Helgar Released Debut Single

Icelandic artist Helgar released his debut single, Second-Hand Lives, on May 15, 2025, a striking introduction to a project that merges cinematic pop with brooding indie rock. Produced and mixed by Barði Jóhannsson — known for his work with Bang Gang, Lady & Bird, and Starwalker — the track arrives fully formed, its production polished and deliberate. Kristinn Agnarsson (John Grant, Ásgeir) provides drums, while mastering duties fell to Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Helgar is the musical alias of Helgi Pjetur, a tech entrepreneur and former footballer whose roots in Iceland’s indie scene run deep. In the early 2000s, he co-founded Tonlist.is, one of Europe’s first music streaming platforms, and later helped launch an indie label that introduced artists such as Lay Low to national acclaim. Though he spent much of the last decade shaping Iceland’s technology sector, music, he says, never left him.

With Helgar — a name derived from the Icelandic word for “weekends” — Pjetur returns not just to music, but to a deeply personal storytelling voice. A full-length album is expected later this year, promising further introspection and atmospheric soundscapes from this quietly accomplished debutant.