After their hit eponymous debut on indie label Ever Records, Adjágas have attracted fans from world, rock and pop to their charmingly naïve sound. Sámi duo Sara Mariella Gaup and Lawra Somby form the core of Adjágas – the Sámi name for the mental state between being awake and asleep. Their music takes as its source the traditional Sámi yoik, itself a musical form which comes direct from the heart. A yoik takes its form from sounds rather than words and captures the essence of the subject which it is yoiking. It is unstructured, fluid and can be open to a myriad of interpretations. Around this Adjágas have created music which opens up a wealth of new worlds; there is country, folk, blues and icy soundscapes à la Sigur Ros.

Adjagas’ entrée this year onto the UK stage has gained them rave reviews across the board. Appearances at clubs like The Luminaire, London, were swiftly followed by an appearance at Glastonbury and the ground swell of critics and fans would suggest their debut tour may well sell out.

Lay Low promises to be the next Nordic success story after winning Best Female Singer and Best Album at the 2006 Icelandic Music Awards. The name on the industry’s lips after sterling performances at By:larm and Popkomm, Lay Low is singer and guitarist Lovisa Elisabet Sigrunardottir. She is joined by a line up which features both classic pop instrumentation and the idiosyncratic colouring of banjo and slide guitar. Born in London but raised in Iceland, Lovisa’s enunciation has the crisp edges of the fluent Anglophile with the delicate de rigour rasp of the Icelandic songstress.

Lay Low has something of a female Johnny Cash about her with upfront guitar and raw vocals, and she cites him amongst a plethora of influences including Woody Guthrie, old gospel and Billie Holiday. This is all quirky voice and clean, twangy guitar drawing on the essence of blues, country, rock and bluegrass, Icelandic style. She may not have distribution yet in the UK but they’ll be queuing up once they’ve heard her debut album Please Don’t Hate Me.

The wealth of distinctive, original music emanating from the Nordic regions seems to know no limit. Whether it’s bang up to the minute electronic gadgetry, new avenues of jazz or black metal, the lands of long nights and never ending days inspire a kaleidoscope of captivating and inspiring new music.

The Line Up

Adjágas
Lawra Somby - voice
Inga Påve - voice
Ole Morten Larssen - drums
Åsmund Wilter Eriksson - bass
Espen Jakobsen - guitar
Petter Marius Gundersen - trumpet & samples

Lay Low
Lovisa Elisabet Sigrunardottir (Lay Low) - Vocal / guitar
Magnus Arni Oder Kristinsson - Keyboards / guitar / slide guitar
Bjorn Sigmundur Olafsson - Drums / bass
Sigurbjorn Mar Valdimarsson - Keyboard / banjo / bass