Icelandic post-rock collectic VAR debut new track 'Run'

Reykjavík Iceland emotional post-rock collective VAR has debuted a new track titled “Run” off their upcoming album ‘The Never-Ending Year,’ out April 24 on Spartan Records.

Guitarist Arnór Jónasson says, “Run” came together very quickly in the writing process. “We had gone through it at rehearsals but weren’t sure if it fit on the record. When we were working with our producer he asked if we had some other ideas. We played him some parts of “Run” and he said that there was no chance that we were skipping this song.”

Vocalist/guitarist Júlíus Óttar adds, “You could say that Run is a bit of a return to our roots. We wrote it when we had just started rehearsing in my dad’s garage again like me and Egill did when we were young, and that might have had some influence on the songwriting. We played faster and louder. We were not sure about how it would fit in with other songs on the album, as we felt it had a different vibe, more pop than the other songs, but our producer, Eiður, said we should definitely keep it. The song is about being there for your friends. Sticking by them through their difficult times, to go the distance for them, to run if they run.”

VAR began as a solo project of Júlíus Óttar (vocals, guitar, piano) in 2013, but soon after, he realized that his vision for VAR could not be fully realized without additional collaborators — so he called upon those who were close. Soon his wife Myrra Rós (synths, vocals) and his brother Egill Björgvinsson (bass) joined the band along with friends Arnór Jónasson (guitar) and Andri Freyr Þorgeirsson (drums).

With this lineup, VAR wrote and recorded the EP Vetur and performed for several years building a fiercely loyal fanbase. With time and competing responsibilities, Myrra Rós was pulled in a different direction and drummer Sigurður Ingi Einarsson replaced Andri Freyr to solidify the band’s current and more concentrated lineup. It was this transition that served as a catalyst for the reimagining of VAR’s sound.

Listen to ‘Run’ below.