Sigur Rós, the beloved Icelandic indie-rock band, have recently gone through a tumultuous time after being charged with tax evasion and their drummer Orri Páll Dýrason leaving the band due to allegations of sexual misconduct. However, despite the hardships, bassist Georg Hólm and frontman Jónsi have decided to stick with the band, and have just released their first full-length album in 10 years, ‘ÁTTA’.
The band were accused of evading 151m króna (£840,000) of tax between 2010 and 2014. They repaid the debt plus interest, but then faced a second prosecution for the same offence in 2020, which froze their assets. Thankfully, the band have since been acquitted.
The band’s bassist, Georg Hólm, admitted that the experience made him consider leaving the country, as he felt “violated”. He eventually decided to stay in Iceland, as he loves living there. Frontman Jónsi echoed his sentiment, saying that despite having other outlets, he still loves the band and ‘what they have created’.
The new album, ‘ÁTTA’, has been met with critical acclaim. NME gave it four stars, praising it for bringing “pure and natural soul to this cold and unfeeling world”. The album was supported by a performance with the London Contemporary Orchestra at Meltdown Festival, where they aired new material, deep cuts and rarities.
It’s clear that Sigur Rós aren’t letting anything get in the way of their passion for music, and fans are sure to be delighted with the new album, a testament to the band’s resilience and strength.
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