THE WICKED STRANGERS
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THE WICKED STRANGERS

Selfoss, South, Iceland | Established. Jan 01, 2011 | SELF

Selfoss, South, Iceland | SELF
Established on Jan, 2011
Band Rock Rock

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Music

Press


"Gunnar og Jósep Bestir "Gunnar and Josep win best...""

The Wicked Strangers recently released their first single, aptly named ‘Irresistible’. The band first turned some heads when they got third place in Icelandic battle of the bands earlier this spring. Since then the band has been rehearsing like crazy and working on some new material.
"The first song we decided to record is called Irresistible and of course we released it,” says the band’s drummer Josep; about this recent release. “It was recorded at Soundsweet Studios (aka
Studio Hljómur) and was written with a mixture of sweat, anger and shame. It was written about an
anonymous and VERY hot woman,” Josep says , not commenting further on that one.
The Wicked Strangers were created in February 2011, and started with Teitur (guitarist) , Steini (bassist),
Einar (guitarist) and Josep (drummer). Four days later they recruited Gunnar (singer). ‚He didn‘t even
know we had signed him up for battle of the bands until he showed up for his first rehearsal,” Says Josep.
Recently the band lost their bass-player and had to recruit another one with long-time friend Magnús
Stepping in to fill his shoes, and has done so quite well. An even month after the band was created the battle of the bands took place. After a tireless month of work and sacrifices the band originally thought they didn‘t make the cut. “We basically had given uo hope when suddenly this wonderful woman calls us up and informs Teitur that we are one of the three EXTRA bands who made the cut,” says Gunnar.
The guys performed incredibly well on the finale and even got third place. As an unforeseen bonus, Josep was awarded the best drummer and Gunnar awarded the best singer.
These days the guys all live in the same house, and use the place as a rehearsal space as well. “We thought it would be a good idea to create a home where life essentially revolves around making
Music,” says Gunnar… obviously happy with the whole setup. “It is a good way to tighten the group and to train your liver!”
The Wicked Strangers have a lot planned ahead; lots of gigs, festivals, and time in the studio. You can check that out on their Facebook page to stay current with the guys, too. “Just search for The Wicked Strangers,” says Josep, who also adds that the band is currently working on a four track EP. “We’re also going to record our first video sometime in December. Our goal is to continue playing , as long as the weather and our muscles allow!”
- Sunnlenska Fréttablaðið, August 25, 2011 (Newspaper from árborg)


"Samaris sigraði (Winners announced)"

"The Wicked Strangers is a band from Selfoss and they play progressive, chapter-based rock. They
sound like a mixture of Rush and a cleaner version of Icelandic band Agent Fresco. Incredibly well
playing group and they tread their ground carefully, not falling into the classic-pits of repetition this
otherwise entertaining music style offers. A band for the future.“ - Morgunblaðið april 4. 2011 (english translation, National newspaper)


"Ellefu bönd í úrslitum Músíktilrauna - "Eleven bands in the National Competition finals""

"The Wicked Strangers came all the way from Selfoss and performed quite well. The Singer was
outstanding and very confident, and the music was progressive rock, loaded with rhythm and time
changes galore. Sounded a bit like the band Rush. Overall very good!" - Morgunblaðið, March 29. 2011 (english translation, National newspaper)


Discography

New Single released February 2012 -
"Elephant and Castle"

4 track EP (untitled) - 2011
Tracks:
"Hounds"
"Get Your Wings"
"In The Night"
"Irresistible"

1st Single - "Irresistible"

-The song has received significant airplay on Xið 97.7 (Reykjavik's main Rock station)

-This track has also been featured on the Gogo Yoko / Iceland Airwaves 2011 website, and is available there as the song, or in Stream 9. ( http://www.icelandairwaves.is/artists--schedule/artist-page-2011/nr/505 )

Photos

Bio

A band of musicians was born on the cold night of February 27th, 2011 in the distant and quaint town of Selfoss, Iceland. Three young friends wanting to take a shot at Iceland's national music competition known as Músíktilraunir decided it was time to go big or go home.
One month later the band known as The Wicked Strangers took Third Place, including two awards for Best Singer and Best Drummer. Their rhythmic style hailing to the foundations of late 70’s era rock with the calculated insanity of Rush and then lunging out into chaotic modern prog-core delvelops something so pure, so raw… and howling into the night; it was more than enough to bring TWS into the spotlight. There's something unexplainable about the sounds that emanate from Iceland, and The Wicked Strangers only go to prove that. Show after show... competition after competition, the saga continues.
Since then, the band has enthralled the music scene with their unmistakably raw and passionate energy on the stage and set aside time to record their first EP. With its completion, The Wicked Strangers were accepted to play the world-renowned Iceland Airwaves Music Festival in October 2011... filling the venues to beyond capacity. There they met an audience twitchingly eager to receive the hundreds of free copies of their debut recordings which the band had toiled to produce and package themselves.
Soon after the Iceland Airwaves Festival ended, The Wicked Strangers were invitied to play another televised competition known as Rokkstokk , taking home First Place, and enough money to buy some new gear.
After the release of their new single "Elephant and Castle", the band set forth to the US for a two week tour through the southwest. Gaining radio-play in Denver the band returned home in anticipation of Iceland Airwaves 2012 and for the recording of their first full-length.

Working on their album The Wicked Strangers went on to play countless festivals and shows in Iceland in 2013, and in 2014 with the final touches going on the album, the band decided to take a brake while the drummer and the bass player decided to move to Berlin to study the art of sound engineering. But soon enough their will be shows that will melt your brain cells with new material not heard before.