Lára Rúnars

Lára Rúnars

Lára Rúnars, also known as Lára or Lara Runars, is an Icelandic singer-songwriter from Reykjavík. She grows up listening to her father playing and recording with the Icelandic band Grafík, and through him she is introduced to artists including Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Nick Cave. Her music develops from pop and indie pop into more melodic, melancholic material, and she is also associated with English- and Icelandic-language songwriting.

Career

Rúnars releases her first album, Standing Still, in 2003. The following year she collaborates with Damien Rice, performing live with him and recording together. In 2006 she releases her second album, Þögn (Silence), and writes and performs the songs on that record in Icelandic. She names Stina Nordenstam and The Cardigans as inspirations for the album.

Her third album, Surprise, appears in 2009 and receives substantial radio play in Iceland, helping build international interest. She performs a special show for Q Magazine in London alongside Amy MacDonald, and is selected for the showcase festivals Spot, Eurosonic and The Great Escape.

In 2011 she tours Germany and Switzerland, including a sold-out performance at the Lido Club in Berlin and an appearance at the Blue Balls festival in Lucerne, where she plays to 2,000 people. She then writes and records her fourth album, Moment. The first single from that album, “Beast,” suggests a darker and edgier direction in her work.

Style and influences

Rúnars cites strong female artists such as PJ Harvey and acts such as John Grant as influences. Her music is described as indie pop with a melodic and melancholic character.