When we discovered track ‘City Lights’ by CELL 7 we were totally besotted and went on a mission to discover more of her music. We got to talk to the Reykjavik-based artist who is currently working on new material after her excellent 2019 album – Is Anyone Listening? (you really should be)!
Tell us who you are and what is your sound
My name is Ragna, I’m a musician and a sound engineer. It’s hard for me to commit to a certain sound because I feel like I’m constantly changing and developing as an artist. If I would have to, then I would describe my music as hard hitting beats with infectious grooves and melodies.
What exciting projects have you got coming up?
I’m currently working on my third album which is kind of a slow process. Besides that, me and my fellow musician and friend Hildur just started a new project called Red Riot, we decided to throw ourselves into this project with the intent to do as much as we could ourselves as well as to uplift our spirit, so we are producing, recording, rapping, singing and arranging everything ourselves. Plus this project is completely different from our own individual music so we can allow ourselves a bit of crazy creative freedom that comes with producing dance music.
Where did you grow up and what music influenced you?
I grew up in Reykjavik Iceland. I remember my first music influences being Michael Jackson and Kris Kross. As a teenager I developed a taste for hip hop that grew into a hobby which turned into my profession. At that time hip hop so I would say that my music was mostly influenced by 90’s hip hop.
What cool places do you recommend to visit in your city (bars, restaurants, etc)?
The city and it’s places has changed so much over the passed couple of months. During this pandemic a lot of places have gone out of business and concert venues weren’t doing that well to begin with. There is a small cosy place called Portið, a nice place to grab a drink and snacks with some friends. Another place which has great food is a restaurant called Sumac Grill. They focus on the freshest Icelandic ingredients while playing with spices and flavours from North-Africa to Lebanon in the kitchen.
We love recommendations – what have you been listening to, watching, or reading recently?
I’ve been listening to Little Dragon a lot lately. Feelin their vibe a lot, also Conan O’Briens podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend”, it’s hilarious and don’t we all need to laugh just a little more during these times.
Finally, what was the last thing that made you swear out loud?
Thats a good question! The last thing that made me swear out loud was when I dropped food on the floor.
Interview by Alex Minnis
