​​Árstíðir​ Previews New LP ‘Nivalis’ With “While This Way” (premiere)

“While This Way” is the latest track from Iceland’s Árstíðir. The deeply meditative and emotionally powerful tune is culled from the group’s upcoming LP, Nivalis, due out 22 June via Season of Mist. The song appeals to fans of the progressive rock stylings of Steven Wilson, the Flower Kings, and classic rock acts such as Pink Floyd with its tightly woven vocal harmonies and smart, understated arrangement. Walking a fine line between the comforting and the disquieting, “While This Way” seems poised to introduce a new range of fans to the veteran group.

Formed in 2008 when Daniel Auðunsson (guitar, vocals) Gunnar Már Jakobsson (baritone guitar, vocals) and Ragnar Ólafsson (piano, vocals) stumbled upon a shared love of vocal harmonies, Árstíðir (meaning “seasons”) initially focused on acoustic cover songs, eventually absorbing classical, folk rock and minimalist soundscapes into its artistic vision. Less than five years after its formation, the group had won Germany’s coveted Eiserner Eversteiner European Folk Music Award and garnered further attention when a spontaneous performance of a storied Icelandic hymn in a train station became a top-viewed YouTube video.

By 2016, the group had collaborated with Anneke Van Giersbergen (ex-the Gathering) via the LP
Verloren Verleden, on which they reimagined traditional and classical pieces.

Of “While This Way”, the lead single from
Nivalis, the band says, “This song was in the works for over a year before it came to be what you’re hearing now. If you managed to catch us on the Sólstafir tour at the end of 2017, it might sound familiar. We kind of ‘tested’ this song out on you, the audience, every night and fine-tuned it to exactly the point where we wanted it to be. We hope that you love it as much as we do!”

Nivalis is out 22 June and may be ordered here.