FM Belfast knows How to Make Friends

Icelandic collective is making waves across the ocean

By Erin Lyndal Martin
Published: May 10th, 2010 | 10:30am

They may hail from the same part of Iceland as Björk, but FM Belfast is quickly garnering worldwide media attention and was recently named SPIN's Artist of the Day. The electro pop band's rapid success is no surprise given their infectious music, which, lyrically, spans from underwear to VHS nostalgia on their debut album, How to Make Friends (World Champion). Also included are deft covers of Technotronic's "Pump Up the Jam" and Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name."

While the band ranges from three to eight members, the three core members include Arni Vil, Arni Pluseinn, and Loa Hjalmtysdottir. The lineup is often extend by borrowed members from fellow Icelanders Múm and Retro Stefson and the occasional friends, family, and fans who find themselves on stage during the live show. "It started out as a spur of the moment kind of thing when our friends started piling on stage," says Hjalmtysdottir. "Then some of them started bringing instruments with them and then strangers started coming on stage also. It's not like that on all of our shows—it just depends on the mood and the party."

FM Belfast—a name that the band says has no meaning—officially formed in late 2005 but didn't perform live until the Iceland Airwaves festival in 2006. The story of the band's formation is one of happy accidents: the members met in hospitals, flea markets, schools, and on buses. Together, they discovered a shared musical aesthetic and comfortable collaboration style. While they began playing shows locally, the band didn't want to limit their options to Iceland's small range of venues: "Iceland has so many bands but very few venues. We only have very big venues or very small ones. One of the last middle-sized places actually burnt down last month. Economy crisis, burning venues and volcanoes spewing ash—it’s quite a spectacle," says Hjalmtysdottir, noting her own fear that sticking just to Icelandic audiences, people could get bored easily and say, "Oh, God, them again!"

Hjalmtysdottir says that most of FM Belfast's music is composed collectively, but doesn't cite any particular influences (aside from admitting to a childhood love of Queen). While their music is practically a command to dance, Hjalmtysdottir doesn't think that the band has any underlying political or social message to share: "We don’t have a deliberate message but we all have our opinions of course. We are not trying to be a political band or to bring a message. We just try our best to make music and hope it all goes well."

And usually it does, given the reception the band gets from audiences at their concerts. Aside from people piling onstage, Hjalmtysdottir says the band doesn't have any particularly unusual touring habits. "I like to play computer games, like time management games," she says. A moment later, she adds, "We have two members who like to get up early to go jogging. I think that's weird."

__

FM Belfast official Web site

FM Belfast MySpace page

World Champion Records