When listening to the brilliant Kvimyndapod I discovered a film that I hadn’t heard of – Let Me Fall – the movie had been added onto Amazon Prime so I had an opportunity to discover. It is by no means an easy watch as the film tackles the horrendous journey of a drug-addicted girl growing up in Iceland – it is full on and stamps a serious message. The main character was played by Elín Hall and it turns out that as well as her acting she also sings – we spoke to her about her music and whether she will be back acting after her impressive performance.
Með Öðrum Orðum is your debut album which was released last year – tell us about the themes covered in the album and some of the inspiration you had going into it?
My album Með Öðrum Orðum is in a way a collage of the reasons for why I started writing songs. I write my music very intimately and these songs came about in different moments of my adolescence. I have always been very into journaling and I started a sound-recording diary at the age of 13 and was very committed to it.
Slowly these updates started changing and evolving into poetry and melodies. Over the period of 7 years, I was able to turn this habit of vocalizing my feelings and thoughts as a therapeutic practice into this little art piece. I debated even releasing it because it felt almost too personal at times. I think at the end of the day when I turned 21 I wanted to close this chapter of my teenage years by releasing it into the world and hoping someone out there would relate to or be moved by at least some of it.
You have recently released some new music – are there plans for some more singles and albums?
Yes, I have released 4 singles this year. I have been enjoying the rapidness of only focusing on one song and then letting go of it. It felt very necessary for me after all the time I spent on my debut album. Now I’m finally finding the headspace again to work on a big piece like an album. I am very fond of the concept of whole albums but the music industry has changed a lot in the past couple of years and the convenience of creating and promoting singles over larger releases makes you question the ideas behind them.
I just know that I wouldn’t want to release an album unless I had something to say with that album as a whole. I finally feel like I am finding that and I am very excited to say that I am working on a new album due to be released in early 2022.
It’s going to be different from my first album in a lot of ways but still very intimate and lyric focused. I wanted to shift the light from my literal diary and onto the subjects of more general human emotions. I want to explore the connection between dreams and reality but keep it very grounded, if that makes sense. For example, I have been very inspired by both nightmares and nostalgia and I’m hoping this album will turn out melancholic but still down to earth.
You were also involved with the group Náttsól are there plans to do any further with them?
That is correct. The girls from Náttsól are still some of my closest friends today and they inspire and advise me on everything I create. We have all gone our separate paths for now and I am so proud of the musicians they have become, Raven and Rún. As of now, we don’t have any plans on working collectively, but as they say, never say never.
With the world opening up are there plan to play live again and tour?
I am sincerely hoping to though no plans have been made yet.
We were mesmerized by your performance in Let Me Fall (which is currently available on Amazon Prime in the UK) have you any thoughts on coming back to act again?
Absolutely! Portraying Magnea in Let Me Fall was one of those “wildest dream come true” moments for me. It was an incredible opportunity and I am so thankful for it still to this day.
The experience was very challenging so I found myself craving more technical skills and I knew that my calling was to go and study acting if I ever wanted to do something like this again.
Now I’m finishing my last year in the acting program at the Icelandic University of Arts and I couldn’t be happier with what it has given me. I know I am a much stronger artist and person after this time studying and exploring. So you could say I have plans on acting more in the future.
Finally, what was the last film or TV series you watched, the book you read, and the album you listened to?
The latest TV series was Normal People, the last book, don’t know if a play counts but I read the Strindberg play To Damascus the other day. The last album I listened to according to Spotify is an all-time favourite, Family Tree by Björk.
Check out Elín’s album over on Spotify HERE and then watch her in Let Me Fall
Interview by Alex Minnis
