Of Monsters and Men Artistfacts

2010-
Nanna Bryndis HilmarsdottirLead vocals, guitars, piano, organ2010-
Ragnar ThorhallssonLead vocals, guitars2010-
Brynjar LeifssonLead guitars2010-
Kristjan Pall KristjanssonBass guitar2010-
Arnar Rosenkranz HilmarssonDrums, accordion, piano, organ, keyboards2010-
Arni GudjonssonAccordion, piano, organ, keyboards2010-2012
Of Monsters and Men formed in 2010 in Gardabaer/Keflavik, Iceland. The group evolved from a solo project by Nanna Bryndis Hilmarsdottir, who previously performed under the name Songbird.
The band's first big break came quickly. After rehearsing together for only about a week as a full group, they entered - and won - Iceland's annual battle-of-the-bands competition, Músíktilraunir, in 2010. The victory gave them national exposure and helped solidify the lineup.
Vocalist and guitarist Ragnar Thorhallsson (known as "Raggi") came up with the band name. It was inspired by the fairy tales and imaginative stories he loved growing up.
Before "Little Talks" became an international radio hit, their debut album, My Head Is an Animal, was already a success in Iceland. That domestic momentum helped generate grassroots buzz abroad, eventually leading to a global breakthrough.
When My Head Is an Animal debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200, the band became the first Icelandic group to reach the US Top 10 with a debut album. The placement also set a new US chart record for an Icelandic artist, surpassing Björk's previous high-water mark of #9 with Volta.
A defining feature of the band's sound is the interplay between Nanna and Raggi's vocals. Rather than writing traditional duets, they often approach songs as conversations, two perspectives occupying the same emotional space, creating a sense of dialogue within the narrative.
The band links their songwriting style to growing up in Iceland; geographically isolated yet culturally connected to American and British music. That mix helped shape their sound, where folk-style storytelling meets widescreen indie-rock dynamics, influenced by long winters and short, bright summers.
On their album Fever Dream (2019), they shifted away from the stomp-and-clap folk sound that defined their early releases in favor of a more atmospheric, synth-driven approach. While some fans were surprised by the change, the band said they simply followed where the songs naturally led.
Recurring imagery runs throughout their catalog. From animals and mountains to ghosts and parades of mice, their lyrics often reduce large emotional themes into storybook-scale symbols, a technique that keeps their music both mythic and intimate.

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