Jonsi...A different kind of music Icon.

Jonsi is the lead singer of an incredible band called Sigur Ros out of Iceland.  They have had one of the biggest influences on me as a musician despite the fact it's not the music that I exactly write.  I still draw a great amount of inspiration from his music.  Both Jonsi and Sigur Ros are underground international starts of sorts.  He doesn't have a household name, but odds are you've heard some of his music whether it be from a movie like Vanilla Skies or in a car commercial.  

Jonis is best known for using a cello bow to play his electric guitar in the band Sigur Ros.  He's also known for his unique use of a falsetto voice to carry melodies.  The cello bow on the guitar is nothing short of amazing.  The sound it produces is an ambient but cutting sound that is unmistakable and truly unique.  Matched with Jonsi's unique vocal delivery and you're given something completely pure and different from other music out there today.  He can use falsetto throughout the entirety of a song and still make it relevant eight minutes into the tune.  The fact that he has been so successful in a more non traditional rock band says a lot about his talent.  He is currently succeeding in a solo career and works on scores for many people and projects.

Having been to a few of Jonsi's live shows I can actually tell you first hand that his visual effects at live shows are actually innovative as well.  Using a custom made screen with dream like visuals where the screen looks so real that you think it's in the very room with you.  He even utilizes smells during his shows with incense and other organic smells to enhance the listener and viewer's experience.  It's the first show I've personally scene to match all that stuff with the music.

As a professional musician it drives me to improve every day.  To create something not only good, but unique.  As a performer it also teaches me that shows are more than just about sounding good live.  It's about what people see as well and the entire "experience" they have.  That's what truly brings people back to your live shows.  As a producer and engineer it makes me strive to find unique sounds as well.  He found his through the use of a bow on a guitar.  What other interesting ways can we discover new sounds?

I am performer and writer foremost in our industry.  What Jonsi does for me is makes me realize that as a writer it's okay to go different directions.  I've tried writing "hit songs" for so long now that I almost forget to write and see what comes out.  Have no genre or goal in mind other than what comes out, let it stand on its own and see what happens.  In five years I'm almost sure I'll still be performing music.  I love it too much.  But I'll be one of the top entertainers in the U.S. at that point with all the knowledge I've gained from seeing so many great people live and taking just a little bit from everyone and making it my own.  As a writer I see myself having a huge collection of songs that range from country to pop that will ultimately have me writing for some major label artists when I'm not on the road!  Big goals?  I think so, but very achievable in my mind.