Laufey (@laufey) is a Grammy-nominated musician, composer, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Reykjavík, Iceland. She has captivated audiences with her smooth modern jazz sound. She was raised between Iceland and Washington DC with annual visits to Beijing. Her love for music began at an early age and her early music has topped international charts.
“I was not expecting to find an audience like this.”
Not too long ago, Laufey visited ABC News Live “Prime with Linsey Davis,” and ABC News correspondent Phil Lipof spoke with Laufey about her record-breaking and critically acclaimed new album “Bewitched,” being nominated for a Grammy Award, and a funny story about her identical twin sister.
“That’s a wild thing to hear still,” Laufey stated, still surprised that she’s nominated for a Grammy Award. “I mean, it’s an insane category to be a part of. It’s like all of my idols in one place like, um… But yeah, I’m up against [Bruce] Springsteen, which is very scary but also again very honorable, right.”
Laufey – “From The Start” (Official Music Video)
Laufey’s “From the Start” single, the tenth track on her album, has become the most-stream jazz song in the world with 180 million streams. That’s an incredible task coming from an artist who was a college student at Berkeley in Boston just a few years ago.
“It’s just been amazing,” Laufey admits her fast rise to success has been spectacular. “It’s really crazy. I could have never imagined it. I mean, I grew up in Iceland, a very small island in the middle of nowhere and I didn’t really believe that things like this were possible. I think you know especially with the kind of music I make; I was not expecting to find, you know, an audience like this, and especially a fairly young one like the one I have. So, it’s just been very exciting.”
Laufey’s Upbringing
Laufey grew up in a family of musicians, where everybody played a string instrument. She listened to jazz music because her father played a lot of jazz music when she was young. Later, it was at Berkeley where Laufey found her niche.
“I think I found my niche when I got to Berkeley actually,” Laufey admitted. “I kind of dared to mix… everything was very boxed in right. I was a jazz singer, I’d studied jazz singing, I was a cellist, classical cellist, and a classical pianist. Then I loved Taylor Swift as well and like Sara Bareilles and Carol King and like these songwriter women. So, I think I wanted to find a way of blending all those worlds together and I think I finally found that… that sound… that middle ground between those three, um, at Berkeley.”
Laufey & Nora Jones
Laufey talked about a duet she recorded with Nora Jones and the two songs they released. Laufey stated, “I recently sang with her live, and somebody was like, ‘Wow, it’s so, you know you sing so well together,’ and I was like, ‘I’ve been singing with her, along to her since I was like a little girl, she just doesn’t know it.’”
Laufey & her sister
Fans of Laufey know she has an identical twin sister. Laufey revealed a funny story that they might not have been privy to. “It’s kind of funny because we’re identical,” Laufey admits. “She looks exactly like me, which is very funny, you know. So, she’ll sometimes pop out in line, when the fans are waiting for many hours and kind of surprise them. And I think the fans know that it’s her and not me but maybe they don’t. Either way, I think it’s all really funny.”
North American tour
Laufey is in the midst of a sold-out North American tour to support her album, and she will now be heading overseas. “I have top of next year, I have the Europe tour after the Grammys, which is so scary to say,” Laufey revealed. “I have the Europe tour and I’m playing, um, some exciting shows next year, and just working on new music.”
Laufey – “Bewitched” album
“Bewitched” is an incredible sophomore album by Laufey. It’s doing amazingly well and we wish Laufey the best of luck at the Grammys, and we’ll be looking forward to hearing new music from her shortly.
We recommend adding songs from Laufey’s “Bewitched” album to your favorite contemporary jazz playlist. Also, let us know how you feel in the comment section below. Mel Blanc’s famous catchphrase, That’s All Folks! Thanks for reading another great article on Bong Mines Entertainment – the hot spot for new music and positive entertainment news. Always remember that (P) Positive, (E) Energy, (A) Always, (C) Creates, (E) Elevation (P.E.A.C.E). Contact us on social media via Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook, and let us know what’s going on. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter, support our merchandise, and become a Patron of Bong Mines Entertainment. Disclaimer: This post contains Apple Music affiliate links. We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our site. That little compensation will be used towards keeping this website up and running.