Laufey Opens Up About Touring, Imposter Syndrome & Being Independent | Billboard Women In Music 2026

There was a trend going around the internet of girls dressing up as in like period dress, usually in like male period dress and like painting must up beards on themselves and singing Best of Wives, Best of Women. And I of course participated in the trend, being a big Hamilton fan, which should surprise literally no one. I definitely was a little bit at first. I think the first concert I played, I was like, whoa, who do I think I am to be playing here? But then it became quite natural after that. And I got over the imposter syndrome of it pretty, pretty fast. And, you know, especially when I'm in the middle of the room, it's, it's like a theater in every direction. I get to be surrounded by the fans and they get to experience like kind of every side of me. And I, I've kind of felt like that experience actually really lended itself to my music and my world because it was, it's a whole lot more immersive. So, but I still love playing theaters and I will for the rest of my life. So I think it's, it's good to have both because both give me opportunities to show different sides of myself. There were a couple of ways, I think, you know, knowing when to make things big and knowing when to make things small is really important. When you have a big number with dancers and a big orchestra or with, with strings and the band and, and big visuals, you know, you want to make those as fantastical as possible. And we do a lot of inspiration from opera, from ballet, from, from musical theater to like make those moments feel really big. And then in contrast, the moments that are small, you make them feel really, really intimate and they feel so small because you've just offered up something so big. And those moments, I think, taking the time to speak directly to the audience, you know, explain what songs are about, how you came to that, you know, that lyric or something like that, or even just talking about the day, kind of humanizing the experience of coming because arenas are quite big and it can feel very vast and daunting, not only for, for the artist, but also for the audience. And I think just humanizing myself and showing them that I'm just, you know, I'm, I'm a little shocked that I get to be on this stage as well. I think that's, you know, how I make it feel intimate. I really made sure to have those moments where I was playing alone with a guitar, alone with a piano, no, no one else singing, no one else playing, and just really connecting with the fans. The way I saw it was, and making sure that those moments are, you know, as close to the audience as possible, you know, getting into the pit and walking and, you know, holding hands with the fans and singing with them. Those moments make it feel really intimate. And honestly, like, I couldn't even get that close to fans in theaters. I get to be a lot closer to them, strangely, in the arena. Sometimes when artists tour, there can be a wall between the artist and the fans, which I think for many acts that totally works and can be a great thing. You know, you want the allure of, you know, ooh, who is this person behind this curtain? But my whole project is just about honesty and authenticity. And to be able to, to break that wall between the music and the audience is so important to me. Well, I really wanted to transport the audience to a different world, if you will, and something that felt quite timeless. So I think these, like, big set pieces that are, you know, moved by people and kind of reminiscent of what you see in opera and ballet and theater were really important to kind of create that timeless feeling. Like, you don't want to come in and just see everything on a screen, especially in times like this, when I think audiences are really wanting to find things that feel really real and connected. Like, these are all set pieces made by real people and real hands. And every single part of the stage is an opportunity for storytelling. And I think that is something that both me and Yonia, my twin sister, and the whole production team, like, we really were really honest about. And from the very beginning, like every, that's how I view my music, too. Every single lyric could be someone's favorite lyric. Every part of the stage could be someone's, you know, what they zero in on. So, you know, on the staircase, we have etchings of emblems from the lyrics from the A Matter of Time album. On the stage itself, it's a big, like, compass, essentially, which has the many different ways that different cultures tell time. We have, of course, we have North, East, South, West, but then we also have the different, and the calendar, and we have the lunar calendar, we have also, like, the Norse, like, the Icelandic way of art, like, very old calendar. And so, it's just finding those moments to put myself and my storytelling into every part. I mean, the stage in the U.S., it's going to be a little different in every different leg of the tour because, well, there are a couple more constraints when you're flying everything back and forth. But in the U.S. tour, we had this, you know, this stage that stretched out and mimicked the scroll of a cello. So, which is the instrument I grew up playing, and I play on stage, and always want to have. And if you look from atop, it looks like the scroll of a cello, and then at the end of the scroll, it's a clock. And, you know, I spin on the clock, and the clock was kind of this opportunity to get really close to the fans. And that's where we had the jazz club set in the middle of the show that kind of reimagined the songs, and that was the part of the show where I wanted to feel the most intimate, because what could be more intimate than a small jazz club? The fact that every part of the stage, every part of the show, from the second you walk in, I wanted them to be immersed. Also, people spend so much time, and so much money, and so much, you know, heart learning the lyrics, getting ready, getting dressed, getting their outfit ready, that it needs to be the best show I can possibly put on. My favorite moment from tour? I mean, there's so many, so many favorite moments. I think having my mom and dad come out to Madison Square Garden was like, definitely quite life-changing. Like, I had so many people send me photos of my parents in the pit looking at me, because I obviously couldn't be there, and because I was on stage. But that definitely felt special. Seeing them in the same room as all my fans was just, felt like there's so much love in the world, and I felt very, very lucky, and I hope, kind of hope that everybody gets to experience that feeling of everything coming together at once. I'm from Iceland. It's a very small country. I think I sold almost the same amount of tickets on the U.S. tour as the population of Iceland, so it's definitely very overwhelming, too. I still can't digest how many people there are who know who I am, and it's especially hard coming from a country that