Eivør | The Queen of Faroese Music

The Faroe Islands counts a truly incredible number of talented musicians among its small populace. Singer-songwriter Eivør Pálsdóttir is a shining star of the talent coming from the Faroe Islands.  

Eivør’s music defies simple categorisation, though she is often compared to Kate Bush and Björk. With her powerful, versatile voice, Eivør has produced music in a wide range of genres, including folk, jazz, rock, pop, and electronica.

Her work is at once deeply rooted in the Faroese folk-music. The music is influenced by a wide variety of modern international artists and styles, and enriched with pan-Nordic sounds from Icelandic, Danish, Sámi and Greenlandic musical traditions. 

Long beloved in her home country, where she has won countless Faroese music awards, Eivør’s music is now reaching an increasingly international audience. In recent years, she has released albums in English, toured throughout Europe and the United States, and collaborated on major television and videogame soundtracks.

The Faroe Islands are one of the most musical places on earth. Some say there’s something in the seawater, in the wild natural music of the wind and waves on these remote islands. Others point to the centuries-old custom of ring-dancing to ballads, as well as the long history of Faroese fiddle music and church hymns. 

Still others credit the sense of community. The Faroes are the kind of place where songs are given as wedding gifts, holidays are celebrated with communal sing-alongs, and music festivals are among the cultural high points of the year. There are few Faroese people who don’t touch the music scene in some way or another, by playing an instrument, singing in a choir, or writing poetry. 

Where is Eivør from?

Eivør grew up in the picture-perfect village of Syðrugøta in the Faroe Islands. The seaside settlement on Eysturoy Island is fully immersed in both the beautiful nature and the rich cultural traditions of the islands. 

Eivør’s parents were her first mentors: her mother loved singing around the house, while her father was a storyteller and poet. She also credits the vibrant music community in Syðrugøta as a ‘stepping-stone’, helping get her musical career off to a bright and early start.

By the time Eivør was 13, she was singing on Faroese television. At 15, she was the lead singer of the Faroese rock band Clickhaze.

What language does Eivør sing in?

Eivør is fascinated by languages, often comparing their sounds and shapes to different instruments for the human voice. She speaks and has recorded music in no less than six languages – Faroese, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, and English.

She studied music in Reykjavik, where she quickly distinguished herself in the Icelandic music scene, winning both Best Singer and Best Performer at the 2003 Icelandic Music Awards – a rare honor for a non-Icelandic artist. Eivør has also won the Icelandic Gríma award for her composition and performance in Úlfhamssaga, a theatrical performance based on the Norse sagas.

Albums by Eivør

Eivør released her first solo album at the age of 16. The self-titled Eivør Pálsdóttir (2000) was soon to become a classic album in the Faroe Islands. 

Following the release of Krákan (2003) and Eivør (2004), she was named Ársins Føroyingur (Faroe Islander of the Year). The young singer took the islands by storm.

Trøllabundin (2005), the 40^th anniversary album of the Danish Radio Big Band, was entirely written and sung by Eivør, with songs in both Faroese and Danish. In 2006, she won best female vocalist at the Danish Folk Music Awards.

People in the Faroe Islands speak English flawless and so does Eivør. Mannabarn (2007), was her first album to be simultaneously released with a full English-language version, Human Child. 

Albums between 2010-2014

With the release of Larva (2010), Eivør signalled a stylistic shift away from her earlier folk focus. The sound is more electronic and experimental.

Ten of Larva’s eleven tracks are in English. Same goes for all but the bonus track on her next release, Room (2012), a uniquely ‘Eivør’ album awash with powerful vocals and poignant emotion. 

The Album Slør from 2015

In 2015, Eivør released what she has described as her dream project: two companion albums, Bridges and Slør, in English and Faroese respectively. She would go on to publish a full English-language version of Slør as well. The themes of these albums, like much of Eivør’s music, center on her two most fundamental inspirations: her family, and the wild Faroese nature. 

