Ásgeir Explores Lost Inner Voices in New Single “Smoke” from Upcoming Album ‘Julia’
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Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir returns with “Smoke,” the emotive second single from his upcoming album Julia, set for release in February 2026. The track, featuring live band recordings layered with pump organ, delves into themes of lost inner voices and self-reflection, central to the album’s narrative. With Julia, Ásgeir steps into entirely self-written lyrics for the first time, offering listeners a deeply personal and contemplative musical journey.
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A press release from Ásgeir’s management revealed that “Smoke” is out now, alongside a stripped-back live session video that offers an intimate, candid glimpse behind the curtain, where the arrangement remains minimal, letting the melancholy and the ache of disconnect shine through.
Watch “Smoke”:
Julia, the upcoming album, now available for pre-order–sees Ásgeir entering intriguing and uncharted territory: for the first time in his long and celebrated career, he penned the album entirely himself, after years of mainly using the poetry of his father (Einar Georg Einarsson) and friend (Júlíus Aðalsteinn Róbertssonas) as his lyrics, and engaging translators such as John Grant. The result is a deeply contemplative body of work, steeped in nostalgia, which sees him meditating on past regrets as well as hopes for the future, guided by the spectre of the album’s title character. ”Julia is about losing my way, and the struggle to find it again. When I was deciding on a name for the album, this shapeshifting figure stood out as some kind of throughline for the songs,” Ásgeir explains. “Julia is the namesake fictional character of one of the LP’s songs, but she also takes on different forms throughout the record: an inner voice, a guiding motherly voice, a ghost, sometimes even an ex-girlfriend.”
Pre-order Julia:
Ásgeir has long been lauded for his intricate folk-pop, lush production, and wistful, emotive falsetto. Julia marks a shift toward not just lyrical self-reliance, but cathartic directness–songs that feel both exquisitely performed and comfortably lived in. “This was kind of the first time I was writing lyrics totally on my own,” he shares. “It was scary. I’m still trying to find myself within that. But I tried to open myself up and I learned a lot through that process, and it was definitely therapeutic for me.”
This new sense of vulnerability threads through the album’s ten tracks, written and recorded over the course of nearly two years. The production, co-developed with longtime collaborator Guðm. “Kiddi” Kristinn Jónsson, remains organic and understated, allowing Ásgeir’s voice–most importantly his voice as a writer–to come forward. Throughout Julia, Ásgeir revisits the past with an unflinching eye, sharing moments of self-reflection, self-reclamation, disconnection, relationships, aging, and hope.
These recordings mirror the spirit of Ásgeir’s recent return to solo touring, over 70 shows across Europe, the Nordics and Iceland, often in small churches or quiet venues. Those performances reconnected him with the core of his music; storytelling, presence and shared stillness. Musically, the record leans into Ásgeir’s long-held love of folk and Americana. He cites influences ranging from Daniel Lanois, Leonard Cohen, and Nick Drake to contemporary artists like Adrianne Lenker, Dina Ögon, Gregory Alan Isakov, and Saya Gray.
One of Iceland’s most successful exports, Ásgeir’s first album Dýrð í dauðaþögn became the best-selling debut in Icelandic history, leading to 2014’s English-language version, In the Silence. He continued to refine his sound across 2017’s Afterglow, 2020’s Bury the Moon, and 2022’s Time on My Hands–earning praise from press and radio worldwide, including NPR’s All Things Considered, NPR Music (Tiny Desk, All Songs Considered), Esquire, WNYC’s Soundcheck, The Independent, MOJO, NME, The Line of Best Fit, Clash Magazine, BBC 6 Music, and Radio X.
Fans of Ásgeir can immerse themselves in the intimate world of Julia by pre-ordering the album and watching the stripped-back live session for “Smoke.” With its heartfelt lyrics and evocative instrumentation, the album promises a deeply personal listening experience. Stay connected through Ásgeir’s social channels and streaming platforms to follow his upcoming tour dates and be among the first to experience his latest work live.
Ásgeir Tour Dates:
10/22 – Tampere, FI – Tavara Asema
10/24 – Gothenburg, SE – Filmstudion
10/25 – Stockholm, SE – Fållan
10/26 – Oslo, NO – Sentrum Scene
11/17 – Mexico City, MX – Foro Indie Rocks (Nordic Showcase)
11/19 – Mexico City, MX – Foro Indie Rocks (Nordic Showcase)
11/22 – Mexico City, MX – Foro Indie Rocks (Nordic Showcase)
12/8 – Vík, IS – Vík i Myrdal Church
12/9 – Vestmannaeyjabær, IS – Landa Church
12/10 – Hvolsvöllur, IS – Midgard Restaurant & Bar
12/12 – Garður, IS – Útskálakirkja
12/13 – Borgarnes, IS – Bæjarkirkja
12/14 – Hvammstangi, IS – Hvammstangakirkja
12/16 – Sauðárkrókur, IS – Sauðárkrókskirkja
12/17 – Reykjahlíð, IS – Reykjahlíðarkirkja
12/18 – Akureyri, IS – Græni hatturinn
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