Shortly after the pandemic started in 2020, Krummi Björgvinsson started piecing together a song that would still make perfect sense six years later, and well beyond. “Like many others, I found myself reflecting deeply on resilience, perspective, and the quiet strength required to move forward when the world feels unstable,” says the Icelandic singer-songwriter and musician, known as Krummi.
During this period, Björgvinsson also started recording his upcoming album, out fall 2026, along with lead single “Smile Till It Ends.” Wrapped in a warmer timbre of Americana and alt-country, “Smile Till It Ends” serves a message of hope even in the most precarious of times—You’re trying so hard to stay standing / You mustn’t let them see / That you´re scared to be seen / As you sink down against the wall / You didn’t choose to be this person at all.
“It feels especially fitting to release the song now, as the world continues to face significant challenges and uncertainty,” shares Björgvinsson. “The themes of resilience and choosing hope in difficult moments remain deeply relevant. ‘Smile Till It Ends’ is a reminder to stay grounded and hold on, even when circumstances feel overwhelming, a message that resonates strongly in times like these.”
Accompanying the release is a cinematic music video, directed by Sigurgeir and with cinematography by Thórhildur Kristín, capturing the twofold meaning of the song, which was a concept that came naturally to Björgvinsson.
“Given the winter conditions here in Iceland, I was drawn to the idea of filming outdoors in the cold, performing the song illuminated solely by car headlights, with visible breath vapor in the air,” he says. “I felt that the starkness of the setting, combined with the rawness of the performance, would create something aesthetically striking and emotionally honest.”
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Visually, Björgvinsson wanted the parallel of inclement weather, with scenes shot 20 minutes outside the capital of Reykjavík in Gufunes, and “warmer” studio footage woven in, reflecting both sides of the story, from facing vulnerabilities and the possibility of renewal, and survival, along with the tonic of nature—Count to ten and breathe / You´ll be alright / Take a walk between all the falling raindrops / Watch the moon get chased across the sky / Bathe in Autumn leaves / It will be alright.
“The cold industrial location just outside the city provides a strong visual contrast, which is interwoven with warmer, intimate studio footage to reflect the duality within the song itself, vulnerability and strength, isolation and hope,” shares Björgvinsson. “The video is primarily performance-driven, allowing the song’s emotion to remain at the forefront.”
He adds, “What emerged was not just a music video, but a genuine expression of friendship and shared creativity, a project shaped by trust, simplicity, and a collective belief in the song.”
“Smile Till It Ends” is as much a part of Björgvinsson’s musical DNA as his other projects over nearly 30 years, from fronting the harder rock band Mínus since the late ’90s, and as one half of the electronic duo Legend, to work in film and production, along with collaborations with Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe, French electronic duo M83, and more.
Solo, Björgvinsson started tapping into Americana and other roots with the 2019 single “Stories to Tell,” and “Frozen Teardrops,” a year later, followed by “Naglar og Salt” (“Nails and Salt”) in 2021, and a cover of Dire Straits‘ 1985 classic “Brothers in Arms.”
Though “Smile Till It Ends” is one part of the bigger picture from Krummi, it offers a silver lining of resilience that will stick around for some time.
“The song explores resilience,” he says, “choosing grace and composure when everything seems to be falling apart and reminds listeners that even in difficult times, it is possible to trust that things will ultimately turn out well.”
Main Photo: Brynjar Snær
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