Northern Rising

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The second episode of the Northern Rising podcast is out now! This time, the guest is Akureyri-based multidisciplinary artist Egill Jónasson, aka Drengurinn Fengurinn.

Egill is quite possibly Iceland's most prolific artist. Drengurinn Fengurinn released around 30 albums in 2023, though he has slowed down somewhat in recent years, putting out only two albums in 2025. He is a pillar of Akureyri's cultural life. In 2025 he was named Akureyri's Town Artist, and that same year he served as patron of the festival Mannfólkið breytist í slím.

His music is hard to describe. It is chaotic and difficult to pin down, but an anarchic DIY approach and a naive sensibility run through most of what he makes.

The same could be said of the episode itself. Egill drowns the host in coffee, drags him along on a visit to his sister's and then takes him on a bus ride up to Kringlan shopping mall, which Egill calls a haven from the chaos of life.

The show is hosted by Tim Pogo, an experienced American broadcaster who has been a regular at Airwaves since 2000, with a long background in radio, television and digital media.

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland and The Reykjavík Grapevine.

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and Tim Pogo in collaboration with The Reykjavík Grapevine.

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Northern Rising is back with a new season and the first episode features RAKEL. The series, recorded during Iceland Airwaves last year, follows artists through the festival and offers a unique glimpse into their colourful adventures. 

The show is hosted by Tim Pogo, an Airwaves regular since 2000 and a veteran American broadcaster with a long background in radio, television and digital media. 

RAKEL is a rapidly rising star in the Icelandic music landscape. Her debut album a place to be was released on Ólafur Arnalds’ OPIA Community last year, garnering widespread acclaim from local and international media as well as earning her a handful of Icelandic Music Awards nominations, with RAKEL bagging the award for Performer of the Year. Ever since the release of a place to be she’s been busy touring the world supporting Of Monsters and Men and playing showcase festivals all over, including SXSW, FOCUS Wales, Primavera Pro, SPOT Festival and Tallinn Music Week, to name a few.

In the episode Rakel tells us about her formative years spent selling hot dogs at now-defunct roadside diner Staðarskáli, her early 20s move to Reykjavik and her eventual return to the north to write her debut album - all the while letting us in on a handful of spots only a local would know about.

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and The Reykjavík Grapevine, in collaboration with Tim Pogo.

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and Tim Pogo in collaboration with The Reykjavík Grapevine.

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In this final episode of Northern Rising, we follow avant-electropop artist Sunna Margrét as she roams around Reykjavík - visiting the National Gallery of Iceland, the record stores 12 Tónar and Reykjavík Records, and stopping by for a soundcheck at Iðnó.

Sunna’s musical journey began early; at just seven years old, she gave her first flute concert outside Hagkaup in exchange for chocolate. Since then, she’s been part of the legendary indie band Bloodgroup, founded the label No Salad Records, and performed around the world as a solo artist.

* Northern Rising* is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and The Reykjavík Grapevine in collaboration with Tim Pogo.

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and Tim Pogo in collaboration with The Reykjavík Grapevine.

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Northern Rising – Elín Hall

The second episode of the Northern Rising podcast is out! The series, recorded during Iceland Airwaves last year, follows artists through the festival and offers a unique glimpse into their colourful adventures.

The show is hosted by Tim Pogo, an Airwaves regular since 2000 and a veteran American broadcaster with a long background in radio, television and digital media. 

Elín Hall’s career has been soaring since the release of her 2023 album Heyrist í mér. The album earned several nominations at the Icelandic Music Awards, won Album of the Year at the Reykjavík Grapevine Music Awards, and included three tracks that reached #1 on the Rás 2 charts.

Alongside her music career, Elín has made a strong impression on the big screen. Last year she won Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Chicago International Film Festival for her performance in the film Ljósbrot, and was also selected for the 2025 European Film Promotion’s Shooting Starsprogramme.

Now, Elín is turning her focus back to music. On June 12, she’ll release the first single from her upcoming album. The track, Heaven to a Heathen, was written and recorded with Grammy-winning producer Martin Terefe at Eastcote Studios in London.

Despite a whirlwind, Elín’s is a calming presence. In the episode, she discusses her role in the TV series Vigdís, plays a few songs for the residents of Grund, and stops to chat with the staff at cultural institution Kjötborg. As cosy as it gets.

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and The Reykjavík Grapevine, in collaboration with Tim Pogo.

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and Tim Pogo in collaboration with The Reykjavík Grapevine.

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Recorded during Iceland Airwaves 2024, this episode features post-punk titans Virgin Orchestra, who cemented their status as one of Reykjavík’s most thrilling new bands with the release of Fragments in 2023.

Their latest single The Pathetic Song—out 31 March 2025—is a couch-wave-noise-fest based on a stoner beat in the spirit of ’90s Bristol yet bursting with the screeching chaos favoured by Buckfast-fuelled youth in ’80s Glasgow.

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and Tim Pogo in collaboration with The Reykjavík Grapevine.

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It's the 3rd and final episode of GRAPEWAVES, the official podcast of Iceland Airwaves music festival, and The Reykjavík Grapevine, recorded live on state at the IA Center.
On this, the final day of the festival, host Tim Pogo welcomes Icelandic indie pop group Supersport! for a live performance, and then chats with band member Bjarni Daníel and plus musician Ida Schuften, both involved with the Post-dreifing independent music collective, about the importance of collaboration in music.

