Magni Ásgeirsson
Encyclopedia
Guðmundur Magni Ásgeirsson (born December 1, 1978 in Egilsstaðir
, Iceland
), is a singer, songwriter, and musician. He is also currently the frontman for the Icelandic pop band Á Móti Sól
. Outside of Iceland, he is most famous for being a contestant on the CBS reality show Rock Star: Supernova.
. He was infatuated with music and performing at an early age, and started a band with his friends and cousins at the age of 11.
By the time he was 15 years old, he was already performing on stage. As a teenager at the Eidar Boarding School, he used the school's musical facilities to hone his skills as a musician. During his years at the school he participated twice at the Icelandic High School Music Competition.
Later, he joined the band SHAPE, which stands for "Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
." The band played in eastern Iceland and released an EP
in 1998, but in 1999, Magni moved to Reykjavik to become lead singer for the band Á Móti Sól after they recruited him.
Á Móti Sól became one of the biggest pop bands in Iceland, producing eight albums, two of which went gold. The band has toured extensively, including performances in Denmark, Germany, Norway, Luxemburg and at the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool
, England
where The Beatles
played in the early 1960s. Magni has also performed duets with other Icelandic pop and rock stars and contributed to various other projects.
Magni is the father of one son, Marinó (born 2005).
(third), and new Rock Star Supernova frontman Lukas Rossi
. A homecoming celebration took place at Smáralind
on September 17, 2006, when Magni returned to Iceland after his three month stint with the CBS show. An estimated 8,000 people welcomed Magni home.
, Storm Large
and Josh Logan
at two concerts in Reykjavik, Iceland to celebrate his birthday. The concerts were named Best Concert of 2006 at the FM957 Listener's Awards in Iceland; Magni himself also won the Best Male Singer 2006 award.
Magni, along with one of his brothers, presents the Bræðslan festival near his hometown of Borgarfjörður Eystri annually during the last weekend of July. The festival has featured performances by top Icelandic artists including Megas
and Paul Oscar
(Páll Óskar); and international acts including the Scottish band, Belle & Sebastian
, and the Irish singer-songwriter, Damien Rice
. Iceland's President
and First Lady
presented Bræðslan with the 2010 Eyrarrós award for excellence in culture in a rural area.
Magni continues to perform with Á Móti Sól
at shows throughout Iceland. In November 2006, the band released a greatest hits album, Á Móti Sól Í 10 Ár, with two new songs and new vocals from Magni on some of the older songs. In August 2007 and 2008, Á Móti Sól was a headliner at one of Iceland's most popular music festivals in Vestmannaeyjar, and performed before a crowd of nearly 50,000 on the main stage at the 2007 Reykjavik Culture Night
festival. The band released their eighth album, 8, in November 2009; six of the songs on the album were released as singles in 2008 and 2009, including "Árin," which reached number one on the Iceland radio chart, and "Til þín," for which Magni wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics.
Magni has also occasionally performed in the U.S. and Canada since his stint on Rock Star: Supernova, including several shows as a duo with Dilana. In addition, he sang and played guitar for Dilana as an opening act on the January/February 2007 Rock Star Supernova North American tour and opening for Aerosmith
at a benefit concert at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Prior to the release of his solo album, Magni posted studio versions of four English language original songs on his official MySpace
and website - "See You Tonight," which he wrote while participating in Rock Star: Supernova and which is featured on his solo album; "When the Time Comes," which he performed on that show and which appears on the 2010 version of his solo album and as a bonus track on Á Móti Sól Í 10 Ár; "My Pain" and "It's Not About Us". The latter three songs were originally recorded in Icelandic.
In late 2007/early 2008, Magni and Birgitta Haukdal
performed the song "Núna veit ég," written by former GusGus
member Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir
, in the qualifying rounds to select the song to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
. The song won its qualifying and semi-final rounds, but did not win the final selection. Magni has competed before to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest
, performing the song "Flottur karl, Sæmi rokk," which qualified for the Icelandic finals as a wild card in 2006.
Magni sings the opening theme for LazyTown Extra, which first premiered in the UK in September 2008, and is a spin-off of the popular children's show, LazyTown
. In addition to his work with Á Móti Sól and as a solo artist, he is also the vocalist in a Queen
tribute band, called Killer Queen, that performs occasionally at clubs and events throughout Iceland.
In 2011, he will participate for the second time in the Icelandic selection for Eurovison Songcontest.
