MYRKVI Releases New Studio Album: 'Early Warning'

Icelandic artist - MYRKVI - is back with his brand new album ‘Early Warning’.

Featuring the singles “Miserable People”, “Self-Pity” and “Draumabyrjun”,‘Early Warning’ represents the conclusion of the past and the transition into something wholly new for Myrkvi (formerly of the band Vio). Created with his long-time collaborator Yngvi Holm, the record ushers in a dazzling new dawn for the pair and serves as a reflection on their ‘90s roots, wasted years, and their common sense of lunacy.

Recorded in a studio nestled amongst the quiet Icelandic valley Mosfellsdalur — a space that has become something of a second home for the pair over the last decade — 'Early Warning''s name alludes to something brewing under the surface, and the spectacular things still to come.

Made up of a guitar-driven collection of songs, the album sees Myrkvi and Yngvi Holm carve out a soundscape more vivid and extensive than any of their previous releases. The product of intense development over a long period of time, ‘Early Warning’ is a culmination of ideas that the duo have long sought to express.

Written during the difficult period where Myrkvi found the dust of his early musical success had began to settle, the album grapples with a diverse range of topics including the feeling of not knowing where to go, the lunacy of choosing to spend your life chasing an evasive dream, and the looming break-up of the artist’s original band Vio. It also features tracks that touch on friendship, revelry and the desire to forget your troubles, as well as a cheeky ridicule of the race for prosperity and a handful of allusions to love and depression.

The album also features warped artwork comprising paintings by Freydís Halldórsdóttir, inspired by a childhood nightmare.

With ‘Early Warning’ already attracting praise from the likes of Sound Kartell, Icelandic Times, Reykjavik Grapevine, and more, Nordic Music Central enthused: “With each track they present themselves as true professionals who have the ability to catch the spirit of the moment… [they] remind us of what guitar bands used to sound like.”

Having spent the past year touring extensively across Germany, the Netherlands and Poland, Myrkvi will celebrate the new album’s release with an appearance at Iceland Airwaves this November - find details of the set here.

Myrkvi — the moniker of Icelandic artist Magnús Thorlacius — began in 2020. His debut single “Sér um sig” reached #2 on the Icelandic national radio chart, with his second single “Gamechanger” following in quick succession. His well-received debut album ‘Reflections’ was released in late 2020, at the height of the global pandemic.

Prior to embarking on his solo journey, Magnús formed the band Vio and won the 2014 Icelandic Battle of the Bands competition, with him also scooping the award for Best Singer, The band quickly became the indie darlings of Iceland, and enjoyed widespread success in the country through the mid-2010s. Vio were nominated twice at the Icelandic Music Awards, and enjoyed national hits with tracks like “You Lost It”.

Eventually Magnús found the distinction between his two projects — Vio and Myrkvi — was becoming increasingly fuzzy, and the Vio moniker was abandoned as collaborator Yngvi Holm began working on Myrkvi material.

The duo’s new album ‘Early Warning’ was originally intended for the band, and has spent many years in the making with ex-Vio members Kári Guðmundsson and Páll Cecil even featuring on the final project. The album is out now, via the Baggabotn label.

Photo Credit: Sebastian Madej

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