Songs (Recorded 2007)	Released: 1 May 2020[33] Re-Released: 2 October 2020[34] Label: Independent Formats: digital download
Harmóník II	Released: 20 October 2020[35] Label: SMIT Records Formats: LP, digital download

Compilations

Title	Album details
Harmóník I & II	Released: 13 November 2020[36] Label: SMIT Records Formats: LP, digital download

Singles

• "Pretty Face" (2012)^[37]
• "Ævintýr" (2015)^[38]
• "Follow Me Down" (2015)^[39]
• "Halloween" (2015)^[40]
• "Don't Ever Listen" (2015)^[41]
• "Never Cry Moon" (2017)^[42]
• "Grow" (2017)^[43]
• "Sunrise Skulls" (2021)^[44]
• "Circles" (Accordion Version) (2021, recorded 2018)^[45]
• "Parasite" (Extended Version) (2022)^[46]

Singles (with Sin Fang and Örvar Smárason)

• "Randon Haiku Generator" (2017)^[47]
• "Love Will Leave You Cold" (2017)^[48]
• "Wasted" (2017)^[49]
• "Black Screen" (2017)^[50]
• "Slowly" (2017)^[51]
• "Citrus Light" (2017)^[52]
• "Tennis" (2017)^[53]
• "Space" (2017)^[54]
• "Used & Confused" (2017)^[55]
• "Go To Sleep Boy" (2017)^[56]
• "The Sun Will Go Out" (2017)^[57]
• "Dream Team Party Kids" (2017)^[58]
• "Imaginary Love" (2021)
• "Calling for Your Touch" (2021)
• "Shame" (2021)
• "Mandatory Love Story" (2021)
• "Where the Maps Run Out" (2021)
• "Tell Your New Lovers" (2021)
• "Today I Wrote Nothing" (2021)
• "Lake with No Name" (2021)
• "I Run Deep" (2021)
• "Mothership" (2021)
• "Dream is Murder" (2021)
• "Afterparty" (2021)

Music videos

List of music videos, showing year released and directors

Title	Year	Director(s)	Ref.
"We Will Put Her in Two Graves"	2010	Sóley	[59]
"Blue Leaves"		Máni M. Sigfusson	[60]
"Smashed Birds"	2011	Inga Birgisdóttir	[61]
"Pretty Face"	2012	ManiSigfússon	[62]
"I'll Drown"		Anne Peeters	[63]
"Krómantik"	2014	Bruno Granato	[64]
"Falski Píanótíminn"		Héðinn Finnsson	[65]
"Halloween"	2015	Máni Sigfússon	[66]
"Dreamers"		Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir	[67]
"Grow"	2017	Samantha Shay	[68]
"Úa"		Máni M. Sigfússon	[69]
"Never Change"	2020	Derrick Belcham	[70]
"Sunrise Skulls"	2021	Samantha Shay	[71]

Awards and nominations

Year	Organisation	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
2011	Kraumur	Kraumur Award	We Sink	Won	[72]
	Icelandic Music Awards	Pop & Rock – Album of the Year		Nominated	[73]
		Pop & Rock – Songwriter of the Year	Sóley	Nominated	[74]
2015	Kraumur	Kraumur Award	Ask the Deep	Nominated	[75]
2020	Kristján Eldjárn Memorial Fund	Incentive Prize	Herself	Won	[76]
2021	Icelandic Music Awards	Open Class – Album	Mother Melancholia	Won	[77]
		Open Class – Song	"Sunrise Skulls"	Nominated	[78]
	The Reykjavík Grapevine	Album of the Year	Mother Melancholia	Won	[79]
2022	Nordic Council	Nordic Council Music Prize		Nominated	[80]

