Ragnhildur Gísladóttir: A Musical Journey with Ragga Gísla
The third season of the podcast Labbitur closes out with a conversation worth savouring. Host Haraldar “Halla” Þorleifsson sits down with Ragnhildur Gísladóttir — known to most as Ragga Gísla — a figure who has been shaping Icelandic music for decades, both on her own and through bands like The Fire Team, The Icicles, and Supporters.
The two cover a lot of ground: childhood memories, a love of unconventional sound, teaching, mental health, and what it actually means to let go of things that weigh you down.
The Soundscape of Her Life
The episode opens outside Ragga’s wooden home in downtown Reykjavik, where a construction project next door has become an unavoidable presence. She is not complaining about it.
“They’re building apartments for artists,” she explains, “but being in a wooden house, I don’t have that studio-level isolation.” Instead of treating the noise as an obstacle, she has pulled it into her work. “Right now, I’m working on a chamber piece called Borgarbrag, which utilizes sounds from drills and hammers. It’s fun,” she says, and you can hear the genuine enthusiasm in it.
She is aiming to perform the piece in March — deadlines, she says, keep her moving. That said, the relationship with construction noise has not always been so easy. “I’ve nearly lost my mind over the sound of power drills,” she admits, laughing. “It really affected my nervous system.”
Growing Up Among Misfits
Ragga’s childhood was unlike most. She grew up in a house called Arnarholt in Kjalarnes, which her family ran as a nursing facility for people who, for one reason or another, had fallen outside the usual structures of society.
“Not everyone had a mental illness, but many were different from others,” she recalls. “Their families struggled to care for them, so we took them under our wings.” She talks with real warmth about the caregivers she grew up around. One she remembers clearly was Begga, who wore a summer dress every day no matter the weather. “Whatever you asked her, you got an answer right away,” Ragga says, smiling at the memory.
The Musical Landscape
When Halla asks about her first hit, Ragga works through it out loud. “I think it might have been with The Fire Team? Or perhaps The Supporters… No! It was definitely The Gryls! They were around before The Supporters but after The Fire Team.”
Teaching has been a steady thread alongside performing. She talks about the trust required when working with young students. “It’s all about making kids feel like they matter,” she says. Her 2017 holiday release See You There pushed her in a different direction creatively. “Crafting a pop song is no small feat — it’s incredibly tough.”
Her roots are in jazz and experimental music, but she is honest about the other side of her musical instincts. “I think I’m actually quite conventional in my melodies,” she says, “even though I love to explore unusual sounds.”
Navigating Life’s Challenges
Ragga does not gloss over the harder periods. “Whenever I encountered difficulties, I would retreat to bed, hiding under the covers,” she admits. Over time, she has found better ways through. “You have to cut ties and send your burdens out into the cosmos — trusting that something positive will come of it.”
She speaks warmly about her parents, particularly her father, who she describes as a child prodigy with a near-perfect memory for songs. The family home, she recalls, was not a quiet one — arguments flared with real heat, something she compares to fiery Italian disputes, though she is quick to add they never turned physical. “It’s unfair for children to witness unresolved tensions. It’s crucial to address conflicts constructively and not let anger permeate the home.”
A Resonant Voice
There is something about Ragga Gísla that goes beyond the catalogue of songs. The story she carries — funny, complicated, honest — is a big part of why people listen. She comes across as someone who has genuinely lived what she sings about, and that comes through in every exchange with Halla.
Discover more of Ragga’s journey by tuning into the latest episode of Labbitur. Happy listening!
