KEXP at Iceland Airwaves 2014, Day 1: Sóley

Our second act of the day here at Kex Hostel was Sóley, one of our favorites in Iceland. Maybe you caught her unique live loops and beautiful singing at our Reykjavik Calling show at Neumo's back in October. Or perhaps you've watched one of the many times we've recorded sessions with her, either at Iceland Airwaves (including our infamous morning session inside one of the hostel dorm rooms) or at KEXP. Sóley is a former member of Seabear and has grown to become an acclaimed songwriter in her own right. On her Facebook page, she claims to have "the nicest band members ever", and from what a lovely person Sóley is herself, we tend to believe her assessment of character. Her songs and lyrics themselves, however, tend to skew darker and moodier than her seemingly sunny disposition.

Sóley builds her loops and beats using a combination of prerecorded and live sounds, meaning songs take their time to build up. They have an intentional, restrained feel. Beautiful, yet dangerous, a bit like their creator. Sóley is unafraid of taking risks on stage. This tight four song set was made up all of newer material, due out on a nearly completed album some time next year. She opened with, "Ævintýr", featuring haunting vocals and deep bass. "You must face your fairytale," went the refrain. After, she explained the song was about a man who was buried alive in Brazil. "It's true, it's horrible," she said.The second song, "Deeper", put Sóley further out on a limb. An ode to Phillip Glass, "I just wrote it," she said. Not only that, but she was playing on a brand new looping station brought over from the states by KEXP only 2 days ago, and the song had never been performed live. But she jumped in with both feet, not shy to take risks during a live broadcast. And thankfully, it worked. "Deeper" opened with a complex pizzicato beat and dissonant tension, before building to a more approachable and swaying feel. The audience was a bit more chatty during this set, but responded appreciatively after each song.

Next came the murder ballad "One Eyed Lady" about a woman who holds down a man until he drowns, with the gorgeously layered self-harmonies of the refrain, "would you kill for love?" This tune coils slowly, like a jeweled snake contemplating a strike. But don't be lulled by the slower tempo; this music has a definite edge. Despite her brooding songs, Sóley was very personable during stage banter. She made a point to thank KEXP profusely, and gave a shout out to Cheryl Waters for bringing her candy corn from the States, although admittedly she thought the candy was a bag of earplugs at first. The candy corn was a fitting foreshadow for the final tune, "Halloween" (a Cheryl Waters favorite, by the way). It featured a glimmering guitar line over a dark beat and synth line. Images of boys dressed up as dreamers, ghost ships, shadows, and other hauntings permeate. "Tell me how can I wake up again," she sings. It was a beautiful, lush tune, and a great finish to the set.

Stay tuned for Uni Stefson live on KEXP next at 10:00AM PST. Find out more about our broadcast during Iceland Airwaves here.