Icelandic musician Ásgeir has been lined up to perform at the renowned Róisín Dubh music venue in Galway, Ireland.
The upcoming singer-songwriter has become something of a phenomenon in his native Iceland, with an incredible 10 per cent of the population owning a copy of Dýrð í Dauðaþögn, his debut album. The album was released across Europe under the name In the Silence, with the musician re-recording all vocals in English.
Ásgeir hails from Laugarbakki, a hamlet in northern Iceland which is home to just 40 people. Coming from a musical family, he learnt classic guitar in his younger years, before becoming a professional musician in his late teens.
Last year, at 20 years old, he became an overnight sensation with the release of his debut album made which became Iceland’s fastest selling debut album of all time by an Icelander. The father-son collaboration, which saw Ásgeir turning poems written by his father into music, is a mellow acoustic folk-pop album with electronic touches.
American musician John Grant was so impressed by the album that he translated the tracks into English and urged him to take his music overseas. Grant said that working alongside Ásgeir has been “inspiring”, noting that he has a knack for gorgeous harmonies and melody together with a virtuosity on acoustic guitar and an amazing sense of rhythm. He added that he should become a household name, regardless of the language he is singing in.
Ásgeir is scheduled to play at the Róisín Dubh on 12 April.