Then, Pogo speaks with Marius DC, a Faroese rapper/artist, and Glenn Larsen, the head of Faroe Music Export to learn about music and life on the Faroe Islands and how it has shaped Marius' music. 

Finally, Icelandic sibling group Systur talks about growing up in a musical family, their appearance on Eurovision 2022, and ends the show with a live performance.

And that's it for GRAPEWAVES at Airwaves 2022, we'll see you next year!


Find GRAPEWAVES podcast on all major podcast platforms and apps, as well as our website every afternoon from Thursday 3rd - Saturday 5th November. Recording takes place at IA Center in Kolaportið from 12:30 - 13:00 on the same days. Entry is free of charge, no ticket required.

This show is brought to you by the Reykjavík Grapevine,  a free, alternative magazine in English published in Reykjavík every month. We cover everything Iceland-related, with a special focus on news, human interest stories, music, culture, food, travel and events. 

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Thank you to Exeter Hotel for sponsoring the podcast!

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and Tim Pogo in collaboration with The Reykjavík Grapevine.

Send us Fan Mail

It's Day 2 of Iceland Airwaves 2022, and Episode 2 of GRAPEWAVES 2022, recorded live on stage at the IA Center!
Host Tim Pogo welcomes Kim Wagenaar (Peer Agency, shesaid.so Iceland, MMF Iceland, Grapevine), plus musicians/songwriters Sandrayati and Alysha Brilla as they discuss the launch of the Icelandic chapter of shesaid.so.
Pogo also chats with musician, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Haraldur Þorleifsson
We've also got live performances from Haraldur, Sandrayati, and LÓN!


Find GRAPEWAVES podcast on all major podcast platforms and apps, as well as our website every afternoon from Thursday 3rd - Saturday 5th November. Recording takes place at IA Center in Kolaportið from 12:30 - 13:00 on the same days. Entry is free of charge, no ticket required.

This show is brought to you by the Reykjavík Grapevine,  a free, alternative magazine in English published in Reykjavík every month. We cover everything Iceland-related, with a special focus on news, human interest stories, music, culture, food, travel and events. 

shop | facebook | twitter | instagram

Thank you to Exeter Hotel for sponsoring the podcast!

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and Tim Pogo in collaboration with The Reykjavík Grapevine.

Send us Fan Mail

It's Day 1 of Iceland Airwaves 2022 and the first GRAPEWAVES 2022 episode, recorded live on stage at the IA Center!
Tim Pogo is joined by Colm O'Herlihy, founder of Icelandic music company INNI and musician/producer Sindri Már Sigfússon (Seabear, Sin Fang) to talk about what's new in Icelandic music, as well as the latest bands to check out, and inside info on some special events happening in the city throughout the week that you won't want to miss.

Pogo is also joined by Josie Anne Gaitens, the Culture Editor at Reykjavík Grapevine to interview Silla and Julius of the band BSÍ.

We also welcome West African-born, U.S.-raised, current Iceland resident, and Airwaves artist snny to talk about being a foreign artist in Iceland and being welcomed into the music community. And finally, a special live performance from Tara Mobee.

Find GRAPEWAVES podcast on all major podcast platforms and apps, as well as our website every afternoon from Thursday 3rd - Saturday 5th November. Recording takes place at IA Center in Kolaportið from 12:30 - 13:00 on the same days. Entry is free of charge, no ticket required.

This show is brought to you by the Reykjavík Grapevine,  a free, alternative magazine in English published in Reykjavík every month. We cover everything Iceland-related, with a special focus on news, human interest stories, music, culture, food, travel and events. 

shop | facebook | twitter | instagram

Thank you to Exeter Hotel for sponsoring the podcast!

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and Tim Pogo in collaboration with The Reykjavík Grapevine.

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to GRAPEWAVES, your essential companion to Iceland Airwaves in collaboration with the Reykjavík Grapevine!

We will be recording LIVE every day at the Iceland Airwaves Center, so come on down for all the behind-the-scenes chat and to see special sets from amazing acts.

And for those who can't attend the festival this year—don't worry! GRAPEWAVES is the perfect resource to find your new favourite Icelandic band.

Find GRAPEWAVES podcast on all major podcast platforms and apps, as well as our website every afternoon from Thursday 3rd - Saturday 5th November. Recording takes place at IA Center in Kolaportið from 12:30 - 13:00 on the same days. Entry is free of charge, no ticket required.

This show is brought to you by the Reykjavík Grapevine,  a free, alternative magazine in English published in Reykjavík every month. We cover everything Iceland-related, with a special focus on news, human interest stories, music, culture, food, travel and events. 

shop | facebook | twitter | instagram

Thank you to Exeter Hotel for sponsoring the podcast!

Royalty free music from bensound.com

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and Tim Pogo in collaboration with The Reykjavík Grapevine.

Send us Fan Mail

Getting a peek inside the Cardif music scene with Boy Azooga, also Ösp from Hrím describes a hectic Airwaves week with only four songs and one prior gig under their belt, and Katla from Between Mountains describes life in the Westfjords and how to balance music duties with regular life.

#grapewaves

Northern Rising is produced by Iceland Music, Record in Iceland, and Tim Pogo in collaboration with The Reykjavík Grapevine.