Photos by

Hrefna Bjrg Gylfadttir

Published July 26, 2017

Moses Hightower might be one of the busiest bands in Reykjavk. As we sit down to talk, lead singer and keyboardist Steingrmur Steini Karl Teague is about to embark on a monthlong tour; drummer Magns Maggi Trygvason Eliassen is in more bands than theres space to list here.

Both are full-time working musicians, plying their trade as session artists and score composers between albums while also contributing to other bands. Their bandmateslead singer and bassist Andri lafsson, and guitarist and singer Danel Fririk Bvarssonare similarly busy, and unavailable for the interview due to prior engagements.

Pop music can sometimes be predictable its fun to make something that breaks the rules.

Somehow, though, they found time to release a record this year. The third Moses Hightower album, Fjallaloft (Mountain Air) is an eclectic collection that has proven a local hit. But finding the time to record and practice can be challenging. Its even more difficult now than it used to be, says Maggi. Steini concurs: I think we work faster now when we actually find the time, but keeping things going and not losing the thread can be a struggle.

A slow process

Its partly their busy work schedules that led to Fjallaloft being so long in the making. The temperature of the world probably went up by like 0.3 degrees in the time it took us to finish it, jokes Maggi.

Reflecting back on such a drawn-out creative process can be difficultbut slow work also has its benefits. Its like growing a beard, says Steini. You see no difference from one day to another, and then all of a sudden its there. You dont feel used up when you finally find the time to recordtheres a lot of time to gather things that you want to try. When the four of us get together, were all ready with something to contribute.

The big picture

One distinctive element of their music that might go over the heads of non-Icelandic speakers is their eccentric and yet tender lyrics, on subjects like the rituals of drunken heart-to-heart conversations (on Trn) to the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashing into Jupiter in 1992 (on Geim).

Some bands like to have their lyrics really open, so its easy to relate to them and apply them to your own life, says Steini. We tend to go the other way, narrowing things down and zooming ingetting so close that you cant see the big picture any more, and have to fill in the blanks. Adds Maggi: The lyrics are usually the last thing we add.

Anything goes

The soundscape behind the music is complex, with miniscule details working together to provide the ambience in amongst the instruments. Theres no right or wrong, says Maggi. Well try anything. In one song, I used lighters to get the right sound and played them until I bled. Well try out different things, different sounds and different moods. For us, its important to have fun.

This playfulness is evident on the album, whichdespite its softness and the lazy drawl of its drumshas a tendency to shake things up, catching the listener off-guard and grabbing their attention with sudden transitions. The band refer to their sound simply as pop, citing inspirations from across the genres, but they dont want to be too easily defined.

Pop music can sometimes be a bit predictable, says Steini, so its fun to make something that manages to break the rules without transitioning into other genresjust too see if its possible.

Fjallaloft is out now. A release party takes place Sept. 22 at Hsklab; tickets are on sale at tix.is.

See original here:

Comets And Trn: Moses Hightower On Knowing How To Break The Rules - Reykjavk Grapevine