, who will be releasing a somewhat modified version of the album on CD worldwide on June 8, 2010 in addition to digital downloads via the major digital music services, such as iTunes
. It is his first solo and full-length English-language album. The 2010 version has a re-ordered track list, dropped the tracks "Creep" and "Mistake", and added "When The Time Comes".
Track list (Original release): "If I Promised You the World," "Words Unspoken," "Play with Me," "See You Tonight," "Alone," "Addicted," "Mistake," "Tear Us Apart," "You Say," "Creep," "Let Me in the Dark," "World Alone," "The Dolphin's Cry" (bonus track)
Track list (2010 release): "If I Promised You the World," "Play With Me," "When The Time Comes," "Addicted," "You Say," "Let Me in the Dark," "See You Tonight," "Alone," "Words Unspoken," "Tear Us Apart," "World Alone," "The Dolphin's Cry" (bonus track)
The first single from Magni, "If I Promised You the World," debuted on Icelandic radio on July 4, 2007, and has reached number one on the Icelandic singles chart. "Addicted" and "See You Tonight" were also released as radio singles in Iceland. Magni unveiled many of the album's songs during two live performances at the Bræðslan festival in July 2007. The song, "Play With Me," was inspired by Magni's young son, Marinó, and was co-written with Marinó's mother, Eyrún Huld Haraldsdóttir. The songs "You Say" and "World Alone" date back to 1997-1998 during Magni's time with the band SHAPE; earlier recordings of both songs appear on SHAPE's 1998 Limited Edition EP.
Egilsstaðir
Egilsstaðir is a town in east Iceland on the banks of Lagarfljót river.It is part of the municipality of Fljótsdalshérað, the county seat of Norður-Múlasýsla and the largest settlement of the Austurland region with, as of 2011, a population of 2,257 inhabitants.-Overview:Egilsstadir is located at...
, 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...
), is a singer, songwriter, and musician. He is also currently the frontman for the Icelandic pop band Á Móti Sól
Á Móti Sól
Á Móti Sól is an Icelandic pop band formed in the fall of 1995 by Þórir Gunnarsson and Heimir Eyvindarson. Stefán Þórhallsson joined the band in the spring of 1997, Sævar Þór Helgason in the spring of 1998, and Magni Ásgeirsson in the fall 1999....
. Outside of Iceland, he is most famous for being a contestant on the CBS reality show Rock Star: Supernova.
Biography
The third of four children, Magni was born in a small town in eastern Iceland. He lived on a farm in the village of Borgarfjörður EystriBorgarfjörður Eystri
Borgarfjörður Eystri is a fjord in east Iceland.It is part of the municipality of Borgarfjarðarhreppur and, as of 2011, the area has a population of around 100 inhabitants. The main settlement is Bakkagerði....
. He was infatuated with music and performing at an early age, and started a band with his friends and cousins at the age of 11.
By the time he was 15 years old, he was already performing on stage. As a teenager at the Eidar Boarding School, he used the school's musical facilities to hone his skills as a musician. During his years at the school he participated twice at the Icelandic High School Music Competition.
Later, he joined the band SHAPE, which stands for "Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
." The band played in eastern Iceland and released an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 1998, but in 1999, Magni moved to Reykjavik to become lead singer for the band Á Móti Sól after they recruited him.
Á Móti Sól became one of the biggest pop bands in Iceland, producing eight albums, two of which went gold. The band has toured extensively, including performances in Denmark, Germany, Norway, Luxemburg and at the famous Cavern Club in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, 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...
where The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
played in the early 1960s. Magni has also performed duets with other Icelandic pop and rock stars and contributed to various other projects.
Magni is the father of one son, Marinó (born 2005).
Rock Star: Supernova
Magni was virtually unknown outside of Iceland until he competed on the U.S.-produced music television show, Rock Star: Supernova, in the summer of 2006 where he earned himself the nickname of "Ice-Man". He distinguished himself on the show with consistently solid vocal performances and his rapport with the show's House Band, as commented upon by the show's judges and host. Magni made it to the show's season finale, finishing fourth, behind Dilana (second) and Toby RandToby Rand
Toby William Lloyd Rand is an Australian singer best known for being lead singer of Rock band, Juke Kartel and his appearance on Rock Star: Supernova. He is the lead vocalist for Melbourne rock band Juke Kartel....
(third), and new Rock Star Supernova frontman Lukas Rossi
Lukas Rossi
Lukas Rossi is a Canadian rock musician and was the winner of the CBS Television reality series Rock Star: Supernova - a televised audition contest to become lead singer of the Hard Rock Supergroup Rock Star Supernova.-Biography:Rossi was born a women and served time in jail...
