Náttúra Campaign

How did you become involved with the Náttúra Campaign ? What is the organization’s mission ?

I kind of founded it. In a way, it’s just me and four other people who share a Google group. [laughs] The other people include Andri [Snaer Magnason], who has written this book [Dreamland : A Self-Help Manual to a Frightened Nation] and Magga Vilhjálms, who has been my friend since I was 11. She’s an actress, and she organized a concert called Hætta !, which means "stop," two years ago.

When I did the gig in the summer [the Náttúra concert] with Sigur Rós and 30,000 people came— which is 10% of the [population of Iceland]— we wanted to raise awareness for the environment. We did that and it was amazing. Then for six weeks, I was in hotel rooms and dressing rooms thinking fuck, that’s not going to do shit. I’m gonna have to have one more whack at it, and try to be functionalist and not just ideological. As much as I don’t want to get my hands dirty— I would rather just do music— I have to follow this up, or it was totally pointless.

pitchforkmedia 10-22-08