Pascal Pinon (band)

In 2009, when they were 14 years of age, the Ákadóttir sisters (along with Halla Kristjánsdóttir and Kristín Ylfa Hólmgrímsdóttir) formed the group. The name is a reference to the early 20th century circus performer Pasqual Piñón.[2] The group described their music as “… simple and honest, filled with both melancholy and optimism. We hope to make music that can inspire, soothe heartaches and warm you inside.”[3] Pascal Pinon songs are sung in their native Icelandic language as well as English. The sisters have cited Tegan and Sara, Björk, Joni Mitchell, and Sinead O'Connor as influences.[3] Jófríður Ákadóttir is the main songwriter and singer. She plays guitar as well as clarinet and keyboards. Ásthildur Ákadóttir usually sings harmony, plays various keyboards, guitar and bassoon. The sisters have also expressed a “weak spot” for lo-fi music, cassette tape noise and toy synths.[3] The group has performed in Europe and the UK multiple times (2010-2014, 2016, 2017), as well as giving concerts in China (2011, 2015) and Japan (2012). In March and April, 2017, Jófríður and her cousin, Hildur Berglind Arndal, toured Europe with Hildur playing piano and singing harmony. In 2017 Albert Finnbogason produced an album of Pascal Pinon songs with string arrangements by Ian McLellan Davis and vocals by Jófríður and Ásthildur.[4] In November 2017 Jófríður and Ásthildur reunited for a headlining concert at the Iceland Airwaves music festival, performing with a string section. Since then the duo has occasionally performed in Iceland including a concert in an empty hall (due to the Covid-19 crisis) with their three other sisters in March of 2020.[5][6]

In 2009 they released their entirely self-produced first album, Pascal Pinon. It was re-released by the Morr Music label in 2010 and was described by Allmusic as “… a truly lovely record”.[2][7]

In January 2013 Pascal Pinon, now a duo consisting of Ásthildur and Jófríður, released their second album, Twosomeness (produced by Alex Somers).[7] The album received an 8/10 rating from Clash, with writer Gareth James calling it “... a rare and beautiful treat... ”, and it received four stars out of five from Allmusic writer Tim Sendra, who described the songs as “... very magical and wrapped in warm, slightly sad mystery... ”[8][9] Michael Cragg of The Guardian wrote “... these Icelandic twin sisters make gorgeously intimate songs... ”[10] In 2013, Nico Muhly named them to a New York Times “Must List” of daily music, describing their music as “... strangely catching... ”[11]

In November 2015 Jófríður described their album Sundur (produced by Ásthildur) as "... raw and real, minimalistic and a bit melancholic... "[12][13][14] After its release in 2016, reviewers gave the album high praise: Tony Clayton-Lea in The Irish Times said that in Sundur "... the sisters manage to construct a minimal soundscape that is part sad dream, part tender magic... "[15] Derval McCloat described Sundur as "... a stirring account of humanity, love, loss, hope and, above all, sisterhood... ", "Theirs is an imagination with few bounds, moulded by a musical skill that has learnt through experience that restraint can work to its advantage, and that less is often more... " and "... a series of magical moments at times shrouded in mystery, ‘Sundur’ gives us a glimpse into the secret world of siblings, a fascinating phenomenon that transcends the physical."[16][17] Sundur was featured as one of The Line of Best Fit Fifty Essential Albums of 2016.[18] It was named as one of Play Repeat's 10 best albums of 2016.[19] New Noise Magazine placed Sundur in their top 16 of 2016.[20] In 2020, their song When I Can't Sleep was used in the trailer for the Apple TV+ production of Here We Are: Notes For Living on Planet Earth[21]

Jófríður was also the singer for the Icelandic electronic music group Samaris.[22] She was a member of the group Gangly and has also contributed to numerous musical projects including: Muted, Lapalux, and Low Roar.[23][24][25][26] In 2015 Jófríður began a solo career, performing under the name JFDR.