References

1. "An Interview with Soley". Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
2. "Sóley : Home : Sóley from Iceland is a member of the indie-collective Seabear". Archived from the original on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
3. "e Sink". Archived from the original on 19 March 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
4. "Dreamy Landscape: Sóley – We Sink". Icelandreview.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
5. Sóley. "Sóley: Lo-Fi Quaintness And Dark Surrealism". Npr.org. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
6. "Soley - "Smashed Birds" Music Video (w/ Soley Interview) - music art film review - REDEFINE magazine". Redefinemag.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
7. "Krómantík". Archived from the original on 29 June 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
8. "Morr Music". Morrmusic.com. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
9. "sóley - playing two festivals this summer Rauðasandur..." Facebook.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
10. "Premiere: Stream Sóley's 'Don't Ever Listen' EP". Nylon. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
11. "Sóley". Morr Music. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
12. "Spring Tour 2017". Facebook.com. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
13. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason: Random Haiku Generator". Morr Music via YouTube.com. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
14. "SÓLEY: I'll drown when I see you, interview in Reykjavik". Reykjavikboulevard.com. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
15. Robert Helbig (1 June 2012). "interview: Sóley". Nbhap.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
16. "The Rumpus Interview With Sóley Stefánsdóttir". Therumpus.net. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
17. "sóley - YES, I am alive! And the reason why i haven't..." Facebook.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
18. "The Ghost That Carries Us Away by Seabear on Apple Music". Music.apple.com. 17 August 2007. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
19. "We Built a Fire by Seabear on Apple Music". Music.apple.com. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
20. "While The Fire Dies by Seabear on Apple Music". Music.apple.com. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
21. "Waterphone by Seabear on Apple Music". Music.apple.com. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
22. "We Sink Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
23. "Ask the Deep Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
24. "Endless Summer Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
25. "Mother Melancholia Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 23 October 2021.
26. "Team Dreams Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
27. "Dream Is Murder Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 9 May 2022.
28. "HEX (original soundtrack album)". Retrieved 2 February 2024.
29. "Theater Island Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
30. "Krómantík Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
31. "Don't Ever Listen Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
32. "Harmóník Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
33. "Sóley on Instagram, 1 May 2020". Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
34. "Seasick Songs Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
35. "Harmóník II Bandcamp Page". Retrieved 28 October 2020.
36. "Harmóník I & II by Sóley on Bandcamp". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
37. "Sóley - Pretty Face (single version)". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
38. "Sóley - Ævintýr". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
39. "Sóley - Follow Me Down". music.apple.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
40. "Sóley - Halloween". music.apple.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
41. "Sóley - Don't Ever Listen (single)". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
42. "Sóley - Never Cry Moon (single)". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
43. "Sóley - Grow (single)". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
44. "Sóley - Sunrise Skulls". music.apple.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
45. "Sóley - CIRCLES ACCORDION VERSION (2018)". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
46. "Sóley - Parasite (extended version)". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
47. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Random Haiku Generator". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
48. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Love Will Leave You Cold". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
49. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Wasted". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
50. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Black Screen". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
51. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Slowly". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
52. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Citrus Light". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
53. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Tennis". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
54. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Space". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
55. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Used & Confused". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
56. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Go To Sleep Boy". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
57. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - The Sun Will Go Out". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
58. "Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason - Dream Team Party Kids". moormusic.com. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
59. "Sóley: "We will put her in two graves"". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
60. "Sóley: "Blue Leaves"". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
61. "Sóley: "Smashed Birds"". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
62. "Sóley: "Pretty Face"". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
63. "Sóley: "I'll drown"". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
64. "Sóley: "Krómantik"". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
65. "Sóley: "Falski Píanótíminn"". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
66. "Sóley: "Halloween"". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
67. "Sóley : Dreamers". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
68. "Sóley: Grow". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
69. "Sóley: Úa". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
70. "'Never Change' by sóley". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
71. "Sunrise Skulls". YouTube. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
72. "Kraumslistinn 2011 – Verðlaunaplötur" (in Icelandic). 16 December 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
73. "Verðlaunahafar" (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 October 2024. Select "Tilnefningar" and year "2011"
74. "Verðlaunahafar" (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 October 2024. Select "Tilnefningar" and year "2011"
75. "Kraumsverðlaunin" (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
76. "Sóley Stefánsdóttir". Dark Music Days. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
77. "Verðlaunahafar" (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 October 2024. Select "Verðlaun" and year "2021"
78. "Verðlaunahafar" (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 October 2024. Select "Tilnefningar" and year "2021"
79. Fontaine, Andie Sophia; Grettisson, Valur (7 January 2022). "Album of the Year: Sóley & kef LAVÍK". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
80. "Sóley Stefánsdóttir". Nordic Council Music Prize. Retrieved 9 October 2024.