The new Pride song is out!

The new official Reykjavík Pride song has just been released, and it’s a cool Europop song with a tropical vibe.

The song is called “We Can Unite” (Við getum sameinast) and is the first song specifically composed for Reykjavík Pride. It’s performed by singer, director and actor Bjartmar Þórðarson and written by Eyþór Úlfar Þórisson, Birgir Steinn Stefánsson and Andri Þór Jónsson, who together form the up and coming group September. GayIceland met with September and started by asking what the song is about.

Eyþór Úlfar
Eyþór Úlfar Þórsson.

The lyrics are about how everyone is the same, how everyone is equal and how we can be united in happiness,” says Eyþór Úlfar. “We wanted a dash of a Eurovision vibe, but we didn’t want the song to be entirely Eurovision.”

He adds that the main idea for the song came from the Reykjavik Pride management team who contacted them when they were searching for songwriters. “We added our vibes and lyrics and the outcome resonated with the team.”

Eyþór says that in some ways the song is similar to what September have already been doing, but actually a bit less of a Europop song than they’re used to writing and also a bit cooler. “It also has a tropical vibe that we haven’t had before.”

The song is sung by Bjartmar Þórðarson. How did that come about?
“He auditioned for the song and we thought it worked out really well. He really fit the song. The idea to ask him to audition came from the Reykjavik Pride management team. We listened to him a bit before and in the end he was the perfect fit,” says Eyþór Úlfar.

Birgir Steinn says that it actually surprised him how well it went, because they just met Bjartmar for twenty minutes before he went into the studio and sang a demo. “I knew beforehand he had a good voice but he really nailed it. I immediately said to the guys that he really has a special character to his voice. The song benefits a great deal from it.”

We wanted a dash of a Eurovision vibe, but we didn’t want the song to be entirely Eurovision.”

Was it a challenge to write a song for a specific purpose? 
“No not at all,” says Eyþór. “We just sat down and wrote it. We are used to writing a lot of music together and we have written songs for others before.”

Eyþór Úlfar and Birgir Steinn have been singing together and making guitar-pop music since 2014, but have known each other longer through their fathers who are old acquaintances. They played together in a house band for their old college Menntaskólinn í Kópavogi in an annual school song contest and that’s where they got to know Andri Þór, who joined September last year in November. 

adsf
Birgir Steinn Stefánsson.

“That happened shortly after they released a song with Stefanía Svavars,” says Andri. “But we had known each other for quite some time since college, and we had often discussed making music together when we finally started our collaboration.”

Do you all have musical backgrounds?
“Yes and no,” says Eyþór. “I had a musical upbringing and Birgir as well, through our fathers. But none of us have taken any music lessons to speak of.”

His father is Þórir Úlfarsson, a keyboardist and music producer. Birgir’s father is Stefán Hilmarsson, frontman of the iconic Icelandic pop music group Sálin hans Jóns míns and veteran Eurovision singer and songwriter. “I’ve been involved in music for as long as I can remember,” says Birgir and admits that for about seven years he really annoyed the neighbors with his drumming. “Many people ask if I was pushed into playing music, if my father forced me to pursue a music career. That’s not the case, he hasn’t been involved much but I think he enjoys what I’m doing.”

Andri says that he’s been interested in music for a very long time. “My uncle is a musician and my grandfather was a musician. I think I got my interest from them. Uncle Arnar [music producer Arnar Guðjónsson] gave me a guitar for Christmas when I was 12 or 13 years old and my musical interest started to develop from there,” says Andri Þór and adds that he taught himself how to play the guitar and the piano.

adsf
Andri Þór Jónsson.

Asked how September, the name of the band came about, Birgir says it was actually Eyþór’s father who came up with it. “He suggested the name September because we both have birthdays in September, it was September at the time, and we had just released our first single, in September. We liked the idea and on the plus side the word September is so international.”

Despite being only in their early twenties the boys have already made a name for themselves in the Icelandic music industry, having worked with big names such as Pálmi Gunnarsson and formerly mentioned Bjartmar Þórðarson. As a group they’ve released six singles (counting the new Reykjavík Pride song), including a recently released single with María Ólafsdóttir who represented Iceland in the Eurovision song contest 2015 with the song Unbroken. But where do they get their inspiration from? And do they have any idols?

“As a group we listen to all kinds of pop music for inspiration,” says Andri.

