Nanna has officially announced the release of her debut single, “Godzilla,” out now via Republic Records. Best known for her success as a writer, producer, vocalist, and guitarist in the chart-topping band Of Monsters and Men, she is embarking on a new path with her solo project.

“Godzilla” was written and produced by Nanna in her small cabin outside of her hometown of Reykjavík, Iceland, where she reveled in stillness in the midst of a liminal time in her life. Having spent 12 years working exclusively with her bandmates, she toured the globe and topped the charts in multiple countries with certified-platinum releases. In addition to her work in OMAM, Nanna began crafting a personal work of her own. This project signifies a new artistic perspective and an exciting new beginning for the acclaimed songwriter. 

In recording “Godzilla” Nanna enlisted the help of her close friends Bjarni Þór Jensson (engineer, musician, additional production) and Ragnar Þórhallsson (musician). Setting up a makeshift studio in the cabin, the aim was to capture a feeling of intimacy and warmth while striving to avoid getting lost in the idea of perfection.

“Godzilla” is a result of a quiet period of introspection, blossoming creativity and change. Nanna’s soaring vocals unravel a story of feeling isolated in the everyday, and of relationships that persist through the navigation of change: “It captures a very specific time in my life when I felt quite disoriented and didn’t have a clear path in my direction,” expressed Nanna. “Like a snowstorm it felt chaotic and calm at the same time.” 

“It started out with a guitar pick that I would play over and over again in the long nights of winter,” Nanna continued. “The concept of the song was inspired by the early Godzilla classics. I somehow resonated and felt empathetic with this big monstrous thing on the screen. I felt that Godzilla, while being so destructive, ultimately means well and simply wants to exist but finds itself in a world in which it doesn’t belong. It’s about feeling out of place, like a villain in a story, yet having someone rooting for you when you’ve made a big mess.” 

The cinematic video accompanying the track, directed by Thora Hilmarsdottir and filmed in Iceland on a frigid day in August, references the song’s lyrics, elegantly capturing the delicate melancholy that is semi-disassociating in public places. As she navigates a supermarket, a rave, a carwash and a cold sunset walk, Nanna’s hypnotizing vocals rise above a building beat; the exquisite production lifting the emotional heart of the track with graceful, swooning ease. Wistful, evocative and ultimately romantic, “Godzilla” is a quietly powerful first offering from an already accomplished artist, musician, producer, and songwriter.

Photo Courtesy: Angela Ricciardi