UM OKKUR
A CELEBS live show is all about catchy bangers that promise to get
even the stiffest hips moving!
The idea for CELEBS was born when three siblings, Valgeir, Keli and Katla, found themselves under one roof at their parents’ house back in their hometown of Suðureyri (population 274) during Christmas 2019. During an intense discussion about their love of live music they quickly came to a decision: they would start a party band. Their vision was to offer audiences an escape—an opportunity to leave their worries at the door and enter a unique experience of chaotic euphoria, full of curiosity, play and enthusiastic joy. CELEBS’ music combines nostalgic influences from 80s synths and David Byrne-esque vocals, to early 2000s indie sleaze, all with a distinctly modern twist.
Despite their young ages, all three members of CELEBS have extensive experience in the music industry. Each has won the national music competition ‘The Music Experiments’—the brothers with indie rock outfit ‘Rythmatik’ in 2015, and Katla with the alt-pop duet turned solo project ‘Between Mountains’ in 2017 (at only 14 years old).
Citing influences like FM Belfast and The Flaming Lips, CELEBS are fast becoming a staple of the Icelandic live music scene. Their debut EP ‘Tálvon hinna efnilegu’ was nominated for an Icelandic Music Award, the Kraumur Awards and the Icelandic Listener Choice Awards in 2021, with singles ‘Kannski hann’ and ‘Kalk í vatni’ garnering substantial radio play. 2023 has been a busy year for the siblings but the year started out with them landing them in 3rd place of the local Eurovision preliminaries, ‘Söngvakeppnin’ with the song ‘Doomsday Dancing’. Following that success, they topped the charts of Rás2 radio station in July with the dance banger “Bongó, blús & næs” before partnering up with Eurovision star Diljá in August to release a cover of the song “Ég sé rautt” for a national Vodafone campaign.
CELEBS will be releasing a new single on October 27th in anticipation for their Iceland Airwaves debut on November 4th.
They have their sights set on the stages of Europe in 2024.