Eyþór agrees. “When we are writing music together we listen to whatever’s popular at the time.”

Birgir adds: “We listen for example to Jess Glynne, Sigala and also Clean Bandit. That’s when we are writing music meant for dancing. They have such a cool sound.

“We listen to a lot of the same music,” explains Eyþór, “but each group member has his own musical interests as well. Personally I really like Clean Bandit and Michael Bublé.”

“We can unite” (Við getum sameinast) is performed by renown director, actor and singer Bjartmar Þórðarson, who says he enjoys being a part of this project and thinks it’s an honor to be able to front the song for Reykjavik Pride. “It’s also an honor to get to meet new artists and work with them. The September guys are so talented. It’s also always fun to get a chance to bring joy to the gay community, which I hope this song does.”
The song is performed by renown director, actor and singer Bjartmar Þórðarson, who says he enjoys being a part of this project and thinks it’s an honor to be able to front the song for Reykjavik Pride. “It’s also an honor to get to meet new artists and work with them. The September guys are so talented. It’s also always fun to get a chance to bring joy to the gay community, which I hope this song does.”

“Personally I like almost everything,” says Birgir, “except death metal.”

“I’m a big fan of John Mayer, Coldplay, James Morrisson, Ed Sheeran and many more,” says Andri.

“… we hope people will like it as much as we do. We’ll just have to see how it goes.”

What about the future, do you guys have any big dreams?
“It would be fun to write songs for international superstars,” Eyþór admits. “We aren’t dying about it, but that’s where we would like to see ourselves in the future. We haven’t sent anything out yet, we would like to establish ourselves here at home first, and then perhaps try to make it internationally.”

On a smaller scale they say that they would like to release an album, but have no plans yet. “I guess we will take a break for about a month,” says Eyþór, “and then start working on some new songs.”

But next up for the boys is the Reykjavík Pride in August which they will be attending to see Bjartmar perform their song. Normally there is a lot of anticipation for a new Pride song. Are they nervous about how it will be received?

Eyþór shakes his head. “No we’re not nervous,” he says with confidence, “but we hope people will like it as much as we do. We’ll just have to see how it goes, but no, we’re not nervous.”

With an upbeat tune, meant to bring joy and happiness to listeners, the new Reykjavík Pride song will surely get thousands of Pride goers to wiggle it. “It’s a great anthem,” says Bjartmar, “and hopefully people can unite about having a great time listening to it. It’s fun and has a beautiful message.”

Á. Óskarsson
Á. Óskarsson

Á. Óskarsson offers a variety of products and services to sports centers, swimming pools, schools, kindergartens, and the general public. The company specializes in sport-related products, activity-focused games, and a wide range of solutions for sports facilities.

Á. Óskarsson has been involved in numerous big projects related to building sports facilities and has made it their benchmark to offer good quality products and equipment since the company was founded.

See links to social media in the upper left-hand corner

—————-

Á. Óskarsson selur fjölbreytt vöruúrval fyrir íþróttahús, sundlaugar, skóla og leikskóla og einnig ýmsar vörur til einkaafnota. Fyrirtækið selur vörur til íþróttaiðkunnar og leikja ásamt því að bjóða upp á ýmsar lausnir fyrir íþróttamannvirki.

Á. Óskarsson hefur komið að fjölda stórra verkefna við byggingu íþróttamannvirkja og hefur frá stofnun kappkostað að bjóða vandaðar og endingargóðar vörur.

Tenglar á samfélagsmiðla eru í efra horninu vinstra megin.

Webpage/vefsetur

Blush

    Blush was founded in 2011 when it started selling high quality sex products. The goal from the beginning was to change the market and take the discussion about sex products to a higher level. Today Blush provides professional services in a pleasant environment that fulfills different needs, both for individuals and couples. Blush respects diversity and wants to set a good example in all of its messaging to target audiences. Sexual health and equality in sex is important and Blush wants to focus on those issues through education and open discussion. Blush works in a socially responsible manner for society, their customers and the environment.

    Check out Blush’s website: https://blush.is/

    Omnom Chocolate
    - award-winning chocolate maker

      Omnom Chocolate is an Icelandic craft chocolate company based in Reykjavík. We produce handcrafted chocolate from organic cacao beans sourced ethically and sustainably. We’ve developed direct relationships to create premium chocolate with fine flavor cacao beans.

