Earlier this month, Sigur Rós returned with a set of tour dates, and with that came a new song, debuted during their first performance since 2013 at this year’s Primavera Sound music festival in Barcelona. The Icelandic trio are known for their expansive and ethereal sound, and “Óveður” is no different, with jarring industrial elements that are subdued by Jónsi Birgisson’s haunting vocals.
“Óveður” serves another purpose for the band, who are currently embarking on a livestreamed 24-hour roadtrip around Iceland that they’re calling Route One, named after Iceland’s Route 1, a road that circles Iceland. The stream, which is broadcasted on Iceland’s Ruv 2 and worldwide on YouTube, takes viewers to many of the beautiful country’s landmarks. The trip itself is set to a soundtrack built around “Óveður,” created in real time through an app called Bronze.
According to Birgisson, the stream is supposed to be “slow TV,” something that is “counteractive to the world we live in, in that it happens in real time and real slow,” done in response to the instant gratification of our society.
The accompanying visuals for “Óveður” were direcetd by Jonas Åkerlund, who shot them in the village of Grindavík on the Reykjanes peninsular.
Watch the stunning video for “Óveður” above.
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