Youthful Hearts (EP) Axel Flóvent

• 1 Youthful Hearts 03:40
• 2 Years 03:53
• 3 Close to You 03:39
• 4 Slow & Steady 03:03
• 5 Stars 03:33
• Total Runtime 17:48

Info for Youthful Hearts (EP)

“I was quite overwhelmed by fear as a kid, the smallest things seemed so big…” compelling musician Axel Flóvent remarks. “Anxiety threw me off the boat – I had created a world of fear, and I got stuck in it. But I was lucky enough to have a loving family, who made everything less terrifying for me.” The complex and introverted singer-songwriter attempts to put into words the meaning behind his stunning new single Years, which will feature on his brand-new forthcoming EP Youthful Hearts, announced today.

“Years is a song about time. Reminiscing and looking at the past years as a journey that leads you to here. The way our youthful hearts make us who we become.” The bold acoustic number is a candid account of Flóvent’s own battles with himself and within his relationships. A heart-breaking ballad that finds beauty in simplicity, and showcases Flóvent’s incredible sincere and soaring vocals.

“I wrote Years to describe fear and anxiety in a picture rather than words. I mean, jealousy is obviously a very ugly thing and I’ve kinda got myself to the point where I’ve ruined my relationships because of it. I’m not normally the jealous type but fear can make you do strange things” Flóvent surmises. The young artist has only been living away from his home for a short amount of time – tiny, remote Icelandic fishing village, Husavik (population 2000) – rising to acclaim in 2016 following the release of the impressive Forest Fires EP, closely followed by 2017’s Quiet Eyes EP (the pair amassed 40m+ streams across streaming platforms).

Growing up in such a close-knit community, the artist never imagined his music would reach such far-flung corners of the world, despite having seen his cousin Ásgeir become the biggest selling artist in Iceland. The musician has now returned with a brand-new EP;Youthful Hearts. Produced alongside Odd Martin (Sigrid, Aurora), the EP possesses an incredibly plaintive message set within a framework of jubilant pop-flecked indie and intimate acoustic ballads, representing yet another stride forward in the exciting musician’s budding musical career. Flóvent draws on his own vulnerability in a relationship, the exhilaration of first loves as well as the isolation felt upon losing it.

Having spent the past 18 months residing in the Netherlands, the now Brighton based singer-songwriter has cultivated a sound reminiscent of The Cure and The 1975 – a collection of songs steeped in luscious, sunny guitars and Axel’s signature melodic vocal hooks.

“The balladeer lights the fuse on a feelings-stuffed time bomb” (Line of Best Fit)

“Icelandic newcomer with a poetic lyrical touch…” (Clash)

“Icelandic singer-songwriter Axel Flóvent’s ‘Forest Fires’ serves as a poetically-penned picture postcard from the wild-places of the heart, signed and delivered by campfire-lit guitars and snowflake falsetto.” (Q Magazine)

Axel Flóvent

Axel Flóvent
Born and raised in the Northern fishing village of Húsavík, Axel recorded his first EP Forest Fires, it was here where the songs were written under the influence of everything from Bon Iver to Bombay Bicycle Club. It yielded an international phenomenon in the form of the title track, generating over 40 million streams. At 19 years old, he moved into his first apartment in Amsterdam and “felt so isolated.” He admits, “I was supposed to be in a music mecca, but I never left the apartment.”

So, he traded Amsterdam for the seaside town of Brighton in the UK where he recorded his latest EP Youthful Hearts. Living in Brighton gave Axel “the clarity to move to Iceland.” This year, Axel returned to Iceland, and chose to plant roots in the capital Reykjavík. Tapping into the DIY spirit of his earliest recordings, but with a sense of refinement and newfound wisdom, Axel is currently working on brand new material with producer Ian Grimble (The 1975, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Daughter, Bear’s Den, Mumford & Sons), to be released on his new label home Nettwerk (Passenger, SYML, Angus and Julia Stone).

This album contains no booklet.