A quick Hello from Germany !

Hello everyone.

Thought I would use the few minutes I have until going on stage here in Munich to write a few lines about what has been going on. Me and Alisdair are on a acoustic tour in Switzerland and Germany at the moment. Tonight is the first German date, but Switzerland has been wonderful. We played in St Gallen, Chur and two gigs in Zurich. And are already looking forward to going back to Switzerland with the whole band next year.

The picture is of me posing with a little people sandwich. It was waiting for me in the dressing room in St Gallen.

Will try to post more pics tomorrow or when I next have internet.
xxxx

Album being released in Iceland next week !

It is all very exciting at the moment, my new album Synchronised swimmers will be released in Iceland on monday and I am taking my band over there on tuesday. We will be playing Iceland Airwaves Festival on thursday and release gigs for the album both in Reykjavik and in Akureyri.
I think my dad is already planning how to scare the band with some traditional Icelandic food. Offering rotten shark is always a classic, because just the smell can make people cry, I will try to catch Sarah's face on camera if she actually tires it. ( I don't eat it, it os horrible, but won't be telling the foreign people that until afterwards, it is just too entertaining to watch ).

It has been snowing in Iceland last week, and I really hope it will be covered in snow when the band is there, Iceland looks so much more magical under a blanket of snow.

Later my darlings.
xxxx

New video diary, part 6.

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Free track of my new album.

I'm giving away a track from my brand new album exclusively to friends on my mailing list. To get a free download of 'Robot Robot', just join my list at http://www.reverbnation.com/hafdishuld

New album is mixed now !!!!!!!!!!!

I am writing this from the studio in Iceland where just finished mixing my second album with Mr Phill Brown, he is one rock..n roll grandpa. I have too many songs at the moment so over the next few days I will be choosing what songs will make it all the way to the album. It will be released here in Iceland in October but not until early 2010 in Europe.
Have also finished all the sewing for the artwork so now it just needs to be put together by Martin.

Later
xxxxxx

Mixing the new album.

I have been too busy to write a blog for the last couple of weeks, we have been putting the finishing touches on the new album to have everything ready for mixing this week. We started the mixing yesterday at a studio in Iceland, and knowing my luck the computer in the SSL died right before my session! Not ideal when you have flown in 3 people to work with you. So we spent yesterday trying to work around it while a team of studio engineers tried everything possible to fix it. Just before we left last night
this engineer that kooks like he could hack into banks or the white house shows up, and sadly not even he could wake up the computer. So this morning he left for England to bring back a new computer. So hopefully tomorrow it will be working like normal. So until then we will be doing some old school mixing using human faders.

Flatey, puffins and Magnus the dancer.

Flatey is a tiny island and is a part of Iceland. It has 20 or thirty cute old houses, and walking around the island feels like going back in time ( I know this because I do a lot of time travel ). Me and Alisdair played a little acoustic gig in the restaurant/hotel/play school ...... well it´s the house were stuff happens. Lots of people came to the gig, actually I didn´t realise there were that many people on the island, so we were very happy with the turnout. One of my favorite moments of the evening was when a little boy named Magnus started doing a very enthusiastic dance to my song Kongulo, we are talking moonwalking and everything. He came to see us afterwards and posed for a picture, and I promised I would post a picture of us with Magnus the tiny dance master.
Before I end this I have to say Puffins are brilliant, wanted to take one home they are so cute. But when I went to the local restaurant for dinner they were serving puffin and potatoes, that´s almost like eating a penguin, make it stop.
I DID NOT EAT MY LITTLE PUFFIN FRIENDS!!!!!!

Later
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Only a few days until I go to Iceland !

I have finally booked a ticket to go home to Iceland. I am playing an acoustic gig there with an Icelandic rock star called Bubbi, we are quite different artists so it should be interesting. He has written some great songs in his career and I am trying to pick one to add to my set. I was struggling to find a flight to Iceland for a reasonable price, because it is......... a) the middle of the tourist season, b) short notice ,c ) not the best time to pay for things in Icelandic krona's. So it wasn't looking great. I did hope that I would find the end of the rainbow where they keep all the gold, but that sadly hasn't happened yet. But I spoke to a very nice lady at Icelandair UK and she gave me a special banjo player discount ( it was looking more and more likely I would have to go on my own and I promise you, no one needs to hear my banjo solo's ).

So I want to say thank you to www.icelandair.co.uk for sorting out Mr Banjoman's flight.

Talking about new album and Kongulo at ITN.

Email from " The Human Spider "

Yes I am telling the truth ! This morning I got an email from Alain Robert, aka Spiderman.
And guess what he has listened to Kongulo many times and really likes it, says that he is very happy with the lyrics I wrote about him. How cool is that.

So Spiderman likes my Spiderman song.

JJJJJJJJJEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthday picture !

This summery picture for the cover of Leifur magazine was taken on my birthday. So I had lots of ballons for the photo shoot.

