Underskog

This evening Klosterenga café is the place to be; presenting a Nordic singer/songwriter’s night with Svavar Knútur (IS) and Ava Freddy (NO).

Icelandic singer-songwriter Svavar Knútur is a talented troubadour whose artistic style stems from humble beginnings set amidst his rural upbringing. Svavar carefully crafts stories into each one of his compositions. Within his albums, he pens every song as a novelist would create a chapter. Svavar’s music and muses have made him an Icelandic wanderer filled with wit and wonder. He leaves emotive imprints of love, tragedy, sadness, and redemption in his art. His eclectic meld of indie folk/rock often reflects the theme of man against nature. His stylistic soundscapes emanate from first-hand experiences in the harsh conditions of his homeland.

Svavar’s live performances are usually a mixture of song and story. On stage, he presents spellbinding and magnetic shows – beckoning the audience along with him on a journey through misery and redemption. However, Knútur always ensures his fans have comedic stops along the way. All the while, he maintains his creative goal of emotional healing and catharsis. “There is always a subtle sense of humor and hope in my lyrics.” His audiences are often laughing and crying – simultaneously.

Svavar started his career off by playing small cafés in Reykjavík, Iceland, which resulted in him connecting with some international friends and leaving Iceland to play in their countries. Knútur is grateful now to be able to traverse the world to perform in beautiful places such as churches, cafés, parks, castles, villas, weird squats, and experimental living areas. In recent years, he has extensively toured Australia, the U.S.A., Canada, Great Britain, and Europe, playing over one-hundred live concerts per year.

www.facebook.com/SvavarKnutur/
www.svavarknutur.com

Ava Freddy is an artist and songwriter from Norway. She met Svavar Knútur at the Melodica Festival in Reykjavik 2015, where he was one of the hosts, and she brought this singer/songwriter-festival to Oslo the following year. With roots in a singer/songwriter-tradition, Ava Freddy presents image upon image through her performance. Trust her to take you through a whole range of “point-of-views”, dreams and angles of experiences during her show. Whether she’s by the piano, or with her guitar: her ever present voice will pull you into her world.

Quotes:
The Line of Best Fit on Ava Freddy’s single “Appily”:
“As the Norwegian’s delicious voice picks apart her latest disappointment, there’s accordian, saw, brass and twanging guitar creating a dramatic soundtrack which recalls Tom Waits, Nick Cave and PJ Harvey. It’s gothic folk, but with a theatricality which brings a certain lightness.”

Eden Parke, Uncut Magazine:
“With just the naked tones of a piano she manages to milk every last drop of emotion from her songs.”

www.avafreddy.com
www.facebook.com/avafreddy