. A homecoming celebration took place at Smáralind
Smáralind
Smáralind is located in the middle of the Greater Reykjavík Area, Iceland. It is one of the biggest shopping malls in Iceland, with over seventy shops, restaurants and services. It contains everything from a cinema and pharmacy to a Vínbúð liquor store, candy stores and restaurants. Smáralind was...
on September 17, 2006, when Magni returned to Iceland after his three month stint with the CBS show. An estimated 8,000 people welcomed Magni home.
Recent work
On November 30 and December 1, 2006, Magni presented and performed with the Rock Star: Supernova House Band, and fellow Rock Star contestants Dilana, Toby RandToby Rand
Toby William Lloyd Rand is an Australian singer best known for being lead singer of Rock band, Juke Kartel and his appearance on Rock Star: Supernova. He is the lead vocalist for Melbourne rock band Juke Kartel....
, Storm Large
Storm Large
Storm Large is a singer best known as a contestant on the CBS reality television show Rock Star: Supernova.-Personal life:...
and Josh Logan
Josh Logan
Josh Logan of Manchester, New Hampshire, is the front man and vocalist for his three-person band whose self-titled first album is "Josh Logan and Nobody's Business." In 2006, he was a contestant on the CBS program Rock Star: Supernova.-Biography:Inspired by Stevie Wonder and Pearl Jam, Logan began...
at two concerts in Reykjavik, Iceland to celebrate his birthday. The concerts were named Best Concert of 2006 at the FM957 Listener's Awards in Iceland; Magni himself also won the Best Male Singer 2006 award.
Magni, along with one of his brothers, presents the Bræðslan festival near his hometown of Borgarfjörður Eystri annually during the last weekend of July. The festival has featured performances by top Icelandic artists including Megas
Megas
Megas , is a rock and roll singer, songwriter and writer who is well-known in his native country of Iceland.-Interest in music:...
and Paul Oscar
Paul Oscar
Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson , known internationally as Páll Óskar and Paul Oscar, is an Icelandic pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey. He had a musical childhood, singing at private functions, with choirs and for media advertisements, but was affected by bullying in school and tension between his...
(Páll Óskar); and international acts including the Scottish band, Belle & Sebastian
Belle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996. Belle and Sebastian are often compared with influential indie bands such as The Smiths, as well as classic acts such as Love, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et Sébastien, a 1965...
, and the Irish singer-songwriter, Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
. Iceland's President
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson is the fifth and current President of Iceland. He has served as President since 1996; he was unopposed in 2000, re-elected for a third term in 2004, and re-elected unopposed for a fourth term in 2008. He is the longest-serving left-wing president in the history of...
and First Lady
Dorrit Moussaieff
Dorrit Moussaieff is an Israeli-born British jewellery designer, editor and businesswoman. She is the First Lady of Iceland, married to Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, president of Iceland.-Biography:...
presented Bræðslan with the 2010 Eyrarrós award for excellence in culture in a rural area.
Magni continues to perform with Á Móti Sól
Á Móti Sól
Á Móti Sól is an Icelandic pop band formed in the fall of 1995 by Þórir Gunnarsson and Heimir Eyvindarson. Stefán Þórhallsson joined the band in the spring of 1997, Sævar Þór Helgason in the spring of 1998, and Magni Ásgeirsson in the fall 1999....
at shows throughout Iceland. In November 2006, the band released a greatest hits album, Á Móti Sól Í 10 Ár, with two new songs and new vocals from Magni on some of the older songs. In August 2007 and 2008, Á Móti Sól was a headliner at one of Iceland's most popular music festivals in Vestmannaeyjar, and performed before a crowd of nearly 50,000 on the main stage at the 2007 Reykjavik Culture Night
Menningarnótt
Menningarnótt or "cultural night" is a yearly event held in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, usually on the first Saturday after the 18th of August...
festival. The band released their eighth album, 8, in November 2009; six of the songs on the album were released as singles in 2008 and 2009, including "Árin," which reached number one on the Iceland radio chart, and "Til þín," for which Magni wrote the music and co-wrote the lyrics.
Magni has also occasionally performed in the U.S. and Canada since his stint on Rock Star: Supernova, including several shows as a duo with Dilana. In addition, he sang and played guitar for Dilana as an opening act on the January/February 2007 Rock Star Supernova North American tour and opening for Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
at a benefit concert at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Prior to the release of his solo album, Magni posted studio versions of four English language original songs on his official 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....
and website - "See You Tonight," which he wrote while participating in Rock Star: Supernova and which is featured on his solo album; "When the Time Comes," which he performed on that show and which appears on the 2010 version of his solo album and as a bonus track on Á Móti Sól Í 10 Ár; "My Pain" and "It's Not About Us". The latter three songs were originally recorded in Icelandic.