With sweet tracks like “Remember Me” “and “Purple Flowers,” in which Eivør sings, “Mama, mama, soon I’ll be coming home,” Bridges is filled with deep emotions about friends, family, and life changes. A fun fact on the topic of family: Eivør’s little sister Elinborg is a promising, up-and-coming musician in her own right! 

Slør focuses more on the forces of nature, including many songs about the Faroese legend of the kópakona, meaning seal-woman, or selkie. The way Eivør’s voice merges into the interplay between electronic and organic sounds on this album sends shivers down the spine; it’s especially magical to listen to this album beside the sea-spray and the selkie statue in Mikladalur, where the true story was said to have taken place. Eivør even performed here live when the sculpture was unveiled.  

“I grew up very close to nature,” Eivør said in an interview for Stacja Islandia, “and it vibrates very deep within me. In the middle of the Atlantic ocean, nature can sometimes be very wild and rough. People have huge respect for nature up there. Nature always reminds me that I am not alone, and that I´m a part of something greater. It´s there in my music for sure.”

Albums between 2015-19

In recent years, Eivør’s voice has reached ears around the world through her work on two major soundtracks. She collaborated with Bear McCreary on the God of War videogame music in 2016, and with John Lunn on the soundtrack for the series The Last Kingdom in 2018. Her powerful vocals provide the perfect haunting, ethereal, and intensely Nordic sound to both projects.

In a 2017 interview with Annabel Strange, Eivør spoke of the influence that Faroese ring-dancing and the ‘pulse’ of shamanic Sámi drumming have had on her music. “That’s what I think is the most beautiful thing about this chain dancing thing, that shared energy,” Eivør said. “I just love the sound of it – this heavy beat that almost sounds like an underground heavy metal techno beat.”

Albums after 2020

Eivør release the album Segl in 2020. She has toured both Europe and US with the album.

“I think that every album I make is marked by where I am in my life creatively and also personally,” she said in an interview with Alp Kılıç “and every album has elements from my previous work entwined with new elements which I am curious to explore. Slør is very much about home sickness and returning back to my roots. Segl is more about looking out and navigating through unknown places.”

The Nordic Council Music Prize to Eivør

In 2021, Eivør won the Nordic Council Music Prize, which is awarded every two years to a performing musician or ensemble from one of the Nordic nations. The Nordic Music Committee gave the following rationale:

“Eivør has crafted a unique career since she stepped, almost fully formed, into the music scene in her native country, the Faroe Islands. A naturally gifted musician – with a beautiful singing voice, great guitar skills and an all-encompassing stage presence – Eivør has charmed music lovers the world over. 

She released her first eponymous album in 2000, a folk/jazz-tinged affair but has tackled a variety of styles since then, touching on noise-rock, country, experimental, classical music and all out pop-diva material. All of these endeavours have been infused with remarkable artistry and integrity. 

Eivør’s tireless work-ethic over the past years has cast a spotlight on her home country and she meticulosity works with her musical heritage and native language. Eivør is a bona fide “Nordic” artist but at the same time she has managed to carve out a status as an international pop star, travelling around the world with her renowned stage act. A brave and curious artist, she manages to connect with her audience with remarkable ease, tapping into the humane side of all us with both dignity and grace.”

We couldn’t agree more. 

Eivør Concert in the Faroe Islands

Fans of Faroese culture can hope to catch an Eivør concert at a venue near them someday, or even to see her perform at home in the Faroe Island. Check out the G! Festival in her hometown of Syðrugøta, where she performs on the beach almost every year. 

If you aren’t lucky enough to watch her live, don’t despair. An Eivør playlist makes the perfect soundtrack for any adventure in the Faroe Islands!

A Taste of Eivør in Ten Songs

Eivør’s range is so broad that there’s something in her discography for almost every listener. Not sure where to start? Here is a selection of a few favourite tracks to get you started:

Rain / Room (2012)

A good place to dive in, this song showcases Eivør’s haunting vocals and vibrant lyrics. Listen with your eyes closed and a good pair of headphones, and you’ll feel as you’ve watched a Faroese rainstorm rage from Eivør’s hometown.

