“Heima” is a documentary film which chronicles the tour of Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. I first viewed it late last year, but thought an analysis of it would be appropriate for this blog, so I rewatched it. Shot in the summer of 2006, it follows the group as they perform a series of free concerts in their home country. Rather than choosing to perform traditional concerts at enormous venues, complete with large numbers of instruments and equipment, they played intimate shows in unusual locations like abandoned shipping factories, community halls, and highland cottages.Sigur Rós formed in 1994 and have released two EPs and five studio albums in that time, as well as contributing to soundtrack and remix albums. Debut studio recording Von was released in 1997 through Icelandic indie label Bad Taste Records (known as Smekkleysa in their homeland) and the local release of all subsequent albums has been through this label. Their second record, Ágætis byrjun, was released internationally between 1999 and 2000 via British independent label, Fat Cat Records, as was the group’s 2002 album, (), in conjunction with international label Play It Again Sam. The fourth album by Sigur Rós, Takk… signalled their move toward a major label, being released through the British label EMI and the American label Geffen. Their most recent album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, was also released by EMI.
The long-held definition of ‘indie’ refers to music distributed through an independent record label, rather than a major one; indeed the term is merely an abbreviation of the word ‘independent’. Through my experience of the indie subculture in the last few years, which has involved extensive music consumption and concert attendance, I have observed a certain evolution of that definition. While being on an independent label in the present or past is certainly seen as desirable within the subculture, categorizing a band as ‘indie’ has also become connected to notions of authenticity and accessibility. Consumers within the subculture distinguish the music as being ‘indie’ due to their view of it as distinct from the mainstream and therefore superior. To them, it is ‘real’ music that is more honest and more sophisticated than the cut-and-paste pop or modern R&B music of the Top 40. Operating in conjunction with this is recognizing indie as something that a comparatively small group of people are familiar with, and a feeling of shared community exists within the subculture as a result. Feeling as though you are privy to something extraordinary is a mainstay of the indie subculture and this seeps into their experience of music. They desire personal connection with music that makes its independence clear, and that they can share with like-minded people.
“‘Heima’ means ‘home’,” says lead singer Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson in the film’s opening, and this notion pervades the entire documentary. Footage of the band’s performances are almost always intercut with recordings of the Icelandic landscape and its people. The film explores the connection of the band and its music with their homeland as they perform at the most far-flung and unconventional locations, either for small communities of Icelanders or just for themselves. The sense of kinship that Sigur Rós creates in these performances is central to the indie subculture. The concerts here are intensely personal, making the viewer feel as though they are witnessing a brief moment of pure music, something that the band is doing because they want to, rather than feeling as though they have to. The sparse nature of the shows, which remove the more mainstream aesthetics of a large-scale concert, adds to this. They are restrained, effect-free and intimate. This appeals to indie sensibilities which favour musical integrity. Members of the subculture view music in its most unaltered, untroubled form as being the most authentic and the experience of such composition is highly valued.
Indie subculture emphasises an appreciation of music created for its own sake, rather the sake of record companies, and Sigur Rós certainly falls into this category. The passion Sigur Rós have for the music-making process is heavily reflected in Heima. In the film, bassist Georg “Goggi” Hólm refers to the lack of appeal the band finds in meteoric major-label success.
“You’re in a band but you’re just doing business, you know, you’re having meetings with lawyers and things like that. In a way, it’s quite exciting, you think about the future and stuff, but at the same time, it’s just, you know, almost like doing a desk job instead of making music.”
Jónsi, the lead singer, adds:
“We’re kinda really skeptical about all this, like doing interviews, a lot of photo sessions, all this stuff, all these typical things. And then if you deny that, if you don’t want to be a part of that, then people are all, ‘whoah, why are you doing that?’ It’s confusing. Then they start to build up some image of you that isn’t right.”
That the band is so unconcerned with appearances, publicity and the like, seems indicative of its status as an indie band; the indie subculture is in theory focused less on exteriority and more on interiority, or musical content. The band cannot entirely be accused of ‘selling out’ by moving towards a major label. If the attitude they present in the film is anything to go by, they do their best to eschew overwhelming fame and fanaticism. All the members speak softly and shlyly in varying degrees of broken English, and seem hesitant to acknowledge the extent of their success, intent instead on producing good music. As drummer Orri Páll Dýrason notes, “We work a lot on the music. Sometimes maybe too much, and it takes a lot to make us happy with what we do.” There is less focus on histrionics and more on creating a pure musical experience, something the indie subculture attaches importance to. As Emmy Hennings' review of Heima noted, “this is the band that needed a crane to lift in the mixing desk used to record ( ) inside an abandoned swimming pool-turned-studio, yet turned down 2 million pounds from a British bank that wanted a 15-second snippet for an ad.”
While now arguably more mainstream than they used to be, largely as a result of their songs frequently being used in film and television scores and trailers, Sigur Rós still appear to be more accessible to an indie crowd. As I mentioned earlier, the indie subculture views their music as something not shared or understood by many people (which has unfortunately but understandably led to them being labelled as snobbish). The idea of accessibility is key to the indie experience. That Sigur Rós are Icelandic and therefore don’t sing in English (with the exception of the final track, "All Alright", on their most recent album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust) limits their connection with a more mainstream crowd that might easily dismiss something foreign. Their songs also often feature incomprehensible lyrics which utilize the melodic and rhythmic elements of song without grammar or syntax, a language dubbed ‘Hopelandic’ by the band. This restricts their accessibility even further. The notion of indie is also about resisting or challenging convention and everything I have mentioned that occurs in Heima affirms this, the band opting to play in areas like isolated national parks and tiny town halls, and providing the viewer with a personal experience of their performances.
Heima is ultimately not your average concert tour DVD. Rather, it is a film about music itself and the homeland of the band that has created it. As well providing enjoyment for Sigur Rós fans, it offers insight into their status as an indie band, which allows for a thorough examination of the indie subculture as a whole.
Heima. Dir. Dean DeBlois. Klikk Film, Truenorth Productions & EMI, 2007.
Hemmings, Emmy. Review of Heima by Dean DeBlois and Sigur Rós. Cyclic Deforst Magazine 18 (2007). 19th of May.
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