We recently spoke with Icelandic cinematic pop artist Ragnar Ægir about his music and newest single, “I’m At Home.”

Check out what he had to say.

How excited are you to release “I’m At Home”?

This is single release number #3 and I am announcing the release of my debut EP at the same time so there has been a lot of work going on in the last 12 months to get to this place. As a child, I was obsessed with music, but when the startup tech company I founded took over my life, music was put aside for a full ten years. I had a 30-year crisis and realized that if I was ever going to really get to grips with music I should start now and I decided to have a plan ready before I turned 31. And on my 31st birthday this February, I released my first single “The Surface” which did really well on radio in Germany and Iceland, and the music video featuring Ragga Ragnars from the TV show Vikings got over 100k views.

With this release, I feel the momentum building. I’m getting onto bigger Spotify playlists, and the press and social media response to this release has been way beyond expectations so I am hugely excited but at the same time grateful for all the positive feedback and support from followers. The music video for this release is also going to be a big hit I am sure, Ása Steinars did a fantastic job.

How would you describe the music you play, sound wise?

My goal is always to write timeless cinematic pop songs that work with great visuals. I keep exploring different vibes and emotions, but I think that what always connects the songs is that widescreen vibe that I am trying to develop. I spent my childhood and teenage years obsessing over songwriting and music production. Those passions I somehow “switched off” when I started my technology business, and I did nothing music related in over 10 years. 

Over the last 18 months, writing music has now become a necessity, a type of therapy. In the last few years I was in a dark and shitty place, constantly stressed out, burned out, sleeping poorly. I had to really dig into the core of who I am to realise that this massive part of my childhood – music and songwriting – was potentially a key element to holistic wellbeing. I think all of these feelings and realizations come across in my music. It’s sincere and emotional, dark but somewhat optimistic. A kind of soundtrack for the ups and downs of everyday life.

When people listen to Ragnar Ægir, what are you hoping they get out of it?

The reason I write the songs to begin with is to help me find some kind of inner peace. During my twenties I feel like I got stuck on a path that gave me false satisfaction and a false sense of security and freedom. I know many others share that same struggle. This is why I seek out to work with people like Ása and Ragga because they have gone through a similar journey. You need to be stubborn, fearless and disciplined in order to build the dream, and realize it doesn’t happen overnight but you have to start and get going.  I hope that through my story and music, people will see themselves differently and become inspired to start their dream building journey.

Who is Ragnar Ægir as an artist?

I consider myself a songwriter first and foremost. I put in a lot of effort to write songs that resonate with me and my close circle of collaborators, with the eventual goal of becoming a professional songwriter. I am not an artist with an attitude and you will never see me make fashion statements. I am just a guy who decided one day that if I was ever going to act on my passion for songwriting and music, it’s now or never. I am thankful every day that I made that step and I work very hard at it.

What is cinematic pop in your opinion?

My vision of of cinematic pop is equivalent to the feeling you get when you are sitting in a movie theatre and you see those cinematic black bars at the top and bottom of a very wide screen, and you see some incredible shots, amazing cinematography and framing accompanied by melancholic but moving music that matches the footage seamlessly. The viewer is transformed to that place in the film and for a brief moment is lost in time. A great cinematic pop song should give you the same feeling, and a great cinematic pop song will amplify amazing cinematic footage to a new level if paired together correctly.

Connect with Ragnar Ægir: Website|Instagram|Facebook|Twitter|YouTube

Listen to Ragnar Ægir’s music on Spotify or SoundCloud

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