Silja Rós is an Icelandic actress, singer-songwriter & scriptwriter based in Reykjavík & Copenhagen, showing just how talented she is! I loved her new tune Lie Just To Lie and wanted to find out a little more! Read on below to see how we got on!

By Jane Howkins

You recently released a track titled Lie Just To Lie, which we reviewed. What can you tell us about the song?

Lie Just To Lie was written in Copenhagen on a cold autumn day. I wrote it with the Danish songwriter René Kowalczyk while I was living in Denmark.

Lie Just To Lie is a sensual tune about the struggle of letting go of love that’s as strong as a drug; toxic & addictive. I would not say that in that moment we were writing from a certain life experience, even though I’ve had my share of unhealthy relationships. In the process of writing the lyrics, we followed the feel of the song, and we are very happy with the outcome. Some songs are straight from the heart and then others have their own story. So this time I invited my listeners to find their own connection to the song instead of connecting to mine.

How has the reception been for Lie Just To Lie, and where can it be purchased?

I’m so very grateful for the response of both the song and the music video. It’s been sitting at the top 20 list at Bylgjan for the last 4 weeks. The reviews have warmed my heart.

Do you plan to release any more singles in the near future?

Yes there are more singles coming out early 2023, so stay tuned! I’m also working on my third album which will then be released in summer 2023.

Are there any plans to release an EP or album?

Yes, I’m currently working on my third album which is supported by Rannís. It’s going to be a soulful one, and I’ll dive even deeper into my r&b universe that has been forming in the past years, while still keeping a lot of elements from pop music. I’ve been having so much fun arranging the backing vocals and I’m so excited to release the upcoming singles.

Has the pandemic hindered your work much?

Yes and no. I had planned to gig more and it was hard to cancel shows all the time. Thankfully that’s over now! On the other hand, it gave me a lot of time in the studio writing new music for others and myself. But I am so relieved that it’s over. My favorite place in the world is the stage and I always feel the most like myself when I’m performing my music live.

Your music mixes together elements of pop and r&b, as well as some retro genres. What/who influences you most as an artist? What have you been listening to recently?

Well I started as a singer-songwriter and at that time I had a lot of elements of pop in me. My style has been developing a lot for the past five years. After I studied jazz music, I started to seek more inspiration from jazz, especially regarding chord progressions. When I lived in Copenhagen, I got more into writing pop music for both me and other artists. Those two genres have then blended together. I listen mostly to soulful r&b music and my favorite artists at the moment are Sabrina Claudio, Jaz Karis, Moonchild, Olivia Dean, Jacob Collier and the Icelandic band Moses Hightower.

What is the writing and recording process like for you?

I used to write my music alone, just me and my guitar or my piano. When I write I’m just right in that moment and allow the music and the lyrics to flow through me. I find it best when I can listen to my instincts in that process without judging the outcome. Lyrics are very important to me and after that free-flow, I always go back to the lyrics and shape them. I love rhyme schemes and metaphors and I can spend hours on the details if needed. But the most important part is that the lyrics are heartfelt and sincere, no matter if I’m telling my own story or not.

I would say that most of my time I write in that way, but for the last few years I’ve also started to co-write with other songwriters or producers. Lie Just To Lie was written in a songwriting session. I love writing with others, especially René – you have the company of another person in the room and you can count on that at least one of you will have an idea that you can work on. In sessions we often started to listen to music we liked to get the feel of the day, and then we would usually get inspired after the listening session and build up the structure of the song and then write the topline.

You’re based in Iceland. What is the local music scene like?

I love the Icelandic music scene – even though we are a small country, there are so many incredible bands and artists.
Because it’s smaller, my experience is that you can more easily spot the main genre of each year, while in LA there are more styles and genres blooming at the same time. Writing sessions are not as common in Iceland, most artists tend to write in their own corner. But that is slowly changing.

I’ve always written my own music in English, which makes it easier to be based in other countries. I’ve always envisioned myself performing all around the world and not limiting myself to one country. So we’ll see what the future holds.

Do you have any UK tour dates lined up?

Not at the moment. I’m currently working on my third album which will be released next summer. The release show will be in Iceland but my plan is to tour more internationally in the next years to come. There are a lot of exciting things coming up in the next months so it’s very possible that I might add some UK shows. I’m in love with the British r&b scene and performing in the UK has always been a goal of mine.

Any last words for the fans?

Thank you so much for listening & stay tuned! Sending you lots of love!