      Our creative flavors are carefully crafted by meticulous chocolate makers. The cacao beans are roasted, winnowed, ground, and refined into melty-smooth chocolate.

      Omnom’s process is one of constant exploration, invention, and experimentation. If it doesn’t please us, if something isn’t absolutely delicious, there’s no reason to be doing it. So, we always start with our taste buds and follow our instincts. Our team searches for the finest ingredients in the world and new ways to improve chocolate. This obsession with knowing where our ingredients come from has led us around the corner to dairy farms in the Icelandic countryside and all the way to rainforest cacao farms of Nicaragua.

      In only a few short years, we’ve grown from our 50 sq. m. petrol station space and become an award-winning chocolate maker. Now, with our headquarters in 101 Reykjavík, our chocolate is sent out around Iceland and all over the world.

      At the end of the day, our goal is to make chocolate.

       

      Nasdaq

         

        Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a global technology company serving the capital markets and other industries. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software and services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence.

        With over 4,300 employees in 39 offices around the world, at Nasdaq we all contribute to the success of the company and its culture, and each one of us has the ability to make a difference. When it comes to our core mission and values, we embrace the role of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) as a fundamental driver of our corporate growth, workplace culture and market development. We strive to create a culture that embraces the power of different perspectives—a culture where people’s unique backgrounds and different experiences helps us fuel innovation and support our clients around the world.

        Our unique position at the center of the capital markets allows us to see firsthand how these values have redefined corporate culture and success, deepening and accelerating our own commitment to champion inclusive growth and prosperity, as we strive to create more equitable opportunities to help people of all backgrounds reach their full potential. Most notably, we published our diversity statistics for the first time in 2020. These metrics serve as a quantitative assessment of where we are today and help determine what strategies we need to adopt to enhance diversity in the workplace. We recognize that we have much work to do, but we are steadfast in our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive culture—one that reflects the communities in which we live, allows all employees to be their true, authentic selves and fosters individual growth and achievement.

        As we move forward together, we will continue advancing diverse ideas and perspectives that help fulfill the promise of a more inclusive and prosperous world. We aim to set the pace for rethinking capital markets and economies anywhere and everywhere. To learn more about the company, technology solutions and career opportunities, visit us on LinkedIn, on Twitter @Nasdaq, or at www.nasdaq.com.

        Blue Lagoon
        - One of the 25 Wonders of the World

        Named by National Geographic as one of the 25 Wonders of the World, the Blue Lagoon is a shimmering expanse of warmth, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Its unique geothermal seawater
        comes from 2.000 meters within the earth where seawater and freshwater converge in a tectonic realm of porous lava and searing heat. Propelled by extreme pressure, the water ascends to the earth’s surface, emerging enriched with silica, algae, and minerals—the elements that endow Blue Lagoon geothermal seawater with its radiant, healing properties.

        From its humble beginnings in the shadows of a geothermal power plant, Blue Lagoon has evolved into a world of wonder, now encompassing two hotels, three restaurants, three
        geothermal lagoons, a subterranean spa, a renowned line of skin care, a thriving research center, and a wealth of spa and refreshment facilities.

        Achieving harmony with the volcanic landscape, the lagoon and its surrounding architecture embody the unification of the man-made and the natural, and adhere to the highest principles of sustainability.

        The Blue Lagoon. A wonder of the world. A world of wonder.

        Landsbankinn
        - leading financial institution
        Landsbankinn

        Landsbankinn is a leading Icelandic financial institution. It offers a full range of financial services and is the market leader in the Icelandic financial service sector with the largest branch network.

        The present bank was established on 7 October 2008 but the history of its predecessor dates back to 1886. The bank is owned by the National Treasury of Iceland, which holds 98.2% of its share capital, and other shareholders who own 1.8%.

        Landsbankinn’s strategy is to provide comprehensive financial services that meet customer’s needs. It emphasizes providing exemplary service to customers, developing e-banking for their convenience, increasing the efficiency of support functions, modernizing its technology and ensuring effective utilization of its balance sheet.

        The bank’s vision is to be exemplary and its role is to be a trusted financial partner.

        Special emphasis is placed on promoting a performance-oriented culture in the bank. To follow up on the implementation of this strategy, the bank has defined key goals which are measured regularly to determine progress. These goals include, for example, customer satisfaction and loyalty, profitability, cost efficiency and the correlation between risk appetite and employee satisfaction.

