Lay Low
Encyclopedia
Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir (born September 10, 1982 in London
, England
), better known by her stage name, Lay Low, is an Iceland
ic artist and singer.
n father and an Iceland
ic mother. She moved to Iceland at a young age where she has lived since. As a child she began taking piano lessons but started playing electric bass
and guitar
in her teens, and has since then played with numerous local bands. She joined the band Benny Crespo's Gang playing keyboards
/synthesizers and guitar. It was then when she first started to use her voice.
Lay Low, the alter ego of Lovísa, started to evolve early in 2006. She was spotted by a local label, Cod Music
, which contacted her and showed an interest in a raw demo song she had published on MySpace
. Her music combines elements of blues
, folk
and country
.
It was a rapid rise in the music scene for Lovísa. Just a few months after her discovery she released her debut album, Please Don't Hate Me
, which went gold only two months after its release. The following year she was nominated for four of the 2006 Icelandic Music Awards, winning two; Best female singer and best album cover. She was also voted by the nation through phone election as the most popular artist of 2006.
In 2007 she was offered a role in the play Ökutímar by Leikfélag Akureyrar, writing both original songs for the play and performing covers of Dolly Parton
songs. The play was a huge success and the following year saw the release of the soundtrack from the play, as well as winning the Gríman award for best music in a play. She also worked with Icelandic musician KK
, performing songs for the Baltasar Kormákur
film Brúðguminn, as well as releasing an album with Benny Crespo‘s Gang.
In mid-2008, Lovísa spent some time in London recording her third solo album, Farewell Good Night's Sleep, released October 16 the same year. The album was recorded at Toerag Studios
and produced by Liam Watson
.
Lovísa toured extensively in 2009, mostly supporting Emiliana Torrini
in Europe and USA along with headlining shows all over the world. She also performed at festivals such as Glastonbury
, End of the Road Festival
and Into The Great Wide Open. The same year, Lay Low and a film crew recorded Lay Low - Flatey, a live cd/dvd performance on the tiny island of Flatey
, which was released in September.
On the 4th of November 2009 December, a film by Hilmar Oddsson was premiered. Lovísa played one of the leading roles in the film among renowned Icelandic actors Tómas Lemarquis
, Laufey Elíasdóttir and Stefán Hallur Stefánsson. This was her first time acting for a film.
The year 2010 for Lovísa started of with touring far from her home, traveling to Australia and Tokyo with Emiliana Torrini. And in the spring again she got the opportunity to work in the film industry by lending and writing a few of her songs for the film King's Road (Kóngavegur 7).
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
), better known by her stage name, Lay Low, is an Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic artist and singer.
Biography
Lovísa was born to a Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n father and an Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic mother. She moved to Iceland at a young age where she has lived since. As a child she began taking piano lessons but started playing electric bass
Electric Bass
Electric bass can mean:*Electric upright bass, the electric version of a double bass*Electric bass guitar*Bass synthesizer*Big Mouth Billy Bass, a battery-powered singing fish...
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in her teens, and has since then played with numerous local bands. She joined the band Benny Crespo's Gang playing keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
/synthesizers and guitar. It was then when she first started to use her voice.
Lay Low, the alter ego of Lovísa, started to evolve early in 2006. She was spotted by a local label, Cod Music
Cod Music
-Musicians:*Bang Gang*Lay Low*Dr Mister & Mr Handsome*Benny Crespo's Gang*Merzedes Club*Steini*Wulfgang*Disa-External links:**...
, which contacted her and showed an interest in a raw demo song she had published on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. Her music combines elements of blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
.
It was a rapid rise in the music scene for Lovísa. Just a few months after her discovery she released her debut album, Please Don't Hate Me
Please Don't Hate Me
Please Don't Hate Me is the debut album by Icelandic singer and composer Lay Low. It was released October 19, 2006 by the label COD Music and peaked at #2 on the Icelandic album chart. Two singles have been released from the album, the title track, which has been made into video, and Boy Oh Boy...
