GG blús

Two Drummers' Worth of Noise From Two Men

GG blús formed in 2017 in Álftanes, just outside Reykjavík, when two veterans of the Icelandic scene decided that guitar and drums were enough. Guðmundur Jónsson, known for his work with Sálin hans Jóns míns, Nykur and Kikk, takes guitar and vocals; Guðmundur Gunnlaugsson, who came through Centaur, Sixties, X-izt and Jötunuxar, plays drums and sings.

There is no bass player. The duo make up for it with effects and distortion, pushing a minimalist setup into a heavy, full sound they describe as garage blues rock. The reference points are plain enough — The Black Keys, The White Stripes, Royal Blood — but the two of them bring decades of Icelandic stage craft to it.

Punch

Their debut album Punch arrived in 2019 with ten tracks: seven originals, among them "Broken Dreams", "Touching the Void", "Everything Is Wrong With the World Today" and the title track, alongside covers of Pink Floyd's "Money", Willie Dixon's "Spoonful" and Rory Gallagher's "Cradle Rock". Sigurður Sigurðsson guested on harmonica and Jens Hansson on saxophone.

Live

GG blús have been a steady presence on the Icelandic circuit, playing Dillon in Reykjavík and blues festivals in Reykjavík, Hornafjörður, Patreksfjörður and Borgarnes, with a set that mixes their own material and blues-rock standards.