        Landsbankinn wishes to lead the development of a sustainable society in Iceland by integrating economic, social and environmental concerns in its operations. The Bank aims to ensure that both its owners and society at large benefit from its activities.

        It intends to achieve this aim by building solid infrastructure and a strong team of 1.100 employees, by listening to its customers and by respecting and encouraging its employees to actively participate in their community. Landsbankinn was a founding member of Festa, a Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility, and is a member of the UN Global Compact.

        Landsbankinn has been a proud sponsor of the Reykjavik Pride since it was first celebrated in Iceland.

        Dohop
        - get inspired
        Dohop

        Dohop allows people to find the cheapest flights available with just one click. Founded in Reykjavik in 2004, it is the only Icelandic company of its kind and quickly became the go-to tool for finding cheap flights among the locals. Dohop finds the best deals among hundreds of different airlines and online travel agencies, to make sure that the user is getting the cheapest price. Dohop also offers hotel and car rental search engines, so users can make all of their travel bookings from a single website.

        Dohop‘s specialty is finding so-called “self-connect” flight options, which can save travelers money by booking a ticket through two or more different airlines. The ability to look for these self-connect option is what sets Dohop apart from its competition, as it can save people hundreds of dollars on certain routes.

        More recently, Dohop has developed a unique product called Dohop Go!, which allows users to check for the cheapest available flights from their home airport. This tool is perfect for those who are looking for travel inspiration but are not willing to overpay for their flight ticket. Dohop Go! is now available in the Dohop Flights App, both for Android and iOS, along with its traditional flight, hotel, and car search engines. “

        VSÓ Ráðgjöf

           

          VSÓ Ráðgjöf er alhliða ráðgjafar- og verkfræðifyrirtæki sem leggur áherslu á trausta og faglega þjónustu sem tryggir viðskiptavinum hagkvæmustu lausnir hverju sinni, skilar raunverulegum árangri og stuðlar að samkeppnisforskoti.  Á skrifstofum VSÓ í Reykjavík og í Noregi starfar yfir 80 manna samhentur hópur verkfræðinga og annarra tæknimenntaðra starfsmanna.

          Macland
          - for all your Apple needs
          Macland

          From starting out as a proper startup with only a good idea and the need to change things, to becoming an established company with 6 employees. Starting from scratch and expanding organically has allowed us to love our expansion and take our customers on the ride with us.

          Macland is located at Laugavegur 23 (101, Downtown Reykjavik)
          For all your Apple needs. We are here.

          Ísey skyr
          - once tasted never forgotten

          Our Story
          Once upon a time, 1,100 years ago in fact, Nordic settlers began arriving in Iceland. They brought with them the skills and knowledge for producing skyr. As time passed, the know-how and recipe for this nutritious food slowly faded out elsewhere in the Nordic region. Luckily, the Icelandic skyr-making tradition continued.

          For centuries, Icelandic skyr formed a cornerstone of the national diet, helping to keep people strong in living conditions that were often harsh. On family farms countrywide, it was the women who nurtured this dairy and passing on both the recipe and the original Icelandic skyr cultures from mother to daughter.

          Ísey skyr builds on this remarkable legacy. It was some of those very same women, the recipients of their mothers’ expertise, who, around 90 years ago, taught Icelandic dairy scientists the art of skyr-making. The production process is more high-tech these days, and the quality standards more rigorous. However, the basic recipe and the use of original cultures to ferment the skimmed milk remain the same. Protein rich, fat-free, creamy and delicious – Ísey skyr is as relevant to consumers now as it was all those centuries ago.
          This is our secret and you are in on it

          You can read more about Ísey skyr on our website.

          Contact Us


          PGlmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jb20vbWFwcy9lbWJlZD9wYj0hMW0xNCExbTEyITFtMyExZDI3ODQyLjM0NzA2NDA3OTU4ITJkLTIxLjkwMDg1MDg1NzkxODQyITNkNjQuMTQxNzA3ODE2NzAyMDEhMm0zITFmMCEyZjAhM2YwITNtMiExaTEwMjQhMmk3NjghNGYxMy4xITVlMCEzbTIhMXNlbiEycyE0djE0MzMzMzc5MTUyMjYiIHdpZHRoPSIxMDAlIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEwMCUiIGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyPSIwIiBzdHlsZT0iYm9yZGVyOjAiPjwvaWZyYW1lPg==
          Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.