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Sigur Rós (formed 1994) are an Icelandic rock band.
Formation: Jón Þór Birgisson, Georg Hólm and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson formed the group in Reykjavík, Iceland, in January 1994, choosing to name their band 'Victory Rose' in Icelandic. While the word 'Sigur' translates as 'Victory' and 'Rós' translates as 'Rose', the phrase is not grammatically correct in Icelandic. A few days before the formation of the band, however, Birgisson's younger sister, Sigurrós, was born. Not long later, they signed a record deal with Bad Taste.
Career: Sigur Rós released their first album, 'Von', in 1997, before releasing a remix album the following year. The remix album was titled 'Von brigði', which was another Icelandic play on words. While the title meant 'variations on Von', the word 'Vonbrigði' means 'disappointment' in English. In 1998, Kjartan Sveinsson joined the band as a keyboard player, who would later bring orchestral string accompaniments into the band's music.
In 1999, the band released 'Ágætis byrjun', which lead to huge success and a supporting slot on that year's Radiohead tour. Over the next few years, their music was used in shows like '24', and films like 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou'. In 2001, the band moved to a new studio, and released a new EP to celebrate. The following year, they released their critically acclaimed album, '( )'. In 2003, they collaborated with Radiohead on an album called 'Split Sides', with three-track contribution being released shortly before the US and UK release of their original debut album in 2004.
In September 2005, the band released 'Takk...' before releasing their 'Sæglópur' EP the following year. In 2007, the band took part in a Swedish tour, for which they released 'Heima' - a tour documentary. In 2008, before embarking on a world tour, the band released their fifth studio album, 'Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust'. While their follow-up album was announced in 2009 and set for release in 2010, the project was later scrapped and the band took some time out. In November 2011, the band announced 'Inni', a new album, which was released in 2012.
In 2013, Kjartan Sveinsson left the band, and it returned to being a three-piece. The following year, the band appeared in an episode of 'Game of Thrones', before covering the song 'The Rains of Castamere', written by George R. R. Martin and recorded by The National in an early season of the show. The band then announced plans to rerelease their album 'Ágætis byrjun' in summer 2015.
Biography by Contactmusic.com