KEXP Live at Iceland Airwaves 2016, Day 2: Coals

Next on the roster for day two of Iceland Airwaves Music Festival live from Kex Hostel were the incredible young polish duo Coals. Hailing from the coal-mining region of Silesia, Poland, an area known for its coal mines, Coals are Katarzyna Kowalczyk and Łukasz Rozmysłowski. Formed in 2014, Coals have been making waves in their native Poland and beyond with their debut EP, Homework, a truly beautiful work. Their musical and lyrical eloquence are astounding considering their young age, drawing comparisons to the likes of The xx — if The xx were more daring, that is. The two met about two years ago, after vocalist Katarzyna had seen multi-instrumentalist Łukasz's youtube channel. She wrote him a message asking him to make some beats for her, in what was supposed to be a one-song collaboration. Long story short, here they still are, making an abundance of beautiful music together. They are currently working on their first full-length record, but are also making time to work on other projects. Released just yesterday, Katarzyna lent her dynamic, crystal-clear voice to "Żyrandol" a new song by Polish alt-rapper Taco Hemingway. 

One of the best sets of the festival so far, Coals had jaws dropping all over the room with their stunning four-song set. The performance showcased their dynamic range as performers, from the post-rock-favoring "Rave '03" to the distorted, stream-of-consciousness-style "Skeleton in the closet." Their music is totally unpredictable in the best possible way, an emotional rollercoaster volleying from the apocalyptic to the near-optimistic. Dark, but blissful, "Brother" had a chiming ambient quality, reminiscent of Sigur Rós' "Heysátan", featuring heavily digitized vocal support from .Łukasz. While Coals are still in the incipient stages of their career, it wouldn't be a stretch to anticipate a lot of "I saw them when" stories from those lucky enough to witness this intimate set as they skyrocket to international prominence. To experience Coals for yourself, check out their live KEXP set from last year's OFF! Festival in Katowice, Poland.