Laufey’s music sounds like someone creating their own unique universe: dazzlingly melodic but also lo-fi, while referencing legendary jazz musicians (Chet Baker) as well as modern pop greats (Taylor Swift, Norah Jones). The 25-year-old artist – a prodigiously gifted multi-instrumentalist born Laufey Jónsdóttir in Reykjavík, Iceland – has enjoyed a year of vast international success, most recently scooping Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the Grammys for her second LP, ‘Bewitched’, released last September.
Characterised by smooth strings and a deep, elegant vocal, you could describe elements of Laufey’s crossover sound as a revival of trad jazz – but her two albums to date have sounded too fresh and quietly experimental to fit a ‘retro’ tag. A young, extremely online audience is resonating deeply with her prolific output, as evidenced not just by her sizeable social following – led by 4.2 million TikTok fans – but a current sold-out run of shows across the globe, including a night at London’s Royal Albert Hall in May.
Hours after NME meets Laufey at east London’s Earth Theatre in late February, her entrance to the stage is greeted with something close to rapture: fans don hair ribbons and billowing white dresses, just like their favourite artist, and weep along to the set’s acoustic moments. “The energy that I used to feel while playing in 100-capacity rooms also exists in the 2000-capacity rooms that I am now playing, which I feel is testament to the community,” she tells us. “It’s the biggest blessing.”
For the latest instalment of NME’s In Conversation series, Laufey discusses everything from her “crazy” Grammys night and the feast that followed, to her ambitious vision for the future.
How did you prepare for a moment as big as your first-ever Grammys?
“Oh my God, just try not to panic I guess! There is no way to prepare. It was just really amazing. I got to perform both at the pre-ceremony and at the ceremony itself, where I played cello with Billy Joel. I think having that [experience] to tether me down as a musician was really good because it just reminded me why I do what I do.
“It was so special. Meeting other artists was the most shocking part of the Grammy week for me. It was crazy to see artists that I listen to, and to get to talk to them and see that they knew who I was as well, somehow… that felt beyond me! It was really cool and I felt like I was part of a community.”
Afterwards, you celebrated with a meal at an old-school American diner. What was on the menu?
“Ha! It was so random. We pulled out the menu and it was super long and had everything on it, and I was like, ‘Order anything.’ So, we had mac and cheese, pancakes and waffles as well as an ice cream sundae. It was really healthy.”
In the past year, you have gone from having a cult following to being celebrated on a mainstream level. What challenges have come with that transition?
“I try just to stay extremely true to who I am, which is one of the bigger struggles that can come with evolving as an artist – you have to learn how to grow while staying the same person. I have made sure to spend more time with my family and my twin sister [Junia], which has been a real gift.
“I definitely feel a greater level of responsibility now that there are more eyes on me; there are a lot of young women that look up to me. As someone who did the same towards female artists when I was younger, I see my place as a role model and I don’t take that lightly.”
How have you found the experience of getting to know your fans better?
“As the project has grown, I have found that the connection with the fans hasn’t changed too much. The energy that I used to feel while playing in 100-capacity rooms also exists in the 2000-capacity rooms that I am now playing, which I feel is testament to the community of fans, who are so lovely and supportive. It’s the biggest blessing. It has also been important to learn how to get used to playing bigger rooms while also keeping the intimacy of shows [intact]. I mean, nobody is coming to a Laufey show to mosh!”
As you’ve grown as an artist, has it ever felt difficult to perform your older songs live?
“Yeah, it’s fun because the fans love them but it’s also odd; I will sing these songs which will remind me of a younger version of myself where I was a bit more naive, or thinking about something that I have since outgrown. I now sing the lyrics with a different level of knowledge. It’s a special way of reflecting on your past.
“Touring is so much fun, it is my favourite part of the job. You’re in a new city every single day while learning to balance the highs of being on stage, and getting off stage to a really quiet space. Having my sister, a sense of home, with me everywhere I go is so special – she is always going to be very honest with me. As you grow as an artist, it gets harder and harder to find people who will be honest with you. I really value that.”
While you’ve been touring, have there been any cities that have taken you by surprise?
“I played in Jakarta last summer as part of a Southeast Asia tour, alongside Manila and Singapore. I grew up going to China every summer but I had never been elsewhere in Asia. Last year, I was playing these big shows and the audiences were so nice, they knew every single lyric. I looked out into the crowd and they didn’t look too different from audiences I have in other continents. I thought that was beautiful. It sounds really cheesy, but there really is this universal language amongst the community we’ve built.”
Why do you think this generation is embracing the modern jazz-pop sound and the artists behind it?
“I think it might be because people haven’t heard [this sound] for a while. It’s borrowed from music that everybody knows but at the end of the day, I’m telling a story that is more modern. Listeners today are so versatile and they’ll listen to anything. Back in the day, you had to listen to whatever was on the radio or the music that you were learning. Whereas now, we have an abundance of options and playlists, and there are songs from the ‘70s and ‘80s that are topping the charts again. It’s really cool.”
What do you want the Laufey legacy to be?
“I hope it’s music that provides people with an escape or some sort of feeling: whether that be comfort or happiness. That’s what really matters.”
Laufey’s new single ‘Goddess’ is out now via AWAL