Photo Credit: Anna Maggý
Icelandic jazz duo Silva & Steini (Silva Thordardottir and Steingrímur Teague) returned with their new single “I Ought To Stay Away From You” via the US label FOUND. A cover of acclaimed American singer-songwriter Margo Guryan’s recently released track from the vault, the duo’s rendition features smooth, sultry vocals that float across the spirited melody performed on the piano, bringing new life to the reimagined track.
“This song is incredibly tightly composed — it’s built around a simple riff with just the right amount of harmonic seasoning to keep things interesting, and every phrase and word arranged just so,” the band explains. “We made it a duet, and that puts the lyrics in a very different perspective. The helpless obsessing over someone has a tragic edge to it when it’s all coming from one person. As a duet, however, there’s a playfulness to it as well.” They continue, “A simple pattern from an ancient drum machine runs through the whole song. Once we switched it on, it was compelled to repeat the same bar over and over again. That seemed to fit the themes of the song pretty well.”
Listen / Share: “I Ought To Stay Away From You”
Reykjavík-based duo Silva & Steini first crossed paths in 2018 after connecting through Silva’s father (a musician who performed on Björk’s 1990 jazz album, Gling-Gló). The two joined forces and soon began dreaming up their own nuanced spin on jazz standards from the ’30s and ’40s. Along with frequently performing live shows (including countless gigs at Skuggabaldur, a now-shuttered bar that singlehandedly transformed Reykjavík’s jazz scene for a brief spell in the early 2020s), the duo carved out an inimitable sound that favored subtlety and space over the virtuosic soloing typically associated with jazz. “We liked the idea of interpreting these songs with as few elements as possible, but in a way that feels very lush—sort of like how an extreme close-up in film allows for much more intimacy and detail,” says Steini. “We also found that the Wurlitzer took up space in a different and much fresher way than jazz piano, and almost felt more like electric guitar.”
After the pandemic put a hold on live performances, Silva & Steini headed into the studio, later releasing their debut album More Than You Know in 2022. Featuring eight spellbinding tracks that reimagine a lovingly curated collection of jazz standards, each is presented in a gorgeously sparse arrangement that often finds their vocals solely accompanied by the warm and dreamlike tones of Wurlitzer or the muted sounds of a felted piano. A delicate convergence of their distinct sensibilities — the gracefully understated approach to jazz singing Silva first revealed on her 2019 full-length debut, the inventive yet elegant musicianship Steini has showcased as a member of globally beloved band Moses Hightower and as a touring/recording keyboardist for indie-folk powerhouse Of Monsters and Men — More Than You Know ultimately lends a sublimely new vitality to its selected songs (some nearly a century-old). The result: a lovely and luminous body of work, both timeless and quietly forward-thinking.
“My intention is always to create something that inspires people to listen carefully and really take in all these beautiful melodies and lyrics,” says Silva. “One of the things we both love is turning space into a strength and letting everything breathe,” Steini adds. “Hopefully when people listen, they can let go of any need to fill the silences with anything except their attention. I hope it helps them to feel the importance of every moment, and really savor the spaces in between.” Silva & Steini are looking forward to enchanting audiences with their captivating jazz renditions once again, with new music on the way.
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