‘I Miss You, I Do’ incorporates sessions from Arny Margret’s trips to New York City, North Carolina, and Colorado, as well as those recorded in Iceland. During extensive international touring, she wrote prolifically and spent time getting to know producers and musicians who each brought their own unique and individual talents to the project. Arny’s atmospheric and introspective material has been layered with country-inflected full band ensembles, keys, banjo, harmonium, slide guitar and more, adding an ambience that only enhances her natural ability to convey crystal-clear imagery within thematically rich writing.
“The main thing I wanted for this album was for it to be different”, Arny explains. “When I listen to the last one, I feel like it's mainly about me and the guitar. It's very stripped back. I wanted to do more - I love the banjo, the fuller sound, I love the American sound, so recording it all over there made a big difference. I’ve always worked with the same people in the same places, so I never thought I could do this - work with all these people who record with some of my favourite musicians. I really admire everyone on this. And pushing myself out of my comfort zone, that’s quite rewarding”.
Though ‘I Miss You, I Do’ is reminiscent of the many changing seasons of the US rather than the long winters of her native Iceland, Arny has always recalled those times, often including reference to colder climates in her lyrics, and sonically representing her glacial and isolated hometown. So, as is only fitting for Arny Margret, we’re presented with new single ‘Happy New Year’, recorded in Gregory Alan Isakov’s studio in Colorado, which was of particular personal importance to Arny; “I actually met him a tiny bit when we came in, which was cool. He’s probably my biggest musical inspiration, so it was really amazing to be in his studio doing stuff. This one is about Christmas and New Year. New Year’s Eve has never been the best time of year for me, I’ve always felt like it’s a sad and dark time… there’s probably a lot of people out there that can connect to that”.
On November 26th, Arny Margret plays in Amsterdam at Tolhuistuin.