, which went gold only two months after its release. The following year she was nominated for four of the 2006 Icelandic Music Awards, winning two; Best female singer and best album cover. She was also voted by the nation through phone election as the most popular artist of 2006.
In 2007 she was offered a role in the play Ökutímar by Leikfélag Akureyrar, writing both original songs for the play and performing covers of Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
songs. The play was a huge success and the following year saw the release of the soundtrack from the play, as well as winning the Gríman award for best music in a play. She also worked with Icelandic musician KK
KK (musician)
KK or Kristján Kristjánsson is an Icelandic blues and folk musician. The singer Ellen Kristjánsdóttir is KK's sister....
, performing songs for the Baltasar Kormákur
Baltasar Kormákur
Baltasar Kormákur is an Icelandic actor, theater and film director, and film producer. He is best known for directing the films 101 Reykjavík, Hafið, A Little Trip to Heaven , and a film based on the book Mýrin by Arnaldur Indriðason...
film Brúðguminn, as well as releasing an album with Benny Crespo‘s Gang.
In mid-2008, Lovísa spent some time in London recording her third solo album, Farewell Good Night's Sleep, released October 16 the same year. The album was recorded at Toerag Studios
Toe Rag Studios
Toe Rag Studios is an analogue recording studio located in Hackney, London, UK.-History:The studio was founded in 1991 by Liam Watson and Josh Collins in the Shoreditch area of London. In 1997, the business relocated to Hackney due to rising overheads...
and produced by Liam Watson
Liam Watson
Liam Watson is a Grammy Award-winning British record producer and owner of Toe Rag Studios. Watson is perhaps best known for his work engineering and mixing the White Stripes' Elephant, receiving the 2004 Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album...
.
Lovísa toured extensively in 2009, mostly supporting Emiliana Torrini
Emilíana Torrini
Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir is an Icelandic singer, best known for her 2009 single Jungle Drum, 1999 album Love in the Time of Science and for performing "Gollum's Song" for Peter Jackson's film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.-Early life:Torrini grew up in Kópavogur, where, at the age of...
in Europe and USA along with headlining shows all over the world. She also performed at festivals such as Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
, End of the Road Festival
End Of The Road Festival
End of the Road Festival is an annual music festival in England which focuses on alternative music, mostly folk, alt.country and Americana. It is hosted at the Larmer Tree Gardens, on the border of north Dorset and Wiltshire, and usually takes place over the first or second full weekend in...
and Into The Great Wide Open. The same year, Lay Low and a film crew recorded Lay Low - Flatey, a live cd/dvd performance on the tiny island of Flatey
Flatey
Flatey may refer to either of two islands in Iceland:*Flatey, Breiðafjörður*Flatey, SkjálfandiSee also:* Flateyjarbók, one of the most important medieval Icelandic manuscripts...
, which was released in September.
On the 4th of November 2009 December, a film by Hilmar Oddsson was premiered. Lovísa played one of the leading roles in the film among renowned Icelandic actors Tómas Lemarquis
Tómas Lemarquis
Tómas Lemarquis is an Icelandic actor. He possibly best recalled for his appearance in the 2003 Icelandic film Nói Albínói.Lemarquis is the son of French actor Gérard Lemarquis and an Icelandic mother...
, Laufey Elíasdóttir and Stefán Hallur Stefánsson. This was her first time acting for a film.
The year 2010 for Lovísa started of with touring far from her home, traveling to Australia and Tokyo with Emiliana Torrini. And in the spring again she got the opportunity to work in the film industry by lending and writing a few of her songs for the film King's Road (Kóngavegur 7).
Solo
- Please Don't Hate Me (2006)
- Ökutímar soundtrack (2008)
- Farewell Good Night's Sleep (2008)
- Flatey (CD + DVD) (2009)
- Brostinn strengur (2011)
External links
- Lay Low – Official Website
- Lay Low – Facebook
- Lay Low – Myspace
- Lay Low – Twitter
- Desember Movie Trailer
- "The Moment" – Lay Low video interview in NY February 2010