is that small. It's such an intricate web of, you know, are there artists that are already in the city? Are they playing the arena the next day, the day before? Are they still there? Have they moved? Will they stay an extra day to come on stage? Like, it's all a really intricately woven map of guest artists. I think for me, I love being able to play, perform with artists who do something very different from me, because it's my opportunity to hear my voice in another light, or bring my, or opportunity to have, you know, like I made Benson Boone sing a jazz standard, and he killed it. His voice lended it so well to that, and in LA, I had a song called Magnolia that I knew Hozier would be able to make even more devastating and beautiful. But then, when will I ever get to sing with Cat's Eye, with a girl group? That's so sick, and so I think those are all many opportunities to show the world also that I'm not in some hole or some, in some box. I don't see myself as above or different from any other artist, in that we're all, like, friends, and we all work together. And when I look back in the past, my favorite videos to watch are, like, two random artists coming together. Like, that's, every time I step off stage with another artist, I'm like, wow, people are gonna look back at this one day and think, whoa, these two completely different artists that I love have, like, sung together and know each other. I think that's one of the most beautiful, like, collaboration is one of the most beautiful things in the world. It was my first choice because there was a trend going around the internet of girls dressing up as, in, like, period dress, usually in, like, male period dress, and, like, painting must-up beards on themselves and singing Best of Women. And I, of course, participated in the trend, being a big Hamilton fan, which should surprise literally no one. And so when it came to New York, I, like, I think the first person I asked my manager, I was like, do you think we could, like, maybe get Lin-Manuel Miranda? And we were all like, there's no way, but we're gonna try. And then, yeah, I mean, I also had Pink Pantheress that night, and I really wanted to do Illegal with her. So I was like, okay, why don't we just do that exact thing? Like, no one's heard it live for a while. I'll bet you every single person in the arena is a Hamilton fan, or at least knows the song, and really create, like, this moment. And I'm such a big fan of his that I was so shocked and happy that he got to do that. But also hearing a full arena, a full Madison Square Garden, screaming, it has never been louder. Like, we, out of all the guests, that was the loudest guests by far. Like, the reaction to it, and everyone was singing along. I've never heard that many people sing along to a musical theater song. And that brought me so much joy, because we need more people to love theater. So it was great. Well, the question is about finding the correct project, right? Which is, I feel so lucky that I've afforded myself that opportunity, because for a long time, when I was starting out as an artist, you know, and I think many artists experience this, we grasp onto every opportunity that comes to us. And absolutely, as a young artist, you should do that. But I feel very lucky to be in a place now where I get to choose the projects that make sense for me, and for my audience, and for my music. I mean, the LA Phil is, like, one of the best orchestras in the world. I never thought I'd be able to play with them in any capacity, let alone, like, get to see them at Coachella, let alone getting to play with them at Coachella. And I think it was a really emotional moment for me, because growing up as an orchestra kid, I always thought that something like Coachella was a little far from what I liked, or what was familiar, rather. And to get to see that come together, and to get to be a part of it, was just so emotional, because I think I had a lot of, like, identity splits growing up. And there, in that moment, singing with the LA Phil, these songs that I've written in front of a Coachella audience, that grew the second weekend, like, more people came. I've never felt more whole in my life, like, I've never felt more me. I didn't have to give up any part of myself to achieve the goals that I wanted. So it felt really, it felt, it was quite profound. So I'm excited to return with my own set, and to be able to, yeah, have my own, have my own show. I'm so excited. Well, it's in the middle of tour, so it definitely will be, and with the same music, so it will definitely be, have the same essence, but I want to make sure that it is. I will only play my first Coachella. Okay, I'm kind of playing my first Coachella twice. I'll only play my first set, my own set at Coachella, for the first time once. And I'm, like, definitely planning some little, little fun things, and want to make sure it feels like a unique experience. And, and I'm so excited at this, at this project of making Loewe and Coachella come together in as whole of a way as standing on stage with the LA Phil at Coachella. Absolutely, I think every artist nowadays is an innovator. We all have something new to bring to the table, and that is why I think when artists have something new to bring to the table, they, they rise, and they find success. So in that, I think every artist, especially this new crop of artists right now, are all innovators. And we, I think for me, I started out from my bedroom with a phone, and was posting videos on the internet, and, you know, was answering emails from labels and managers, and figuring it out myself, like, for a while, and slowly started adding team members on to, to build this structure. And then, you know, I've been independent for these last three albums, and being an independent artist has been a really huge part of who I am. And that involves an incredible amount of innovation, not only for myself, but, like, very much from my team. I think when I started in the music industry, I was so, the number one thing I was the most shocked at was how DIY it was. Every single person, every artist does things differently. People have different management structures, different label structures, people have publicists, people don't have publicists, like, people post on the internet, other people don't, like, some people are fashion leaning, some people lean into sports or gaming. It's truly so DIY that it's definitely felt like that. I mean, I run my own company, I run my own label, in a sense, and, and I have all these things that are attached to it, whether it's touring, or, or merch, or, you know, putting out a movie, or my social media presence, my brand partnerships, my bunny, Maymay, writing a children's book. These are all parts of, of the world of Lévé, and it's definitely, I mean, I don't know if it's innovative, but I'm definitely thinking like an entrepreneur. And I think all artists have to, that, that, that is asked of us, but what we get in return is a whole lot more control over our careers. you