back

biography / portrait

Hafdis Huld started singing with the nine-piece Icelandic collective Gus Gus when she was just 15 years old. She toured the world through out the rest of her teens, enjoying Europe-wide recognition and widespread attention across the UK and America. When she had time away from her busy performing schedule she developed her acting career, winning lead roles in several Icelandic films. On moving to the UK Hafdis was keen to start writing her own songs and quickly collaborated with FC Kahuna, co-writing their singles ‘Hayling’ and ‘Machine Says Yes’ at the same time starting to develop songs that would eventually form the basis of her solo album ‘Dirty Paper Cup’. In Spring 06 Hafdis signed a solo recording deal with UK independent label Redgrape, and from that ‘Dirty Paper Cup’ was released. ‘Dirty Paper Cup’ was written with song-writing collaborators including Chris Corner from Sneaker Pimps, Pascal Gabriel and producer Jim ‘Arctic Monkeys’ Abbiss. These disparate elements were pulled into sharp focus by the twin talents of producers Neil MacColl and Ivor Novello Nominated Boo Hewerdine who teased Hafdis imaginative take on life into a very quirky, hook filled seductive pop album of unique charm and wit. Recorded in Producer Neil MacColl's House Hafdis called upon inspirations such as Bert Bacharach and Dolly Parton to complete the diverse and intricate sound of her debut album. ‘Dirty Paper Cup’ has won the ‘Best Pop Album 2006’ at the Icelandic Music Awards and the video for ‘Tomoko’ was nominated in the best video category. The Tomoko video is a quirky hand held video of Hafdis and her best friend dressing up and dancing in her bedroom which resulted in 30 000 viewings within two weeks through the likes of My Space, You Tube, Organ TV and Video C, and was broadcast nationwide on teen favourite Top Shop TV. This year Hafdis has been busy promoting her album, completing a very successful support tour with Scottish heart throb Paolo Nutini, playing across Europe as part of Les Femmes S’en Melent Festival as well as her own headline dates. This summer she has made appearances at Glastonbury, Hultsfred, Secret Garden Party and The Big Chill Festivals as well as a sell out gig in her birthtown Kopavogur. She is now back in the studio not only working on her second album, but songs for an Icelandic Saturday Night TV show “Laugardagslogin” or Star Songs, in which 12 artists write songs that go in competition against each other, and the audience vote for the winner. Not only was Hafdis the youngest competitor to be chosen for the show, at the moment one of her songs in the final. Watch this space… (source: www.hafdis.com)