The music video, a beautiful period drama in four minutes, alludes to the many Faroese fisherman who have never made it back home to their waiting families. Hearing Eivør perform this song live on the beach in Syðrugøta at G! Festival is an unforgettable experience.

Far Away / Room (2012)

A sweet and beautiful song about childhood and family. The music video gives a lovely glimpse into Eivør’s core memories and musical inspiration.

While recording Room, Eivør’s father passed away, and the album is dedicated to him.  “I still see you and your footprints in the sand / Memories shape me like clay in your hand / You are far away from here / far away but near.”

Trøllabundin / Various

A favorite for many foreign Eivør fans, Trøllabundin is a powerful exploration of Nordic music influences. Faroese lyrics are combined with Greenlandic-style throat-singing and Sámi-style joiking; Eivør often sings this song accompanied only by her own beating on a Sámi drum.

The recording on the Slør albums is astonishing, but it’s also fun to go back and listen to older versions. Enjoy a couple of visions of the song and you will see how the song has evolved over the years. She never performs it the same way twice!

Nú Brennur Tú I Mær / Krákan (2003)

The title translates to ‘Now you are burning inside of me.’ This early Eivør classic burns with fiery, unrequited passion.

Whether you listen to the first release on the album Krákan, the jazzy version with Danish Radio Big Band (Trøllabundin 2005) or one of many live recordings, this song is great. A powerful and energetic song.

Elisabet og Elinborg / Mannabarn (2007)

A soft, sweet song Eivør wrote about her two little sisters. The song is now a favourite among Faroe Islanders when singing.

You are likely to hear it at any big sing-along, such as the annual ones at G! Festival and Ólavsøka. Attend the G! Festival and you are likely to hear the song with Elisabet, Elinborg, and Eivør themselves in attendance!

Undo Your Mind / Larva (2010)

An English release that showed Eivør moving away from her folk roots and experimenting with a darker, more electronic sound. The result feels powerful and primal.

“I can feel it all around / In every song, in every sound / In the mountains, in the trees / I feel it in the air I breathe”. The sound is more electric and rough than ever in her career.

Mjørkaflókar / Slør (2015)

A gorgeously atmospheric song. It features vivid descriptions of fog filling the Faroese fjord valleys.

Eivør says the song is meant as a metaphor about dementia, and it is dedicated to a special friend. If you would rather listen in English, search for Fog Banks (Slør 2017).

Verð Mín / Slør (2015)

Another beautiful and atmospheric song. Like several other songs on the album, the lyrics are adapted from the poems of Marjun Syderbø Kjælnes and inspired by the Faroese folktale of Kópakonan, or seal-woman.

In Verð Mín, the selkie stands alone, frightened yet curious, as the human man approaches. Is this a love song, or an abduction? The words and scene are ambivalent and otherworldly. An English-language version, My World, is on the 2017 Slør album.

Salt / Slør (2015)

The story of the seal-woman continues with Salt, a song thrumming with the power of the ocean – and a woman who takes her fate into her own hands. The English recording, also titled Salt, can be found on the 2017 Slør album.

“The tide is turning. / The undertow takes ahold of me./ I know I should go now, / I know that it’s time. / Out on the horizon, / A storm is brewing. / I let the breakers rush over me / And feel the ocean’s heart pounding. / Surging through my body, / The ocean in me.”

The Last Kingdom / The Last Kingdom (2018)

We could go on and on. Here is a taste of Eivør’s soundtrack work from the historical television fiction The Last Kingdom.

Who else could better capture that ancient Nordic sound? The queen of Faroese music, for sure.

Inspired to learn more about the archipelago where Eivør was born and raised up? Browse the largest selection of tours and activities in the Faroe Islands ready to fill your wanderlust.