Singles Spotlight:
Arny Margret –
“Took the Train ’til the End – Alternative Version”

Hello reader,

Ready to listen to a musician whose music you’ll fall in love with?

I’m excited to advocate for another musician who continues to make amazing music: Arny Margret. The Icelandic-based singer-songwriter is someone I wasn’t familiar with until recently, and now that I have listened a bit, I’m grateful. And I think you’ll share similar sentiments once you hear more for yourself, which is why Margret deserves a Singles Spotlight.

Arny Margret writes incredible lyrics that can punch you in the gut, and performs vocals in English that touch your soul, heart, and mind. And her musicianship and the production on her songs are top-notch. Listening to her music, you can often feel a warm, welcoming hug. For many, I think that Margret will become one of the favorite artists your ears first discovered in 2025. Someone who will captivate you to the point that you quickly listen to her entire discography and make a point of seeing her on tour. I know I’m there. And I’m excited for another excellent musician from Iceland, following a rich tradition of the past three decades that includes Björk, Laufey, Sigur Rós, Of Monsters and Men, and blues/rock band Kaleo, among others. Don’t sleep on Arny Margret or the Icelandic music scene.

Her Bandcamp bio sheds more light on her musical beginnings, “Arny Margret is from the Westfjords, a sparsely populated and confined peninsula in north-western Iceland. Born and raised in a small town called Ísafjörður, she attended music school from the age of 6 learning to play the piano and gradually taught herself guitar. Through the few pieces she’s shared, a feeling of isolation resonates, seeping through her dulcet tones and delicate strumming.”

The bio in her recent press release states her quick rise in the past few years, “Arny Margret has supported the likes of Leif Vollebekk, Passenger, Wilco, Blake Mills, Ásgeir, and more, and performed at festivals including SXSW, The Great Escape, Eurosonic, Newport Folk Festival, and Iceland Airwaves. She was nominated for ‘Newcomer of the Year’ at the Icelandic Music Awards 2022 and won ‘Best New Act’ at the Iceland Airwaves Plus Awards. In 2023, she was nominated for ‘Song,’ ‘Album,’ and ‘Video of the Year’ at the Icelandic Music Awards, winning ‘Song of the Year.’ Margret was also nominated for ‘Newcomer of the Year’ at the Icelandic People’s Choice Awards. In 2024, she was nominated for Eurosonic’s prestigious MME award, as one of ten emerging artists who reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year. She’s performed a live KEXP session and been championed by the likes of Relix, Atwood Magazine, American Songwriter (feature), NPR Music (‘NMF playlist’), Brooklyn Vegan, The Guardian, The Independent, Rolling Stone, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash Magazine, and many more.” I hope you’re reading those publications and supporting them as well as us, the two-person show here at SWT.

Margret made her musical debut with the intertwined EP (2022), followed later in the year by her debut full-length album, they only talk about the weather, and dinner alone EP (2023). In March of this year, she released the fantastic I Miss You, I Do. You can also find the releases via One Little Independent Records here. I Miss You, I Do, drawing inspiration from tours in the US, features a more collaborative and layered sound than her previous, more minimalist folk sound. The result still includes the introspective, reflective songwriting you’ve grown to love while also including some banjo, harmonium, and slide guitar. It’s not over-the-top, and it’s wonderfully co-produced by Margret, Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Jensen McRae), and Guðm. “Kiddi” Kristinn Jónsson (Ásgeir), Josh Kaufman (Bonny Light Horseman, Bob Weir, The Hold Steady), and Andrew Berlin (Gregory Alan Isakov). The quality of the album should have it featured on many best-of-album lists for the year. Check it out for yourself.

On Friday, November 21st, via One Little Independent Records, Margret blessed us with the deluxe version of I Miss You, I Do titled I Miss You, I Do: The Sjáumst Edition. This new version features four additional songs, three of which are stripped-back reinterpretations led by piano, and a brand-new instrumental to close out the album, “Sjáumst.”  Which, fittingly, translates to ‘see you/ya’.

According to this version’s press release, “All four additional tracks were performed and produced by Margret herself, and recorded with Bjarni Þór Jensson” and properly hyped up both releases with some comparision saying, “Where I Miss You, I Do was colored with an expansive Americana palette, I Miss You, I Do: The Sjáumst Edition offers something more intimate, focusing on the resonance of piano keys and the raw vulnerability of Margret’s voice. These versions allow her melodies to drift in new directions, with space opening between each note and a stillness that invites in the listener. This new material closes a creative chapter for Margret, one that began on the road across continents and now finds its final words at a piano in an Icelandic studio.”

Excited to hear a song yet?

In my opinion, the best song on I Miss You, I Do: The Sjáumst Edition is “Took the Train ’til the End – Alternative Version.” There is no bad song on either the original album or the deluxe version. Both are truly fantastic pieces of musicianship. While the original version of “Took the Train ’til the End” was fabulous, featuring strong lyrics, banjo, and a fuller sound, this alternative version is stripped down. Its lyrics are delivered amidst a quieter, slower-paced melody, and the overall tone becomes more melancholy, reflective, and powerful. In the best ways. Truly. Enveloping. While there are many examples of Margret’s songwriting talent within this album, as you listen to this song in particular, I think you are taken aback by how damn good it is. So much so that, while I am not keeping an official list, this version of the song is one of my favorite new songs of this year. Kudos and thank you. I hope the deluxe version gets a vinyl release.

Take a listen for yourself by watching the black & white video for the gorgeous song, “Took the Train ’til the End – Alternative Version” from Arny Margret’s YouTube channel:

(All credits and rights to Arny Margret)

The cover art for I Miss You, I Do: The Sjáumst Edition:

The tracklist for I Miss You, I Do: The Sjáumst Edition:

1. I Miss You, I Do (4:06)
2. Crooked Teeth (3:41)
3. Greyhound Station (2:49)
4. I Love You (3:58)
5. Day Old Thoughts (3:40)
6. Maybe I’ve Wasted My Time (3:23)
7. Took the Train ’til the End (3:59)
8. You’re Mine, I’m Yours (2:55)
9. Born in Spring (3:37)
10. Happy New Year (3:09)
11. I Miss You, I Do – Alternative Version (4:19)
12. Took the Train ’til the End – Alternative Version (4:22)
13. Born in Spring – Alternative Version (4:16)
14. Sjáumst (3:35)

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com