Marína ÓSk - Athvarf
“This album kinda caught me off guard last fall. I didn’t know the singer at all but all of a sudden here was a fully-grown album, tastefully completed audio-wise and visually and it flows quite nicely.”
“Her angelic, strong and interpretive voice dances over the folkish compositions and you can’t help but listen intently.”
The album
On the 11th of October 2019 Marína Ósk released her debut album, Athvarf. The album carries 11 songs, all written and arranged by Marína herself. It was recorded in Sundlaugin studio in March 2019. Athvarf received two nominations for the Icelandic Music Awards in 2020 in it’s category; album of the year and composition of the year.
The album Athvarf reveals Marína as a storytelling singer/songwriter and the music was mostly written on a guitar in open tuning. The compositions are vivid and fragile and are greatly influenced by jazz and folk music. Every song embraces the power of everyday, casual moments and uncontrollable phenomenons of nature and how they can positively effect one’s well being, f.ex. that sense of stoic calm while watching flakes of snow gently fall towards the ground or the feeling of safety one experiences being indoors while a raging storm is beating on your house.
The name of the album, Athvarf, means Refuge or Safe place and refers to how music has been Marína’s place of rest, strength and comfort.
Marína Ósk - Vocals
Mikael Máni Ásmundsson - El.Guitar
Lito Mabjaia - Bass
Asgeir Asgeirsson - Ac. Guitar
Þorvaldur Halldórsson - Drums
María Magnúsdóttir & Rakel Pálsdóttir - Backing vocals
The album can also be found on Amazon, Itunes and other streaming services online.