being called an elf

I sometimes wonder what they would say if I was from Leeds. But my relationship with England is kind of cute, too. When I was developing as a vocalist, little kids here in Reykjavik would throw rocks at me because they thought I was weird, but English music papers like the NME discovered The Sugarcubes and gave me some credit, so I was never offended by them calling me an elf.

Anyway, Britain has druids, and it was an Englishman who wrote The Lord of the Rings. I mean, how many goblins and elves can you put in one story ? Oh, and England is the best place for eccentrics, too. All those totally gorgeous people like Richard James and David Bowie. They couldn’t come from anywhere else.

Independent, 13 august 2004