Glasgow gig and a pink hippo ! ( In a leotard )

Me and Alisdair played a lovely venue in Glasgow called Brel. It was kind of like playing in a green house, but in a greenhouse full of people. They looked after us really well gave us nice food and were so lovely. But I can't mention Glasgow without mentioning Angela. I first met her when I played in Glasgow almost 2 years ago, then she made me a cat in a ski jumper on ski's. This time she made me a pink hippo in a leotard and tutu. She told be that she was going to make me a horse but the head got so fat that she turned it into a hippo. I don't know where the connection comes from this time as I don't have songs about a hippo's or horses, but maybe I should write one called Hippos and horses.

Here is a picture of me Angela and the hippo.



To see more of Angela's toys go to www.angelatiara.etsy.com

BC Northampton radio session last night.

Did a radio session at BBC Northampton. Talked a lot like always, played some songs, taught Natasha some Icelandic and had hot chocolate.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p001d7gh

Video clips from acoustic gig in Bath !

Somebody has posted a few video's from my acoustic gig in Bath the other day. Here is a link.

http://gigger.co.uk/videos/414
http://gigger.co.uk/videos/416
http://gigger.co.uk/videos/415
http://gigger.co.uk/videos/411

Pictures from last nights gig !

Our friend Jason Sheldon took some lovely pictures of the band last night. He also gave me prints of pictures he recently took of Dolly. I asked him if he mentioned the idea of a duet with me, but apparently he wasn't in the best position to bring that up since he was photographing her at a live gig. Well there is always next time Jason.

For more of Jason's lovely picture

www.junction10.net

Hafdis Huld on getcloser.com

Hafdis Huld on getcloser.com

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Jeyyyyyyyyyy !!!!!!!!!

Just found out that my new single Kónguló is at nr 1. at the charts at Bylgjan. (One of two biggest radio stations in Iceland). And also nr 1. at their sister station Létt Bylgjan.



1.Kónguló - Hafdís Huld
2.Fairytale - Alexander Rybak
3.Please don't leave me - Pink
4.Thinking 'bout you - Yusuf Islam
5.Hot n cold - Katy Perry
6.Broken - Eg
7.I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight - U2
8.Longing for lullabies - Kleerup/Titiyo
9.Dust devil - Madness
10.Not fair - Lily Allen

Kónguló video !

I had a barn dance for my birthday !

My dad emptied his work garage of trucks and diggers, my brother and his mates somehow borrowed a lot of hey bales from a farm somewhere.
Me, mum Telma (my sister ) and Alisdair were in charge of decorations, cowboy hats, music, marshmallows and many many hamburgers for the barbeque.
Then I found a line dancing teacher willing to show up in full cowboy gear, and told all my friends and family that they had to take the theme seriously and dress up..... and they did, it was lovely.

A day under the Beech tree with Spiderman playing the ukulele.

It was lovely, Spidey has some serious rock moves. And I wore sunglasses like a pop star. The Kongulo video will be ready pretty soon, but until then here is an action shot.

Video from the recording of my new album.

Here is a link to a video from the recording of the new album. Rubber ducks, woolly hats and lots of guitars.

xxxxxx

Kónguló !

The first single of my second album will be released on the 1st of June in Iceland and on the 21st of June for the rest of the world. It is called Kónguló ( Icelandic word for spider) and is written about the French man called the human spider, you know the one who climbs really high buildings without any safety equipment or anything. He is very cool stops on the outside of the 82nd floor and drinks coffee with the people that are on the inside.
I want him to be in my video for this song, I also want to climb a building in the video.... need him to teach me the tricks.

If you know him, please ask him to get in touch.

Later my darlings.

xxxxxxx

Chocolate overdose !

I haven´t written a blog for too long now. But there is a good explanation for this. It is hard to write a blog when you are in a chocolate coma. Easter does that to you, and my challenge was big this year, I had Icelandic and English easter eggs to finish. But easter is over now so it is no longer acceptable to have chocolate for breakfast. (Not that it has stopped me in the past.)
New album getting closer and closer to being ready every day, and I am really enjoying playing the new songs in my live set.
If you want a little preview of some of the new songs there are some little clips on youtube that people have recorded at recent gigs. ( But I would recommend you just show up to a gig yourself if possible. )

Oh and I also found out that barbecuing in glittery pink heels shorts and a winter jacket is a pretty good look, you should try it next time you make some burgers.

Lots of kisses

xxxxx

Hafdis

London gig !

I played a " comeback " gig in London on wednesday. Sounds a bit funny calling it a comeback when I am only on my second and have not even been away for a year ( and the reason why I haven´t been playing is because I was writing the next album ). But somebody called it a comeback, so a comeback it is. Anyway, it probably makes me sound all mature and stuff.

Gig was great full of people who were excited to hear the new songs, so we played them half new stuff half old favorites. One woman was only excited about hearing Fucked up mind or Hometown hero and passionately tried to convince everyone they needed to be played, but the rest of the audience wanted to hear Diamonds on my belly so she was out numbered. I plan to play these songs for her at a future gig, don´t like seeing people upset.

