Lay Low

Lay Low

Lay Low is the stage name of Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir, an Icelandic singer-songwriter whose work sits within indie folk, with touches of blues, Americana, honky-tonk, trip hop and experimental indie. Born in London to an Icelandic mother and Sri Lankan father, she begins her career as a pianist and bass guitar player before developing her own voice as a songwriter and vocalist.

Career

Lay Low emerges in 2006 after a local label responds to a raw demo she uploads to MySpace. Her debut album, Please Don’t Hate Me, comes out that same year, tops the Icelandic charts, becomes the bestselling original album in Iceland, and wins three Icelandic Music Awards.

For her second album, Farewell Good Night’s Sleep, she draws on Icelandic nature and spends time in remote country villages. The record is made with producer Liam Watson, and it is later singled out by the US iTunes music team as one of the best discoveries of 2008.

In 2009 she tours widely as a solo performer and supports Emilíana Torrini on tour. Her festival appearances include Glastonbury, Into The Great Wide Open, Slottsfjell and End of the Road.

Music and collaborations

Lay Low has jammed on keyboards and synthesizers with Benny Crespo’s Band, and she works with producers including Liam Watson. Her sound develops from blues folk and Americana into a more experimental approach, with later material taking on a trip hop influence. Her vocals are described through a range of tonal contrasts, and she also performs acapella live, using only her voice to fill a room.

Her third album, Brostinn strengur (Broken String), focuses on collaboration by setting Icelandic poetry from the last 150 years to music. She sings the poems in Icelandic, and the album receives five Icelandic Music Award nominations.

Selected release

The Backbone, a later single, is presented as drawing on the spirit of Neil Young and P.J. Harvey, with elements that recall Nancy Sinatra and Portishead.