Ólafur Arnalds has shared beautiful new song ‘and we’ll leave it there…’
The Icelandic composer found himself scrolling through social media fees one Sunday, when caught his eye. A post from unsigned singer-songwriter Ella McRobb utilised a fragment of his own music, etching her lyrics on Ólafur’s short sound check improvisation.
Listening back, he was suddenly struck by the possibilities of the song, and reaching out to the vocalist. Taking their connection further, studio sessions were arranged, and from this creative energy a new single emerged.
‘and we’ll leave it there…’ is out now, the end product of this unique social media interaction. A beautiful piece of music, the cinematic arrangement from Ólafur Arnalds interlocks perfectly with Ella McRobb’s wonderful vocal.
Speaking about the track, Ólafur Arnalds says: “Social media can often feel disingenuous and detached, but this was one of those moments where I was reminded of the magic that can happen in the digital space. I found Ella on a Sunday doom-scroll, being a little curious about all the people who had used an improvisation I had posted a few weeks earlier in their content. Most of it was cute animals or inspirational quotes but amidst all the noise I found Ella’s video. Her mesmerising voice over my improvisation just floored me. And after I had listened to it about 30 times I decided to just get in touch. A couple of weeks later she was on a plane to Iceland where we finished the song and filmed the video. A beautiful reminder of what social media can really bring to creativity.”
Feeling grateful, Ella McRobb adds: “When I heard Ólafur’s piano improvisation it instantly made me emotional. It sparked a beautiful moment of inspiration that I am so grateful to have had the pleasure of turning into a song with him. My whirlwind of a weekend trip to Iceland was magical as is the story of this all coming together considering the fact that Óli and I didn’t even know each other six weeks ago!”
Tune in now.
Photo Credit: Joe Doherty