Bertrand took some lovely polaroid style snaps at the gig, and after seeing them I might consider actually putting some sort of hooks on the Hafdis sign. The whole white messy tape on the wall looks a bit plus minus. Pretty happy about the sawing though.

Here is a link to some reviews of the gig.

http://londonist.com/2009/03/live_review_hafdis_huld_electro-aco.php
http://www.musicomh.com/music/gigs/hafdis-huld-2_0309.htm

Pictures from the Switzerland gig.

A lovely swedish girl called Sara Burkhard sent me some pictures from the gig I played in St Gallen in Switzerland last month. Thought I would share them with you. (c) Sara Burkhard, www. poorboysontheroad. ch)

A strange english man wanted me to sign is bum cheek !

It´s true, I said no, not unless you give me a very long pen, not going close to your behind mister. Someone found a longish pen and I signed his lower back/ bum cheek. Maybe that is a tradition is Portsmouth, who knows, and who am I to break the rules. When in Rome.....

Apart from bum signing, Portsmouth gig was lovely, first gig with the full band playing songs from the new album so we picked a very cosy venue, The Cellars in Eastney. Everybody very friendly there, and barman gave me a Rachel crisps, we liked that.

Rachel was playing with us for the first time, so thanks darling.... she is a proper english rose like Sarah, soon I will have an army of english roses. Steve is not an english rose though, he is more chips and beans kind of man, still very english. And Alisdair Mr banjo man probably wouldn´t think it was cool if I called him an english rose either.

Someone wrote a blog about The Cellars gig so instead of me telling you more about it, I will steal one of the pictures and then put a link to the blog. ( Does it count as stealing if I am borrowing a picture of me ? )

http://howmarvellous.blogspot.com/2009/02/hafdis-huld-last-nights-gig-prize.html?showComment=1235732040000#c7644071458152866538

Saw me first very english pantomime.

Hello everyone.

I went to Kings cliffe village hall to watch my very first pantomime this weekend. It was wonderfully homemade and apparently had all the proper characters in it, ( for those who don´t know, there needs to be an older man dressed as a woman, and a girl playing a boy, don´t ask me .... ). The boy played by a girl always gets the pretty girl in the end, and the woman played by a man tells rude jokes and touches her/his boobs a lot.
Then all the people in the audience kept shouting at the actors, and disagreeing with them, you would never see that in an Icelandic theatre so it took a bit of getting used to, but by the end I was screaming " it´s behind you " like a proper english rose.

xxxxx

Car,train,car, plane,train and then a car !

Yes went to Switzerland this weekend. it was a long journey had to take 1 plane, 2 trains and 3 car journeys to get to St Gallen in Switzerland. Me Steve, Alisdair and Anna looked a bit sleepy when we finally got there, but we were soon woken up by Swiss cheese and chocolate. And there was snow, what more could you possibly need ??????

The gig was great and I played 5 songs from the new album, the audience seemed to appreciate the new ones and I am looking forward to rehearsing all the new songs with the whole band, as this gig was just me and the boys.

Later my darlings.

xxxxxxxx

Snow-rabbit-angel-monster and me.

I made this Snow-rabbit-angel-monster today in my back garden. A man walked past and said it was a lovely snow-fish ( I don´t think he lives close to the sea.)

If there will be more snow I will make more creatures.

Any ideas what I should make next ?

Later my darlings.

xxxxx

I think the man upstairs might be reading my blog !

I was complaining about the lack of proper snow in England, and today there is more snow here than has been for a long time. So I apologize for saying it doesn´t snow properly here. I suggest the good people of England all put some wholly socks and mittens on and go outside and attempt to set a new record in the amount of people making snow angels in one country at the same time.

So who´s with me ?

I would like some proper snow please !

Was talking to my sister this morning an Reykjavik is covered in snow.  They were getting ready to go sledding, with hot chocolate and everything..... so not fair. So as you have probably guessed I am still in England and there is no sign of snow. Rain is not useful to me, who makes magical rain angels ???? No one.

But to answer yesterdays question about the chickens, only the one who played a mean banjo solo gets to be on the album, the rest will just keep chillin and eating sweat corn.

Grandpa Harold, yes he is very sweet, and has the coolest mustache. 

Later my darlings.

xxxxxx

Album recording chickens and many many layers of chlothes!

Hello my friends !

The first thing I did in the new year was filling grandpa Harold´s car with instruments food and chocolate and driving to Scarborough. After having spent my first christmas away from home and really missing the snow, it was very homely to see the frozen glittery ground up there.

We spent a week in a farm house studio recording songs for my second album. The live room is in a barn so it was freeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzing all the time and we had to wear so many layers of clothes that I looked like a pink starfish (2 woolly jumpers and a pink puffer jacket tend to have that affect ). But it was also kind of cosy with  stars in the sky, a cup of tea in my hand and crazy chickens following me from the live room to the control room.  ( I promise, there were chickens following me, I will show you a video clip soon).

The songs are sounding lovely and it is all very exciting, I can´t wait to start playing some new stuff live.

Later my darlings.

xxxxxxxx

Hafdis