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Of Monsters and Men | |
|---|---|
 Of Monsters and Men performing in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Garðabær, Iceland |
| Genres | |
| Works | Discography |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | ofmonstersandmen |
Of Monsters and Men is an English-language Icelandicindie folk/rock band formed inGarðabær in 2010.[7][8] It consists of lead singer and guitaristNanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, singer and guitaristRagnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson, lead guitaristBrynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson.
The band has released four studio albums:My Head Is an Animal (2011),Beneath the Skin (2015),Fever Dream (2019), andAll Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade (2025). They achieved commercial success with their 2011 single "Little Talks", which reached the top 10 of the charts in several countries and no. 20 on theBillboard Hot 100.[9]
In 2010, Of Monsters and Men won theMúsíktilraunir, an annualBattle of the Bands in Iceland. They won theEuropean Border Breakers Awards in 2013.
Of Monsters and Men was formed when singer, guitarist, and pianistNanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, who originally performed solo under the name Songbird, asked some friends to help her perform in 2010.[10] Within the first weeks of working together as a quartet consisting of Nanna on vocals and acoustic guitar,Brynjar Leifsson (electric guitar),Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson (backing vocals,melodica,glockenspiel), and Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson (backing vocals, melodica, glockenspiel,tambourine), the band wonMúsíktilraunir, an annual music competition in Iceland. Raggi came up with the band name, as an allusion to reading fairytales and telling stories growing up.[11][12][13]
They were invited to perform at the 2010Iceland Airwaves festival and added two more members, Árni Guðjónsson (accordion/keyboards, backing vocals) and Kristján Páll Kristjánsson (bass, backing vocals), to make the sound bigger for the show.[10][14]
Shortly thereafter,Seattle-based radio stationKEXP recorded them performing the song "Little Talks" from Raggi's living room. The recording wentviral in the United States, and the band credited this to the popularity of the English folk rock groupMumford & Sons at the time.[4]
Of Monsters and Men signed with Record Records in February 2011, and in March, they began recording their debut album at Studio Sýrland, in Reykjavík.[5] In August, Philadelphia'sRadio 104.5 began playing their debut single, "Little Talks", and propelled the band to nationwide popularity.[15]
The finished album,My Head Is an Animal, was released in Iceland in September 2011, and it reached no. 1, as did "Little Talks".[16] With success in Iceland and growing popularity in the United States, the band signed withUniversal Music Group for a worldwide release of the record.[17]
Of Monsters and Men released the EPInto the Woods in December 2011, which featured four songs from their debut album. They also issuedMy Head Is an Animal in the US in April 2012.[18][19]
In 2012, the band performed at theNewport Folk Festival,[20]Osheaga,[21][22] andLollapalooza.[23] They also played at theReading and Leeds Festivals.[24] On 5 October 2012, the group was featured on thePBS music showSound Tracks: Music Without Borders, performing the song "Mountain Sound".[25]
In late 2012, Árni left the band, saying he didn't find it exciting playing "Little Talks" five times per day.[26]
Of Monsters and Men played at the first annualBoston Calling Music Festival in May 2013,[27] and the same year, they performed atGlastonbury Festival.[28]
Their song "Dirty Paws" was featured in theiPhone 5 introduction video, released in September 2012, as well as in the trailer for the 2013 filmThe Secret Life of Walter Mitty.[29][30] "Sinking Man" was featured onThe Walking Dead: Original Soundtrack – Vol. 1, released in March 2013, and "Silhouettes" was included in theThe Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack, which came out in November 2013.[31]
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Of Monsters and Men began working on a new album in August 2013,[32] starting the recording process in November 2014.[33] The album's first single, "Crystals", was released in March 2015.[34][35] The album,Beneath the Skin, came out in June 2015.[36][37] The artwork for the record and its singles was created by artistLeif Podhajsky.[38] In October 2015, the track "Thousand Eyes" was featured in the pre-season advertising for the TV seriesJessica Jones.[39]
In 2015, the band toured North America.[30] The same year, they appeared in a cameo on the episodes "The Door" and "Blood of My Blood" ofGame of Thrones, as stage musicians.[40][41]
In October 2017, Of Monsters and Men became the first Icelandic group to reach one billion streams onSpotify.[42]
In May 2019, Of Monsters and Men released "Alligator", the first single from their third album,Fever Dream, which came out in July.[43][44] The record was produced byRich Costey.[45] It reached no. 1 on theBillboard Top Rock Albums chart.[46]
In July 2019, they released the single "Wild Roses".[47]
On 9 September 2020, the band unveiled the new single "Visitor", along with a music video.[48][49] This was followed by "Destroyer" in April 2021.[50]
At the 2022Tribeca Festival, the band released the documentaryTíu ("ten" in the Icelandic language), a film celebrating the ten-year anniversary ofMy Head Is an Animal. It was directed byDean DeBlois and featured the band playing songs outdoors in Iceland during theCOVID-19 pandemic. It was accompanied by an EP of the same name.[51][1]
In December 2024, the band signed with Red Light Management.[52]
In July 2025, Of Monsters and Men issued the song "Television Love", their first original release in three years.[53] In August, the band previewed their new album,All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade, with the song "Ordinary Creature".[54][55] The record was released in October 2025.
Current[56]
Past
Touring musicians
Studio albums
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| Year | Organization | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | MTV Video Music Awards | "Little Talks" | Best Art Direction | Nominated |
| MTV Europe Music Awards | Of Monsters and Men | Best Push Act[59] | Nominated | |
| 2013 | ECHO Awards | My Head Is an Animal | Best International Newcomer | Nominated |
| Best International Rock/Pop Group | Nominated | |||
| Juno Awards | "Little Talks" | Video of the Year | Nominated | |
| Billboard Music Awards | My Head Is an Animal | Top Rock Album[60] | Nominated | |
| EBBA Awards | European Border Breakers Award[61][62] | Won | ||
| 2015 | Icelandic Music Awards | Crystals | Pop Song of the Year[63] | Won |
| Of Monsters and Men | Live Performer of the Year[63] | Won | ||
| Beneath the Skin | Pop Album of the Year | Nominated |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
