Synthy three-piece Kælan Mikla have shared their first original song since 2021.
The Alcest- and Him-endorsed Icelanders have released the single Stjörnuljós, the title of which translates to ‘starlight’ in English. The track is about “human connection” and, according to the band, represents a creative “rebirth”.
They comment: “Stjörnuljós marks a new beginning for Kælan Mikla. The song is an emotional rebirth for us, a journey through an unexplored world of sound. We’ve never made a song as close to our core and we’re finally ready to let it into the world.”
The trio also talk about the backstory of the song, which was written last summer in Stöðvafjörður, Iceland. The band spent 10 days demoing at a studio there, implying more music will come in the near future.
“The weather was consistently foggy and misty, so dense that we couldn’t see across the fjord and the sea and sky seemed to merge into an endless grey void,” they say. “This haunting atmosphere deeply influenced our writing process, infusing it with the eerie beauty of nature.”
Kælan Mikla, formed in 2013, consist of lead vocalist Laufey Soffía, bassist Margrét Rósa and keyboardist Sólveig Matthildur. They’ve released four albums, the latest of which, Undir Köldum Norðurljósum, dropped in 2021.
Across their career, the band have toured with Alcest, Deftones and VV, the solo band of ex-Him frontman Ville Valo. They also supported The Cure at the goth icons’ 40th-anniversary show in 2018.
In an interview with Metal Hammer in 2023, Sólveig spoke about Kælan Mikla’s origins, when they were inspired by Icelandic nature and folklore. “We just played in the countryside, heard stories and sang songs,” she said. “I always feel like the elves are a metaphor for nature because they’re very dangerous, but very beautiful.”
The band released a soundtrack to the 1921 silent horror film The Phantom Carriage in collaboration with composer Bardi Johannsson earlier this year. They’ll tour the US with Alcest in February and March. See dates and get tickets.
