Salty Food and the Strangeness of Songwriting

Although her second and newest LP has only been out in the U.S. for a few weeks now, I sat down with Ólöf Arnalds back in March to discuss her native country, the strangeness of songwriting, and the loneliness of touring. We met at Veselka in the East Village on a cold afternoon and talked for about an hour; she ordered a Brooklyn Lager, I went with coffee. The caffeine helped to keep me alert as I scribbled frantically, anxious to capture her answers to my long-winded questions. 

Leaning in frequently and speaking candidly, she  struck me as a thoughtful, opinionated, and ambitious musician—six months before the release of Innundir Skinni, she was already excitedly describing her ideas for a third album. eMusic has the full Q&A online now. This Saturday she begins a tour that will take her to Pittsburgh, Louisville, Dallas, and Denver.