We’ve written about traditional Icelandic musician and songwriter Inga Björk previously when she released her ‘Straumur’ EP, and her latest track ‘ Skammdegi‘ is a typically reflective track, sympathetically arranged and balanced with minimal instrumentation.
For those that missed our previous feature, she’s from Hafnarfjördur, just south of Reykjavík, where she works as a teacher and music therapist - currently for example just starting a harp course for children, which is lovely to see. She also released an album in 2018 called Rómur, which you can find on streaming services.
At the heart of her compositions are traditional instruments, and on Skammdegi she plays the Lyre, accompanied by Fríða Dís on Bass and Kiddi Snær on Drums. And that’s it, which to me is the beauty of the piece. The rhythmic drumming carries the track along and the vocals set out a gorgeous soft melody supported by harmonies courtesy of Fríða in the chorus. It just feels effortless and totally natural.
Watch the video here.