Reykjavík, IS · indie folk-pop

Of Monsters and Men

1 upcoming festival

Iceland's stomp-and-holler exports — 'Little Talks' and a decade of widescreen indie-pop, hey!-shouts included, Icelandic warmth at singalong scale.

Of Monsters and Men formed in Iceland around 2010, growing out of singer-guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir's solo material after the group won a national battle-of-the-bands contest. The line-up pairs her voice with that of guitarist Ragnar Þórhallsson, and the two trade and overlap lead vocals across most of the catalogue.

Their debut album brought international attention, carried by a single that became a substantial radio and streaming hit and helped define a period of folk-influenced indie pop built on acoustic strumming, brass, big drums and group shouts. Later records moved toward heavier, more electric arrangements, though the twin-vocal approach and expansive choruses have remained.

indie folk-pop