In late 2007/early 2008, Magni and Birgitta Haukdal
Birgitta Haukdal
Birgitta Haukdal Brynjarsdóttir , also known by her mononym Birgitta, is an Icelandic singer. She rose to domestic media prominence as the lead singer of pop band Írafár...
performed the song "Núna veit ég," written by former GusGus
GusGus
GusGus are a band from Reykjavík, Iceland. They were founded in 1995. Their discography consists of eight studio albums and one live record.- History :...
member Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir
Hafdís Huld
Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir is an Icelandic singer and actress, formerly of GusGus.-Biography:Hafdís toured the world as a 15-year-old with Icelandic band GusGus. After leaving the band she started writing her own songs, and collaborated with FC Kahuna, co-writing their singles "Hayling" and "Machine...
, in the qualifying rounds to select the song to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Iceland participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "This Is My Life" performed by Eurobandið. It was chosen through Laugardagslögin, the national selection for Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. The winning song of the final, "This Is My Life" by Eurobandið,...
. The song won its qualifying and semi-final rounds, but did not win the final selection. Magni has competed before to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Iceland has entered the Eurovision Song Contest 24 times since their debut in 1986. Iceland did not enter in 1998 and 2002 when prevented due to finishing outside qualification places the preceding years....
, performing the song "Flottur karl, Sæmi rokk," which qualified for the Icelandic finals as a wild card in 2006.
Magni sings the opening theme for LazyTown Extra, which first premiered in the UK in September 2008, and is a spin-off of the popular children's show, LazyTown
LazyTown
LazyTown is a children's television program that was produced in Iceland with a cast and crew from Iceland, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was created by Magnús Scheving, a gymnastics champion and CEO of LazyTown Entertainment, who also stars in the show...
. In addition to his work with Á Móti Sól and as a solo artist, he is also the vocalist in a Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
tribute band, called Killer Queen, that performs occasionally at clubs and events throughout Iceland.
In 2011, he will participate for the second time in the Icelandic selection for Eurovison Songcontest.
Solo album
Magni has a solo album in English that was originally released on CD in Iceland on August 3, 2007 and as a digital download elsewhere in the world on October 9, 2007. The self-titled album, Magni, was recorded in Iceland and Denmark. The album reached number one on the Icelandic album chart. Magni has since signed to the American record label, Spectra RecordsSpectra Records
The Spectra Music Group is a United States music company founded in February 1997 comprising the independent record company Spectra Records—which is based in the United States and Canada.-Labels and projects:...
, who will be releasing a somewhat modified version of the album on CD worldwide on June 8, 2010 in addition to digital downloads via the major digital music services, such as iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. It is his first solo and full-length English-language album. The 2010 version has a re-ordered track list, dropped the tracks "Creep" and "Mistake", and added "When The Time Comes".
Track list (Original release): "If I Promised You the World," "Words Unspoken," "Play with Me," "See You Tonight," "Alone," "Addicted," "Mistake," "Tear Us Apart," "You Say," "Creep," "Let Me in the Dark," "World Alone," "The Dolphin's Cry" (bonus track)
Track list (2010 release): "If I Promised You the World," "Play With Me," "When The Time Comes," "Addicted," "You Say," "Let Me in the Dark," "See You Tonight," "Alone," "Words Unspoken," "Tear Us Apart," "World Alone," "The Dolphin's Cry" (bonus track)
The first single from Magni, "If I Promised You the World," debuted on Icelandic radio on July 4, 2007, and has reached number one on the Icelandic singles chart. "Addicted" and "See You Tonight" were also released as radio singles in Iceland. Magni unveiled many of the album's songs during two live performances at the Bræðslan festival in July 2007. The song, "Play With Me," was inspired by Magni's young son, Marinó, and was co-written with Marinó's mother, Eyrún Huld Haraldsdóttir. The songs "You Say" and "World Alone" date back to 1997-1998 during Magni's time with the band SHAPE; earlier recordings of both songs appear on SHAPE's 1998 Limited Edition EP.
External links
- Magni Ásgeirsson's official Myspace
- Magni Ásgeirsson's official page on Facebook
- Magni-ficent.com Fan Forums - Official Fan Site
- Magni's current band, A Móti Sól (in Icelandic)
- Magni's live space site
- Biography on MSN site (Archived January 25, 2007)
- Magni's former band Shape (Archived March 19, 2007)
- Interview with Magni at WickedInfo.com